How Energy Efficient Electronics Work: Home Edition

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When searching for home appliances, what features do you usually look out for? Do you consider products that are energy efficient?

Shopping for appliances can be exciting, especially if it is for a new home. On top of cost, the design, size, and brand are the factors that consumers often consider when buying.

While these aspects are important, there is one feature that also has a significant effect. Yet, many forget to take it into consideration: great energy performance, a.k.a. energy efficiency.

Choosing energy-efficient products for your home comes with a handful of benefits—both for you and for the environment. But how can you tell if an appliance is verified energy efficient?

Let’s take a look at how energy-efficient electronics work as well as learn some energy-saving tips from the experts.

The Use of Electricity at Home

Most electronic devices are energy-hungry machines; they make your electricity bill creep higher. But electricity is something that we need for just about everything.

The greater part of our homes demands electricity. Depending on the appliance, the amount of energy required may be much greater.

Each could also drive up the cost per use from heating and cooling devices to washers and dryers, lighting, TV, and other electronics. Take a look at your television, for instance.

Let’s suppose you are using a 50-inch LCD television, which requires about 150 watts of energy to run. If you are using it for 6 hours, the total energy consumption is 900 Wh per day.

Not to mention the devices that are connected to your TV. For example, a soundbar (20-50 watts), Xbox 360 (160 watts), and PS4 consoles (90-150 watts). All this can go straight into a black hole of consumed energy in your living room alone.

Keep in mind that the CO2 emissions emitted from electricity generation has an affect on the environment. Burning these fuels leads to the production of carbon dioxide. This is what we call greenhouse gas, the primary heat-trapping that is responsible for global warming.

So, what can do you to cut your electric bill and clean up the air? This is where energy-efficient appliances and electronics come into play.

Introduction to Energy-efficient Electronics: Home Edition

Did you know that the average home causes more air pollution than the average car? This is because most of the energy we use at home comes from power plants.

These power plants burn fossil fuels to power our electronic gadgets and products. While these sound beneficial for us, it causes air pollution, contributing to global warming.

With energy-saving home appliances, we can make a difference, step by step. The more efficient home products you use, the lower your utility bills. At the same time, you are helping to protect the environment by reducing your carbon footprint at home.

Thus, having these appliances could benefit you, your country, and the entire world.

Most of these energy-efficient appliances can repay their price in a matter of years. Plus, they can also help enhance the quality of your lifestyle.

But the question is, how exactly do energy-efficient electronics work?

How do energy-efficient electronics work?

Energy-efficient electronics are capable of maximising small amounts of energy into the required energy need to complete a task. In a nutshell, they use less energy to get the same job done.

Other products don’t use energy directly. Yet, they help improve the overall efficiency of a house or a building, such as thermal insulation.

Listed below are a few examples of energy-efficient electronics.

• LED light bulbs. This type of lighting fixture has earned the ENERGY STAR label, which we will talk about later. LED lights use about 70-90% less energy than incandescent light bulbs.
• Energy-efficient windows. You may not have heard this before, but a window like this actually exists! Energy-saving windows are made with materials that help reduce heat exchange and air leaks. Meaning, you don’t need as much energy to heat or cool a space.
• Solar panels. Thanks to the powerful energy source from the sun, a solar panel lets you generate your own energy. This means you’re using clean energy, helping you save on your electricity bill.
• Insulation. Adding more insulation to attics can keep the warm air inside from escaping during the colder season. In the summer, in contrast, it keeps hot air out. With proper insulation, you won’t need to use as much energy to keep your house warm in the winter or cool in the summer.
• Wind turbines. Like solar, wind energy is renewable and clean. Using wind as an energy source can help reduce the negative effects on the environment. They also help in reducing the amount of electricity generation from fossil fuels. This results in lower total air pollution and carbon dioxide emissions.
• Smart thermostats. This version of a thermostat is a WiFi-enabled device that can control heating and cooling. It works by learning your temperature preferences at home. Then it adjusts the temperature to energy-saving when you are asleep or away. This device can help you lower your utility bills by not spending too much on heating or cooling your home.

Energy Star Appliances

In the U.S., the symbol Energy Star is widely used for appliances that are energy efficient. It’s one of the most recognisable energy-conservation initiatives for consumer electronics.

But here in Australia, the government regulated the Energy Rating Label to help consumers to know how much energy the appliance they buy consumes. Eventually, this helps consumers to save money and minimise their carbon footprint.

The star rating focuses on energy efficiency; the more stars the appliance has, the more energy-efficient it is. Most products are given between 1 to 6 stars.

The standardised testing is required by law and conducted in line with the official Australian and New Zealand Standard.

You can use the Energy Rating Label to calculate your running costs (energy consumption) and see how much you could save. The lower the number, the less a model costs to run, and the less you pay on your electricity bill.

For example, a washing machine with an Energy Rating Label of 400 kWh means it will roughly cost you $100 per year to run. You can compare the energy efficiency of your appliances through the use of an online calculator or download the free Energy Rating app.

You can find more information here.

Note: Australia energy rates range from under 20 c to over 30 c per kWh.

Energy Saving Tips

There are other things you can do to minimise your usage at home. In addition to looking for the Energy Rating label when purchasing new appliances, here are some energy-saving tips:

• Unplug when not in use. This is the simplest and one of the most effective ways to reduce your energy consumption.
• Use power boards. You can plug your electronics into a power board so you can turn them on/off at once. Once the power board is turned off, no power will be delivered to the outlets. Thus, this helps in eliminating power wasted by power supplies.
• Opt for a power meter. Power meters are inexpensive devices that can help you monitor your electricity usage at home.

The Bottom Line

The benefits that energy-efficient electronics provide is exceptional. If you want to reduce your carbon footprint at home, investing in sustainable devices is a great step.

So, when shopping for your next home appliance, you know what to do! Be sure to include energy efficiency in the list of things you need to consider for a product.

Again, the easiest way to do this is to look for the Energy Rating label or Energy Star logo.

We hope this article has answered your questions and you have a good start in implementing power-saving appliances in your home.