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CLEAN LIFESTYLE » Unveiled! WASHING MACHINES DRYERS DISHWASHERS VACUUM CLEANERS STEAM CLEANING Appliances Make a Clean Sweep at IFA 2012 In today’s feature, we take a close-up look at the countless devices at IFA 2012 that make our lives a little brighter… and cleaner! Despite manufacturers constantly improving energy efficiency with new home appliance designs in recent years this successful technology still holds vast potential. The energy savings achieved to date are impressive and the industry has long taken on a pioneering role. A comparison with models produced some 15 years ago shows that the energy saved by ultra-efficient new appliances is between 50 and 70 per cent. In terms of water consumption the same applies to washing machines and dishwashers. A high degree of energy efficiency is an absolute must for the latest brand appliances. At the same time it is important for customers to not have to sacrifice other performance features. Taking an appliance’s entire life cycle into account, there are three reasons for replacing an out-of-date model with a new one. It saves energy costs, is more efficient and protects the environment. SMART GRIDS FLOOR CARE – A GROWING SECTOR In the floor care sector robot vacuum cleaners are capturing a growing share of the market, with constantly improved performance. They can be left to clean floors throughout the home on their own, making the user’s life even easier. Clever use of energy can potentially save further costs. Smart grids make it possible for intelligent appliances to exploit flexible electricity rates. Such grids facilitate automatic data communication between the utility company and the consumer, and for example would start a washing machine or dishwasher’s washing cycle when electricity is cheapest. This would take place whenever a high amount of regenerative energy is fed into the grid, or at night, when electricity demand is low, saving consumers money and helping to avoid costly peak energy use. From a technical point of view this future scenario poses no problem for most home appliances manufacturers and individual pilot projects involving energy suppliers are already under way. However, there is still much to be done before mass-market applications become a reality. Standards must be established to ensure system components from different appliance manufacturers and energy suppliers can communicate. Progress must also be made with the necessary infrastructure, i.e. building smart grids and installing intelligent household electricity meters. Energy suppliers must also provide attractive, load-based electricity rates, as consumers will only invest in smart appliances if they see financial benefits. FACTS FROM GFK As expected, the market has been boosted by the introduction of a new European energy label, which allows consumers to spot the most effi cient appliances at a glance. From January to June 2012, 1,706 different highly effi cient models (A+++ or higher) were sold on the European market. This is particularly evident in Austria and Germany, where energy effi ciency is a very important factor in the purchasing decision. The main considerations when buying major domestic appliances are effi ciency, size and user friendliness. For refrigerators and freezers, the share of no-frost appliances with high-energy effi ciency is rising. In the washing segment, high-load machines and heat pump tumble dryers are the most popular. IFA International • Wednesday 5 th September 2012 27
