Appliance Energy Efficiency in the Warm Portuguese Sun

Earlier this month, I traveled to Europe and joined two hundred other energy efficiency-minded industry, independent consultant, and government types at EEDAL (Energy Efficiency of Domestic Appliances and Lighting) 2013, a 2 1/2 day conference organized every two years by the European Commission Joint Research Centre. EEDAL attracts an international audience of stakeholders involved in the policy implementation and development as well as the manufacturing and promotion of energy efficient residential appliances and lighting. The conference moves to a different European location each time. This year, the seventh session, brought it to the University of Coimbra, in warm, sunny Portugal.

The sessions covered a wide range of topics, including:

• Consumer Electronics
• Smart Homes and Smart Appliances
• Residential Lighting
• Residential Appliances (HVAC, Refrigerators)
• Metering
• Program and Policies Monitoring and Evaluation
• Communication
• Market Transformation Programs
• Lifestyles and Consumer Behavior

Power conversion efficiency continues to be an active EEDAL topic since almost all domestic consumer electronic products and appliances (and now LED lighting) require the conversion of high voltage AC to lower voltage DC for operation. Multiple papers were presented this year covering power supply operation. One from Lawrence Berkeley National Labs discussed the development of a “communicating” power supply capable of sharing its operation status (i.e. full load, standby low power, no-load) to assist in energy monitoring and management. My paper discussed the impact on power supply efficiency resulting from recent efficiency programs requiring appliances to enter much lower power consumption modes when not providing their main function. While many switching power supplies exhibit good efficiency at higher active modes, their efficiency at low power modes (i.e. 10% load) could drop by almost 20%.

In addition to product design, settings and user interfaces can also make a huge difference in how much energy a product consumes in a home. A presentation from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) showed that some power-saving features were shipped disabled (i.e. the auto power down feature in video game consoles), resulting in significant missed energy savings. And choosing the energy-appropriate device for a desired function can also impact energy use. According to the NRDC, enjoying streaming video on a game console can consume up to 65 watts, while viewing the same on a dedicated Blu-Ray player consumes around 10 watts, and an internet streaming device (i.e. Apple TV) under 3 watts!

This year's EEDAL also included a number of papers from developing nations such as Nigeria, Ghana, and South Africa, clearly making the point that energy waste is truly a worldwide issue.

If you, or your organization, are involved in energy efficiency improvement in consumer appliances and lighting, EEDAL 2015 might be worth attending. Information regarding registration, location, and paper submittal typically becomes available a year before the conference begins. For information on this year's EEDAL conference and agenda, click here.