The Future of Homes: Innovative Solutions for Energy Efficiency
Provided courtesy of GE
Why are energy-efficient products important? Because your customers are demanding them and including them can differentiate your homes. The energy conservation movement is gaining strength in the consumer marketplace. An online 2001 survey of potential home buyers concluded that 94% of buyers claimed that energy efficiency features were among the three most important home upgrades—the number one response.1
Energy efficient products save money and resources. Homeowners are asking for energy-efficient products because they save money and help preserve the environment. A majority of 18-49 year olds pick protecting the environment over economic growth.2
There are two major costs associated with owning a home; the mortgage payment and the utility bills. The typical household spends $1,900 a year on energy bills. Changing to ENERGY STAR qualified appliances can save approximately $80 a year in energy costs. If every U.S. household replaced their five most frequently used light fixtures or the bulbs in them with models that have earned the ENERGY STAR qualification, each would save more than $60 a year in energy costs.3 A number of states and utilities offer rebates on energy-efficient products. Check your state and local utility company for available rebates, tax credits, or sales tax exemptions.4
Conserving energy means decreasing demand from power plants, which reduces greenhouse gas emissions. The efficient use of oil, gas, and electricity reduces U.S. dependence on domestic and foreign natural resources. With the help of ENERGY STAR, Americans saved $12 billion on their utility bills and 150 billion kWh or 4% of total 2005 demand.5
What You Can Offer to Improve Energy Efficiency in Every Home You Build
Appliances - For top performance, premium features, and energy savings, look for energy-efficient clothes washers, refrigerators, dishwashers, room air conditioners, and dehumidifiers that have earned the ENERGY STAR label.
Lighting - ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs (compact fluorescent lamps) use 66% less energy than a standard incandescent bulb, last up to 10 times longer, and most provide the same or more light.
Solar - Solar electric systems provide homeowners with clean, renewable electricity.
HVAC - Furnaces rated at least 90 AFUE and air conditioners rated 12 SEER or higher qualify for the ENERGY STAR label, meaning they are very energy-efficient
Water Heating - High-efficiency water heating can use 10-50% less energy than a conventional model and is an important part of an energy efficient home.
Insulation - Properly installed insulation in floors, walls, and attics ensures more even temperatures throughout the house, while using less energy.
What is the Government Doing to Help?
ENERGY STAR is an EPA- and DOE-managed program, helping businesses and individuals protect the environment through superior energy efficiency. In 2005 alone, the use of ENERGY STAR products made an enormous impact. Americans saved enough energy to power nearly 22 million homes—over $12 billion in energy costs-and reduced greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 23 million cars.6
ENERGY STAR created a builder program for the whole home. Including GE appliances, lighting and solar products can play an important role in building eco-friendly, ENERGY STAR qualified homes. This whole-home certification initiative can help improve home quality and homeowner comfort, while lowering energy demand and reducing air pollution.
ENERGY STAR qualified homes are independently verified to be at least 30% more energy-efficient than homes built to the 1993 national Model Energy Code, or 15% more efficient than state energy code, whichever is more rigorous. These savings are based on heating, cooling, and hot water energy use, and are typically achieved through a combination of building envelope upgrades, high-performance windows, controlled air infiltration, upgraded heating and air conditioning systems, tight duct systems, and upgraded water-heating equipment.
Ecomagination: A GE Commitment
Helping consumers use less energy, save money, and protect the environment is a priority at GE. Ecomagination is our company-wide initiative to imagine and build innovative solutions to the world's most pressing environmental challenges, such as the need for cleaner, more efficient sources of energy, reduced emissions, and abundant sources of clean water.
GE brings ecomagination into the home with products like GE Profile Harmony washers and GE Profile dishwashers with SmartDispense technology. We are confident that through better technology, GE can meet those challenges, just as we have since the days of our founder, Thomas Edison. For more information, visit www.ecomagination.com.
GE's commitment to helping homeowners save energy and lower their utility bills gains momentum day by day. The strength of that commitment stimulates creative, innovative thinking and, ultimately, the kinds of energy-saving solutions being applied throughout today's finest homes.
With GE's solar systems, homeowners are able to generate power from the sun with zero noise pollution or air emissions and with reduced dependence on fossil fuels. Photovoltaic panels generate enough power for peakshifting, while GE's integrated PV roofing, provided in kit form and prewired, can be easily installed by standard trades.
ENERGY STAR qualified GE compact fluorescent light bulbs use up to 75% less energy than standard incandescent bulbs, most last 8 to 10 times longer, and some last up to 16 times longer.
With a unique design that allows for reduced water consumption, GE frontload washers are true marvels of efficiency. GE Profile dishwashers with SmartDispense technology offer the Single Rack Wash selection, which washes up to five place settings in just the upper rack, saving time, water, and energy. ENERGY STAR qualified GE refrigerators use 40% less energy than conventional models sold before 2001, and more than 50% less than models manufactured before 1993.
GE has pledged to double its investment in clean R&D—GE is growing its research in cleaner technologies from $700 million in 2005 to $1.5 billion in 2010. From 2002-2005 GE Consumer & Industrial has invested more than $350 million dollars to develop and bring to market high-efficiency appliances. This, combined with broad customer and consumer awareness efforts has earned GE the DOE and EPA ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Awards for 2004, 2005 and 2006.
"Partners like GE are national leaders in energy efficiency," said David Rodgers, Program Manager of the DOE's Building Technologies Program. "The ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence winners are proving that energy efficiency is good for business, saves energy, and protects the environment. Especially noteworthy are GE's broad efforts to educate consumers, customers, and homebuilders on the value of ENERGY STAR products."
Refrigerators
GE offers ENERGY STAR qualified refrigerators in side-by-side, top-freezer, and bottom-freezer designs. A GE ENERGY STAR qualified refrigerator featuring the ClimateKeeper2 system keeps food garden-fresh longer than conventional refrigerators.
The decrease in greenhouse gas emissions over the life of all GE ENERGY STAR qualified refrigerators that were sold in 2005 is equivalent to eliminating more than 71,000 cars from U.S. roads for an entire year. If all Americans used a GE ENERGY STAR qualified refrigerator for 10 years, the decrease in greenhouse emissions would be equivalent to eliminating more than 12 million cars from U.S. roads for an entire year.
Standards for refrigerators are now in their third generation and have reduced the annual energy use of today's refrigerator to less than that of a 75-watt light bulb.7 In 1987, the average size home refrigerator was 20 cubic feet in size and consumed 974 kilowatt hours of energy per year. The average unit sold in 2004 was slightly larger, 21 cubic feet and consumed 500 kilowatt hours per year, a 49% reduction in energy use. The efficiency gain of the average refrigerator has increased 35% since 2000.
Washers
With a unique design that allows for reduced water consumption, GE Profile Harmony and GE frontload washers are true marvels of efficiency. GE offers ENERGY STAR qualified top-load and frontload laundry products. The GE Profile Harmony washer already meets the U.S. Department of Energy's 2007 standards!
The GE Profile Harmony's innovative HydroWash system significantly lowers energy bills by using extraction and temperature matches to specific loads. The GE frontload washer exceeds the 2004 minimum energy factor by 75%. The total energy and water savings can pay for the initial cost of the frontload washer over its life. The GE frontload washer also exceeds 2004 ENERGY STAR guidelines by 28%. Plus, it already meets 2007 energy standards.
Dishwashers
GE Profile dishwashers with SmartDispense technology offer the single-rack wash selection, which washes up to five place settings in just the upper rack, saving time, water and energy. All GE Profile dishwashers have earned the ENERGY STAR label.
Replacing a dishwasher manufactured before 1994 with an ENERGY STAR qualified dishwasher can save $25 or more per year in utility costs.8 The GE Profile dishwasher holds up to 16 place settings at once, so it's possible to wash every dish in a single load. If all Americans used the GE Profile dishwasher, over 20 billion gallons of water a year would be saved—enough to fill more than 25,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
GE Energy Smart CFLs
How fast is your meter running? GE ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs save money…for you and your homebuyers! CFLs provide the same amount of light (lumens) as standard incandescent bulbs, but use fewer watts. This means they use less energy and cause less pollution. And the savings really add up, with a 72% energy savings when you use GE's 42-watt CFL in place of a standard 150-watt incandescent bulb and a 77% energy savings when you use GE's 15- and 26-watt "dimmable" reflectors in place of standard 65- and 90-watt incandescents.
If you're a builder and leave the lights burning in your model homes 24 hours a day, seven days a week, you're racking up enormous utility bills. By replacing standard incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents, based on a 24/7 burn, you can easily save $2,000 per model home, per year in energy costs. Developing an energy efficient lighting strategy in your model homes is good for the environment…and for your bottom line!
GE offers a wide variety of shapes to expand your options for decorative applications of compact fluorescent lamps. New candle shaped CFLs are available in both medium and candelabra base models. Attractive A-line and globe shapes are also available, along with post lights for use in outdoor fixtures. All are designed for outstanding energy efficiency and long life, which makes them ideal for high ceilings and other hard-to-reach areas. To learn more, visit www.gelighting.com.
GE Linear Fluorescents
Think fluorescent tubes deliver poor light quality? Think again! New technology means you can now get the long life and energy efficiency you expect from fluorescent bulbs, along with exceptional color quality. GE linear fluorescents are available for a variety of lighting applications.
Are you lighting a particularly large, dark area of a home, like a garage or basement? Use GE Sunshine bulbs that provide bright, noonday light. They're also ideal for color-critical areas. GE Kitchen & Bath/Warm White bulbs are best for living areas, kitchens, and baths, as they provide warm, natural light Are you replacing a fluorescent bulb in a living area of the home? Choose a GE Kitchen & Bath bulb that makes food look fresher and makes skin tones more attractive.
Residential Long Life 48" bulbs can be used in any F40 fixture. They're best for offices, media rooms, or utility applications that benefit from these bulbs' cool white color. If you're replacing a bulb in a hard-to-reach or hard-to-access fluorescent fixture, use a GE Residential Long Life bulb and replace the bulb less often. GE Daylight bulbs offer cool, natural light that's perfect for workshops, laundry rooms, and other task areas.
GE Edison Light Bulbs
GE Edison halogen light bulbs are the designers' choice—delivering exceptional performance and long life! Halogen bulbs shine with bright, crisp, white light that showcases the beauty of every room in the homes you build. Unlike standard incandescent bulbs, halogen bulbs use halogen gas, which allows the bulbs to burn more intensely without sacrificing life or quality. Compared to incandescents, GE Edison halogen bulbs provide crisp, white light , a compact size, excellent beam control , energy savings, high lumen maintenance (the light stays bright), and long life.
Solar Electric Power Systems
In response to the growing demand for solar energy in the residential housing industry, GE Energy offers a full range of complete solar power systems specially designed for homes connected to the electric utility grid. Engineered for quick and easy installation, our solar electric systems provide homeowners with clean, renewable electricity and operate silently, automatically, and virtually maintenance free for years.
GE Energy's residential solar electric systems include everything you need in one complete package. Each pre-engineered package comes with solar modules, quick connect wiring, power electronics, patented mounting kits for roof or ground installations, a power meter to monitor performance, and complete documentation for homebuilders, contractors, installers, and homeowners.
Roof-Integrated Systems
Roof-integrated solar electric power systems by GE Energy are designed to seamlessly blend into the profile of a concrete roof tile, replacing the tiles and generating electricity in the process. This approach simplifies installation, reduces the cost of installation, and enables the solar power array to integrate into the finished roof.
GE Energy's solar electric power systems are engineered for maximum performance. The amount of power generated will vary according to geographic location, weather fluctuations, roof orientation, the amount of direct sunlight that makes contact with the system, and other influencing factors.
The system's power meter allows real-time monitoring of system performance and the home's overall electrical usage. In certain areas of the country, excess generated power may often be sold back to the local utility company, further reducing homeowners' energy bills.
A Century of Quality and Innovation
For more than a century, GE has been committed to producing innovative products that change the way people live. The result of thorough research and rigorous testing, GE appliances are designed for years of dependable performance. Today, the GE tradition of quality and innovation continues. For more information, visit www.ecomagination.com or www.gelighting.com
1 Source: Survey conducted in partnership with the Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing (PATH), the U.S. Green Building Council, and builders and appliance makers, as reported by the Cahners publishing group in Professional Builder.
2 Source: March, 2005 Gallup Poll
3 Source: www.energystar.gov
4 Source: American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy
5 Source: www.energystar.gov
6 Source: www.energystar.gov
7 Source: Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers
8 Source: U.S. Department of Energy
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