JouleBlog

Shopping for a refrigerator? The Energy Guide labels affixed to the floor models may not be a reliable guide to how much electricity a particular model uses, according to Consumer Reports.

In a report on ABC’s Eyewitness News tonight, a Consumer Reports spokeswoman questioned of the reliability of the ratings. “In our tests, refrigerators typically use about 20 percent more energy than it says on their yellow Energy Guide label,” said Celia Kuperszmid-Lehrman. “That’s because our tests are tougher, and we believe they better reflect how you’d actually use a refrigerator.”

For example, a GE model made by Samsung used almost 40% more electricity than the number on its Guide would suggest; an LG and Sears Kenmore made by LG used about 50% more, according to the broadcast. Consumer Reports says that the government’s test procedures need to be better defined, so that manufacturers can’t claim energy savings you are unlikely to see at home.

Consumer Reports said that the Energy Guide ratings often do not reflect real-world conditions in the home. The two refrigerators made by LG use significantly less energy only at the warmest settings required by the government tests. “But you’re not likely to use those settings, because your food’s going to spoil faster. So you’re not going to get the energy savings,” said Kuperszmid-Lehrman.

This isn’t the first time Consumer Reports has criticized the Department of Energy’s Energy Star program. In an October 2008 article it said the Consumers Union said the federal tests were out of date and its qualifying standards were too lax.

Source: GE

GE Energy Financial Services announced yesterday it would make a venture capital investment in Tendril Networks, Inc., a developer of software and hardware that enables two-way communication between utilities and their customers’ appliances in real time. GE didn’t put a value on the investment. The Tendril Residential Energy Management Ecosystem (TREE) platform is designed to help utilities operate more efficiently and allow customers to manage their energy consumption.

GE’s investment announcement expands its existing relationship with the software developer. In July GE Consumer & Industrial and Tendril announced that they would integrate the TREE Platform to work with GE’s dryers, refrigerators, washing machines and other appliances. GE appliances such as stoves, washers and dryers, dishwashers and refrigerators will communicate their power needs to the utilities in real-time. The utilities can then redistribute power as needed more efficiently, according to the companies.

In June Tendril announced it had raised $30 million in funding. Other investors include VantagePoint Venture Partners, Good Energies, RRE Ventures, Vista Ventures and Appian Ventures.