Anyone in the market for a new refrigerator faces an almost dizzying array of great looking and operating units in a range of sizes and interior and exterior finishes. Prominent and desirable features include in-door water and ice dispensers, which are almost standard in most homes and a desired feature when people upgrade their refrigeration center in a new home or after a remodeling job.
Bottom freezer
units are also very popular and functional because they provide easier,
eye-level access to the main refrigeration area that is used most often.
There are
three main designs for mid-sized to extra-large refrigerators, so we have
decided to review the leading energy efficient units and features for each
design.
Carbon Footprint
An
appliance’s carbon footprint is not necessarily the first factor considered
when upgrading a refrigerator or other piece of equipment or technology. It is,
however, the measure of the overall level of environmental friendliness related
to the product’s manufacture, delivery,
and disposal at the end of its life cycle.
Budget
We typically
look first and foremost to the cost of operating a unit after the initial
purchase. In fact, that may be all we look at as we make our purchasing
decision. That number is certainly much more easily calculated and determined
based on the information provided by the manufacturer as well as the Energy
Star rating provided.
It’s usually
featured in advertisements and online reviews, and, therefore, a positive
Energy Star rating is the first number we consider. In fact, replacing an aging
unit with a refrigerator that has a higher Energy Star rating can save you
10-50% over your existing refrigerator. That’s a wide range, and your results
will vary, but considering an upgrade can directly benefit your pocketbook as
well as the environment immediately.
Let’s look
at these four featured units:
Side-by-Side Model
1. LG Side-by-side Model LSXC22336
Feature for
feature, this refrigerator covers most of the bases and includes a
thru-the-door-dispenser for water and ice, an LED display, LoDecibel™ Quiet
Operation and IcePlus™ Accelerated Freezing Function, all while offering 21.9
cubic feet of usable cold and frozen goods storage space.
With an
Energy Star rating of 530 kWh/year to refrigerate and freeze contents in its
21.9 cubic foot interior, that comes to 24.2 kWh/year per cubic foot. You might
be surprised how well that stacks up to other units without that range of
features. Of course, other manufacturers provide refrigerators with built-in
water and ice systems with
replaceable filters, but this
LG unit simply has the best Energy Star rating in the group.
We’ll do
that math on the other units below to see how they measure up the cubic foot for cubic foot. The calculation can
be made by dividing the kilowatt-hour per
year (kWh/year) rating by the cubic foot capacity (ft3) of a unit.
Bottom Freezer Model
2. Bosch Bottom Freezer Model B10CB80NVS
This bottom
freezer unit has a capacity of 11.4 cubic feet—less than half of the LG
Side-by-side model. It does consume considerably less energy per year (314 kWh/yr.),
but the energy cost per cubic foot is significantly higher, at 27.5 kWh/year
per cubic foot.
Its major
features include a well-lit interior with efficient LED lighting, an available
wine rack, and a compact vertically
structured design that fits into smaller spaces. The unit is well over six feet
high, however, making the bottom freezer feature almost a must. There is no
thru-the-door-dispenser, however, and its
unique height requires the right space.
This, and
similar Bosch units with a vertical design, is the most energy-efficient bottom
freezer unit on the market today, in terms of kWh/year for the entire unit.
Top Freezer Models
Top freezer
models continue to represent the largest group of refrigerators today. They are
consistently lower-priced than the other two styles and usually highlight a
smaller range of features. None of them provide thru-the-door-dispensers, but
they typically feature reversible door openings to accommodate the most
efficient use of the adjacent countertops and kitchen workflows; some top freezer models do have ice makers. If you are
looking to replace an aging, inefficient unit, one of these can serve the purpose
well, if you are willing to forgo some often-desired features.
This basic
refrigerator gets among the best overall energy efficiency ratings from Energy
Star. It comes in at 296 kWh/year of annual energy use. For its 9.9 cubic foot
capacity, which includes both its cooling and freezing compartments, that
amounts to almost 30 kWh/year per cubic foot.
By
comparison, this made in the U.S.A model from Frigidaire is significantly
larger in cubic foot capacity and is
rated at 348 kWh/year, for a cubic foot capacity of 16.3. That rating leaves it
with a cubic foot per year calculation of 21.3 kWh/year; significantly lower
than its trademark brother above. It retains the basic style profile but does
have several specific USA components, like a one-gallon
door shelf and a clear dairy bin.
The other USA feature, a
thru-the-door-dispenser to provide filtered water and ice, is missing here
as well. That feature is reserved for split door units like the LG unit. This
Frigidaire is, however, the most energy efficient unit by our per-cubic-foot
calculations.
It’s Your Turn
Based on the
most readily available data points, the above four units are among the most
energy efficient on the market today. It is easy to be distracted by the full
range of colors, features, and other
selling points held out by the manufacturers. None of these units can access
the latest technology of IoT (Internet of Things), but they are featured here
for their energy efficiency and modest features.
If you have
your latest energy bill in hand, you should be able to calculate the difference
in actual operating costs for each refrigerator based on the cost of energy in
your area. The additional eco-friendly factors like the materials used in
construction, means of shipping, and the recycling costs are part of the total
carbon footprint.
Above all, you will need to figure out your size and space requirements and settle on the significant features you need.
