This report describes the Sino-US project to promote the transformation of the Chinesedomestic refrigerator industry to the production of chlorofluorocarbon (CFC)-free, super-efficientmodels. Technologies examined in this effort include non-CFC refrigerants and foam-blowingagents, alternate refrigeration cycles, more efficient compressors, optimization of condenser andevaporator designs, increased insulation thickness, and improvements to door gaskets andcontrols.

Work completed through December 1995 at the China Household Electric ApplianceResearch Institute (CHEARI), the Haier Group, and the University of Maryland (U. Of Md.)includes the building and testing of Chinese refrigerators that contain a wide variety of energyefficiency improvements and no CFCs. Chinese consumer opinion research on the marketing ofozone-friendly, energy-efficient refrigerators has also been undertaken. Field testing wasundertaken for one year in three Chinese cities to test the performance of units under actualoperating conditions.

The key findings of these activities are:

• Laboratory tests on a 220-liter, manual-defrost, bottom-freezer refrigerator popular in theChinese market (the BCD-220 produced by the Haier Group, one of China's leadingmanufacturers) have demonstrated that conversion from (CFCs) to alternative refrigerantsand foam-blowing agents can be achieved along with substantial energy savings. Table 1shows the effect of technology improvements on energy savings. The savings indicated inTable 1 are indicative of the highest achieved in laboratory testing of all combinations ofefficiency measures. The final prototype model, however, did not include the Lorenzcycle modification.
• Laboratory test results for an improved CFC-free prototype, employing many of the testedefficiency measures, demonstrated about 40 percent energy savings.
• Chinese consumer opinion research has shown:
  • Quality is the most important factor when a household refrigerator purchase isconsidered; and
  • Chinese consumers say they are willing to pay 20 percent more for a high qualityproduct which consumes 40 percent less energy than currently available models.
• Field testing has demonstrated that:
  • The new models showed significant energy savings in the field, though savingswere lower than in laboratory tests;
  • Storage capacity and performance in maintaining food at the desired temperatureare key factors in household acceptance of the new model; and
  • Noise level was found to be a concern with the new model.

Next steps for work to be completed under the project include modification of the prototype inresponse to consumer opinion research and field test results, and certification in accordance withinternationally accepted standards. This work will be followed by application of energy efficientCFC-free design techniques to other Haier products, such as Haier's new BCD-268 model.

For other refrigerator manufacturers, the Sino-US Refrigerator Project demonstrates thatit is technologically feasible to redesign household refrigerators commonly in use in China andother countries so as to simultaneously replace CFCs and significantly improve the refrigerator'senergy efficiency. This substantial increase in energy efficiency can be obtained by adoptingtechnically proven measures used individually by manufacturers in the past, but not heretoforecombined in a single nonozone-depleting energy-efficient product design. The prototypedeveloped through this project demonstrates that combination of these measures can result insignificant energy savings. These savings provide substantial economic and environmentalbenefits, as well as cost savings to consumers and a potential competitive benefit to manufacturersthat adopt energy-efficient CFC-free technology.