Feature

Home On The Range

Electrical appliances which use the latest technology are increasing the efficiency of electricity usage in the home.

By Susan Ellis

Today's interest in using our natural energy resources efficiently has been prompted by both economic considerations and a global concern for the environment. There is concern that even energy derived from renewable resources should not be wasted, since its use in the place of non-renewable resources will extend the availabilty of the latter.

A distinction should be made, however, between energy efficiency and energy conservation. Energy conservation involves using less energy, but compromises on comfort levels. Energy efficiency uses energy resources more productively while maintaining standards of living.

The key to energy efficiency is innovative science and technology. Several new electrical appliances bring this innovation into the domestic sphere.

Spreading The Load

Load spreading is the shifting of day-time peak electricity load to night-time, when there is reserve capacity at electricity generating stations. This system should defer the need for new generating stations to be built, as existing capacity will be able to be used more efficiently.

One appliance which is designed specifically to shift load from day to night periods is the night storage heater. Heat input takes place during the night, when there is less demand for electricity and the price is lower. The heat is then stored for slow release during the day.

Initial designs were made of insulated concrete blocks or similar materials, with internal heating elements. Modern refinements of the storage medium and insulation, along with the use of electronic controls, have increased storage capacities and reduced the overall size of night storage units. Other improvements include adjustable vents and in-built fans, to allow faster heat release.

Cooking And Conditioning

Induction is the process of producing an electric current by placing a conductor in an electromagnetic field. It can be used to heat metal objects by producing electrical eddy currents within the metal.

Induction heating has been used industrially for many years, and recently the process has been used in cook-top units. Induction hobs heat pots directly, reducing the heat loss involved in using an intermediate heat transfer medium such as hot air from burning gas or a hot plate.

Induction hobs are currently expensive to purchase but, like microwave ovens, TV sets and video recorders, their cost is likely to fall quickly. In time, they should become the preferred method of hob cooking in the home.

The Climatiser is a heat pump air-conditioner, which is up to one-third cheaper to run than conventional units. A heat pump consists of one or two motors which circulate gas through a compression-decompression cycle.

When the gas is compressed, it rises in temperature; when undergoing decompression, this heat is released. The output of heat is three to five times the input required to drive the compressor motor.

The same basic equipment can be used for heating and cooling -- the heat flow through the unit merely has to be reversed. In winter, heat is extracted from the external air and used to warm the inside air. In summer, heat can be pumped out of the interior.

These units use the external atmosphere as a heat source or sink, so they need to be mounted on an external wall. To correct humidity, moisture is extracted from the room air during the cooling cycle. This has to be disposed of by some suitable drain. The reduction of humidity is an added bonus in many climates.

Positive Steps

In recognition of the importance of energy efficiency and technological innovation, Electricorp Marketing has recently launched the Rutherford Awards.

These awards will encourage the development of new products and processes which enable electricity to be used efficiently in domestic, commercial and industrial environments.

Innovation and energy are of primary and equal importance in the judging criteria. Other criteria include design, environmental friendliness, cost effectiveness and commercial potential.

Electricity, by its very nature, is an efficient energy source. This inherent efficiency, however, does not guarantee that electricity will be used efficiently. It is up to all of us to take environmental and economic concerns into our own homes and adapt to the use of energy efficient electrical technology.

Susan Ellis is a business analyst with Electricorp Marketing.