Water-Conserving Appliances

Saving Water Saves Energy

Peter J. Arsenault, FAIA, NCARB, LEED-AP

Green and sustainable building design usually includes an integrated approach to reducing not only energy consumption but also water consumption. The reason for this seems readily apparent; water is an increasingly precious commodity with competition emerging among many communities, cities and states to secure adequate water supplies for their growing populations. But there is also a significant use of energy involved in the movement and processing of water. As a result, architects and engineers involved in green building design are already quite familiar with how to address water consumption in bathroom fixtures such as sinks, toilets and showers, since these are covered in most green building rating systems and codes. However, there is another opportunity to help control water consumption, particularly in residential buildings of all types—multi-family as well as single family. That opportunity rests in the appliances that use water and are designed and specified into kitchen and laundry situations in a manner that efficiently promotes water and energy conservation rather than consumption.

Water Use, Energy and Sustainability

Looking at the big picture, there are several ways to think about water use in this country. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) more than 240 million people in the U.S. (approximately 85 percent of households) depend on public water supply systems, requiring the withdrawal of more than 43 billion gallons of water every day. This is quite dramatic when compared to the approximately 15 percent of households that are self supplied (i.e., from private wells) and use only 4 billion gallons of water per day. Historically, nearly 60 percent of the public supply is delivered to households while the rest goes to other buildings or public uses such as street cleaning, swimming pools, etc. Not to be overlooked is the additional water used by electric power plants which typically use 136 billion gallons of fresh water per day across the country during the production of energy from fossil fuels, nuclear or geothermal sources. Generally, water withdrawn for power plants is used for cooling purposes within the plant and obviously would be needed less if less energy were being generated.

Photo courtesy of Electrolux

The EPA notes that with the U.S. population doubling over the past 50 years, our thirst for water tripling, and at least 36 states facing water shortages by 2013, the need to conserve water is becoming more and more critical. From an environmental standpoint, this increasing demand for water in the United States creates the need to build more dams, dig more wells and make more withdrawals from natural water bodies. This trend and the failure to use water efficiently can hurt our natural water supply by altering water flows due to excessive withdrawals, causing contaminants to intrude into freshwater aquifers and wells due to excessive withdrawals, and creating the need to build additional dams. Dams generate nonpoint source pollution by trapping sediment and other pollutants, affecting water quality both upstream and downstream. Conversely, some of the environmental benefits that are aided by water efficiency include the reduced need to construct additional dams and reservoirs, fewer sewage system failures from overwhelming input, and the reduced need to construct additional water and wastewater treatment facilities.

More efficient mixing of detergent, water and clothing cleans more effectively while using less water. Photo courtesy of Electrolux

 

When it comes to water use in buildings, it is widely held that water conservation measures are one of the most immediate and cost-effective sustainable choices that can be implemented. There are several reasons for this. First, as soon as water consumption is reduced in a building, the effects for the building owner and the water supply systems are immediate. Similarly, the effects on the wastewater treatment system associated with that water use also decrease immediately. Second, there is typically very little if any cost increase for water systems, fixtures and appliances that use less water to accomplish the same task or function as less efficient ones, all else being equal. Certainly there are choices among any water-using item that range in cost depending on other features and characteristics. However, comparing just the cost of the water-conservation features between similar items is usually found to be very favorable. Since the average household spends as much as $500 per year on its water and sewer bill, making a few simple changes to use water more efficiently could readily save about one third or $170 per year. The EPA estimates that if all U.S. households installed water-efficient appliances, the country would save more than 3 trillion gallons of water and more than $18 billion per year.

Making some informed choices about water-using fixtures and appliances can yield notable savings in water and energy use. Photo courtesy of Electrolux

Beyond basic water conservation measures, it is important to realize that it takes a significant amount of energy to deliver, treat and process water. Most people realize that hot water uses up energy, but supplying and treating cold water requires a significant amount of energy too. Any given building needs to access and acquire potable water from someplace, even if it is on-site. That will usually involve energy for pumping and storing water. To assure good health, that stored water will be treated in some fashion, usually with energy intensive chemicals to either remove unwanted material or address organic concerns. Once treated, the water again requires some energy to move it to a higher or pressurized location to service the building. Experts tell us that anywhere between 5 and 25 BTUs of energy are required per gallon just to bring the water into a building. But the process doesn't end there. Once inside the building, the water is used in bathroom or kitchen fixtures and also in appliances such as dishwashers and clothes washing machines. After that use is complete, the water then needs to drain and/or be pumped to an appropriate water treatment facility. In most cases, that is a central or municipal sewage treatment plant which is commonly very energy intensive by nature. This is due to the raw energy needed to operate the plant effectively plus the fact that it is in constant use, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year, every year. Recognizing all of the aspects of this process, the U.S. Department of Energy has noted that roughly 80 percent of water costs are associated with the energy used in the process. To be more specific, they note that American public water supply and treatment facilities consume about 56 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year—enough electricity to power more than 5 million homes for an entire year. As an illustration, it is noted that letting a faucet run for only five minutes uses about the same amount of energy as turning on a 60-watt light bulb for a full 14 hours. Further, if only 1 percent of all American households reduced their water use appreciably, then about 100 million kWh of electricity could be saved per year. That level alone would avoid 80,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions—equivalent to removing nearly 15,000 automobiles from the road for one year.

Programs and Standards for Energy and Water Efficiency in Appliances

Since water conservation is so clearly significant in all buildings, it is easy to see why programs, codes and standards have emerged to address implementation of water conservation measures. Some of these are discussed below:

U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The USGBC Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) program states that the intent of the Water Efficiency credit is to "increase water efficiency within buildings to reduce the burden on municipal water supply and wastewater systems." The LEED scoring system directly addresses only bathroom fixtures. Although appliances aren't specifically considered, it is possible that a building that has a significant water use for laundry or dishwashing could be a candidate for an innovative green building strategy and resulting LEED points if enough water savings can be shown.

American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE). This nonprofit organization is dedicated to advancing energy efficiency and promoting economic prosperity, energy security and environmental protection. ACEEE carries out its mission by conducting in-depth technical and policy analyses plus working collaboratively with businesses, government officials, public interest groups and other organizations. It also educates businesses and consumers through reports, books, conference proceedings, media outreach and a fairly comprehensive web site. ACEEE's technical work is widely relied upon by policymakers, business and industry decision-makers, consumers, the media, and other energy professionals.

ENERGY STAR® is a government-backed program through the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) that is helping businesses and individuals protect the environment through superior energy efficiency. The ENERGY STAR® label is granted to products and appliances that are shown to meet specific reductions in energy and water use compared to standard products and appliances. They have produced a list of typical electricity use, for example, for appliances including those shown for clothes washers and dishwashers as shown in the table below. ENERGY STAR also provides a summary of the most efficient clothes washers for 2011 on their website.¹

Typical Household Electricity Usage Related to Water-Using Appliances
Appliance	Electricity kWh/yr	Cost$/yr	CO2 lbs/yr
Clothes Washer (incl. hot water)	1,080	$86	1,544
Clothes Washer (excl. hot water)	99	$8	142
Demand water heater (electric)	350	$28	501
Dishwasher (incl. hot water)	935	$75	1,337
Dishwasher (excl. hot water)	330	$26	472
Source: U.S. Department of Energy – ENERGY STA R® Program.

 

The Consortium for Energy Efficiency (CEE). This nonprofit public benefit corporation develops initiatives for its North American members to promote the manufacture and purchase of energy-efficient products and services. Their stated goal is to induce lasting structural and behavioral changes in the marketplace, resulting in the increased adoption of energy-efficient technologies. CEE members include utilities, statewide and regional market transformation administrators, environmental groups, research organizations and state energy offices in the U.S. and Canada. Also contributing to the collaborative process are CEE partners—manufacturers, retailers and government agencies. The U.S. Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Agency both provide support through active participation as well as funding. CEE has established the Super-Efficient Home Appliance Initiative (SEHA) as a national program designed to stimulate manufacturer and consumer interest in highly efficient home appliances. Launched in 1997, it provides a nationally recognized definition of "super-efficiency" through the establishment of performance tiers that utilities can voluntarily adopt for use in local programs. As such, SEHA seeks to provide early markets for the most energy-saving home appliances.

The Multi-housing Laundry Association (MLA). This professional group of laundry service providers, manufacturers and affiliated companies is dedicated to making multi-housing laundry service an attractive, profitable and responsible alternative for property owners and managers. They point out that saving water is just the beginning. MLA member companies can help make laundry rooms an amenity that actually attracts new residents and helps with the retention of current residents. The MLA maintains a website at www.laundrywise.com that offers information and support on efficient and attractive design of common laundry rooms.

Each of these organizations have contributed to the understanding and application of water conservation and energy reduction in appliances and they are referenced further in the discussion on specific appliance types below.

Efficiency in Dishwashers

According to CEE, approximately 60 percent of American homes have dishwashers and account for 2.5 percent of total residential energy use or 24,000 gigawatt hours (GWh) of energy per year.They go on to point out that a majority of the energy usage in dishwashers occurs during the hot water and the dry cycle, with the hot water cycle providing the most significant portion. Typically, a domestic water heater supplies the initial hot water to the dishwasher. However, all dishwashers manufactured in the U.S. have a booster heater that further raises and maintains the water temperature. That is actually a good thing, because it allows domestic hot water heater temperatures to be turned down to around 120 degrees, instead of the higher temperatures usually desired for dish washing. The lower water heater temperatures mean less energy is used on an ongoing basis with the higher temperature created only for the intermittent needs of the dishwasher. Specifying a dishwasher that requires less water to be heated and used will result in more efficient operation. ENERGY STAR dishwashers use about 4 gallons or less of water per load, compared to standard machines that use about 6 gallons or more. By comparison, hand washing generally uses about 20 gallons of water.

The ACEEE explains that dishwashers for residential use fall into two basic categories—food-disposing where particles are drained with the rinse water and non-food disposing models where particles are collected in a strainer that must be emptied and rinsed manually. The majority of American manufacturers make food-disposing machines. Machines in both categories may or may not have a filter, which generally comes in two types—coarse or fine. With coarse filters, food particles stay in suspension and can be re-deposited onto dishes after washing. As a result, a larger amount of rinse water is typically needed than in fine filtered models. Fine filter models generally have less food re-deposited, as most particles are filtered out prior to re-circulation in the wash cycle. Approximately half of the dishwashers sold are fine-filtered models and half have coarse filters or none at all.

Water use in a dishwasher is heavily dependent on its design while energy use has a lot to do with cycle selection. Manufacturers can maximize the wash and rinse temperatures in order to reduce energy used in each cycle. Photo courtesy of Electrolux

 

With higher-efficiency models, payback periods that are less than the 9-12 year lifetime of a dishwasher can be achieved. Some of the technical options that will achieve these savings include:

• Improvements to the food filter that reduce the amount of food re-deposited (e.g., fine mesh)
• Adaptive control, making use of fuzzy logic that senses the load size or soil level
• Modified spray-arm, sump geometry and/or pump design to reduce the inflow of water per cycle or overall water requirements per cycle
• Motor improvements from split phase or shaded pole motors to more efficient, permanent split-capacitors
• Added or better insulation
• Improvements to dry cycle, possibly through increased use of air drying or tighter control over time allotted for dry cycle

Based on all of the above then, when specifying a dishwasher the following points should be considered:

High Energy Factor. ACEEE recommends that energy first be looked at from the standpoint of an Energy Factor (EF) which measures the number of cycles that can be run with 1 kWh of electricity. For dishwashers, the EF does not take into account the water use as it does for some other appliances such as clothes washers. An appropriate Energy Factor to specify is at least 0.65, or an estimated energy use of less than 340 kWh/year. This is about 40% better than the federal standard. High Energy Factor models are more likely to also incorporate water improvements as well in things like the spray arm, sump geometry and/or pump design to reduce water requirements per cycle.

Low Water. About 60 percent of the energy used by a dishwasher goes towards heating the water, so models that use less water also use less energy. Some ENERGY STAR models use half as much water as others, saving hundreds of gallons of water each year and corresponding savings in energy use. Check the manufacturer's literature for ratings and water use on different makes and models. In some states, electric and water utilities offer rebates for the purchase of models that are exceptionally efficient.

Wash Cycle Options. Most dishwashers have several different wash cycle selections. The more options you have, the better you can tailor the energy and water use needed for a particular load. Look at the manufacturer's literature for total water use with different cycles. Some dishwashers on the market today use "soil sensor" technology to automatically adjust water use depending on how dirty the dishes are in each load. There are highly efficient dishwashers with and without this feature.

Energy-Saving "No-Heat" Dry. An electric heating element is generally used to dry dishes at the end of the final rinse cycle, consuming about 7 percent of dishwasher energy use. Most new dishwashers offer an energy-saving no-heat drying feature. At the end of the rinse cycle, if the feature is selected, room air is circulated through the dishwasher by fans, rather than using an electric heating element to bake the dishes dry.

SEHA-qualified Dishwashers Referencing the Super Efficient Home Appliances Initiative (SEHA) by CEE is a way to specify a standard for dishwashers that use 35 percent less electricity than the federal minimum. Dishwashers qualifying for this initiative are ENERGY STAR models that use less than 307 kWh/yr and no more than 5 gallons of water per cycle.

Efficiency in the Laundry

According to ACEEE, clothes washers and dryers are second only to refrigerators as the highest energy-using appliances in the average home. Considering refrigerators run continuously while washers and dryers do not, that is pretty significant. Nonetheless, there are multiple opportunities to increase the water and energy efficiency of clothes washers and dryers in both home and commercial settings. About 70 to 90 percent of the energy used by a washing machine goes towards heating the water, so washers that use less hot water also use less energy. To put that in further context, nearly 22 percent of typical indoor home water use comes from doing laundry. Replacing a conventional washing machine with a water-saving model can save up to 20 gallons per load. Meanwhile, since dryers are very energy-intensive, it pays to have a washing machine that extracts as much water as possible out of the laundry so that the dryer can work less and be used efficiently.

Horizontal-axis, front-loading washing machines are among the most efficient made. Manufacturers offer models that use less than 12 gallons per cycle on average compared with top-loading machines that used 40 to 70 gallons of water per cycle only five years ago. Photo courtesy of Electrolux

The ENERGY STAR program has set the bar for efficiency with qualified clothes washers using about 37 percent less energy and more than 50 percent less water than regular washers. Many qualified clothes washers also have a greater capacity than conventional models, meaning fewer loads of laundry. Only front and top loader clothes washers with capacities of greater than 1.6 cubic feet are eligible to earn the ENERGY STAR label. Further, the specific ENERGY STAR criteria for clothes washers changed on January 1, 2011 so that all qualified products must meet a Modified Energy Factor (MEF) of 2.0 or greater as well as a Water Factor (WF) of 6.0 or lower as defined by ENERGY STAR below:

Modified Energy Factor (MEF) is the energy performance metric for ENERGY STAR-qualified clothes washers as of January 1, 2004. MEF is the quotient of the capacity of the clothes container, C, divided by the total clothes washer energy consumption per cycle, with such energy consumption expressed as the sum of three energy using sources: the machine electrical energy consumption, M, the hot water energy consumption, E, and the energy required for removal of the remaining moisture in the wash load, D. The higher the value, the more efficient the clothes washer is. The equation is shown below:

MEF =C

M + E + D ENERGY STAR

Minimum = 2.0 or greater

Water Factor (WF) is the present water performance metric that allows the comparison of clothes washer water consumption independent of clothes washer capacity. WF is the quotient of the total weighted per-cycle water consumption, Q, divided by the capacity of the clothes washer, C. The lower the value, the more water efficient the clothes washer is. The equation is shown below:

WF = Q

C ENERGY STAR Maximum =

6.0 or lower

As a means to further differentiate different equipment, the Super-Efficient Home Appliances (SEHA) Initiative from CEE creates three tiers of performance based on MEF and WF benchmarks. A SEHA Tier 1 rating is the same as the ENERGY STAR benchmarks listed above. A SEHA Tier 2 rating requires a clothes washer to use 10 percent less energy and 25 percent less water than an ENERGY STAR or Tier 1 baseline. The highest level of efficiency, Tier 3 is reserved for those appliances that achieve at least 20 percent less energy and 33 percent less water than the Tier 1 level.

One of the more popular technologies to emerge to achieve these advanced levels of water and energy conservation is the change from vertical axis machines to a horizontal axis design. Conventional top-loading washers use a large vertical drum that fills with water to soak and wash clothes. Most high-efficiency washers utilize a horizontal-axis design which loads from the front and tumbles clothes through a much smaller pool of water thus saving energy because they use less water. High-efficiency washers of this type can use up to 18 gallons less water per load and remove more moisture from the clothes with a high-speed spin cycle. As a result, energy costs can be reduced as much as 50 percent while manufacturers say these machines get clothes cleaner and are gentler to fabrics. Some top-loading, vertical axis designs that use sprayers to wet the clothes from above can also achieve substantial energy and water savings if that is the desired type of appliance. However, Consumer Reports has indicated that they may not clean clothes as effectively despite manufacturer claims to the contrary.

Beyond residential laundry design, the use of energy- and water-efficient washers for commercial installations such as laundromats, multi-family buildings and institutions is a focus of many of the organizations that address these topics. Many of the high-efficiency commercial washers are constructed in nearly identical ways to residential models to achieve their efficiencies. Like their residential counterparts, high-efficiency commercial washers save up to 50 percent of energy costs and use about 30 percent less water. The CEE points out that in the United States, there are approximately 2 to 3 million commercial washers, which are replaced at a rate of about 10 percent per year. Approximately 42,000 of those replaced clothes washers are sold to laundromats. It should be noted that, although laundromats represent less than 20 percent of the market, washers in these locations are in use much more frequently on a daily basis.

The Multi-Housing Laundry Association (MLA) has determined that centralized common laundry rooms are actually more water and energy efficient for the 15 million households (approximately 32 million people) that live in apartment communities. By their calculations, in-unit washing machines can use 330 percent more water than common-area laundry rooms equating to a difference of 8,216 gallons of water per year per housing unit. In addition to water savings, they find that in-unit machines use 500 percent more energy than common-area laundry rooms. Accordingly, it is noted that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has recommended common-area laundry rooms in apartment buildings as a source of water conservation. Some of the specific findings of a 2002 MHA Study titled "A National Study of Water and Energy Consumption in Multifamily Housing" include:

• In-unit laundry washers use an average of 11,810 gallons of water annually compared to equipment in common-area laundry rooms that use an average of 3,595 gallons a year per apartment. This is a 3.3 to 1 ratio.
• Residents with in-unit washers do many more, smaller and less-efficient loads of laundry than residents utilizing a common-area laundry facility.
• Electricity usage of in-unit applications is close to 5 times higher compared to common-area laundry rooms and gas usage is 5.2 times higher.

Based on all of the above, specifications for new laundry equipment, whether in common laundry room residential applications, commercial applications or single family applications, should consider the following as recommended by the ACEEE and others:

Resource-Efficiency. At a minimum, specify ENERGY STAR labeled clothes washers that require less water, electricity and drying energy. Beyond that specifying Tier 2 or the highest level Tier 3 under the SEHA program is a direct way to set a higher standard. But be aware that among these qualified washers, performance can vary considerably in energy and water consumption. Remember that the Modified Energy Factor (MEF) will account for dryer energy and water heating energy associated with the use of the washer. The Water Factor (WF) indicates the number of gallons needed for each cubic foot of laundry. Within the range of ENERGY STAR products then, select a washer with the highest MEF and lowest WF you can find given the budget, capacity needs and other considerations.

Front- vs. Top-Loading Washers. In general, as previously discussed, horizontal-axis (usually front-loading) washers are much more efficient than conventional vertical-axis (top-loading) washers with agitators since front-loading washers don't have to fill the tub completely with water.

Water Level Controls. Most conventional clothes washers use approximately 40 gallons of water for a complete wash cycle. Large capacity resource-efficient models use less than 25 gallons per cycle; small and medium-sized models may even use less than 10. All front loaders and many of the higher-efficiency top-loaders feature advanced electronic controls to adjust the water level automatically according to the size of the load. If the models being considered do not have these controls, choose a machine that lets the user manually select lower water levels when doing smaller loads. The lowest setting may use just half as much water as the highest. Unfortunately, most manufacturers do not publish the actual water use of their machines at different settings, so it may be difficult to compare one brand to another. When in doubt, err on the side of specifying more controls.

Stone Arch Apartments Build “Green” More and more apartment developers are embracing the concept of building "green." Steve Minn, a principal of Lupe Development Partners in Minneapolis, has integrated green building practices by incorporating common area laundry rooms into the new Stone Arch Apartment complex. "We estimate that our buildings use about 70% less water than those buildings having in-unit laundry options," shares Minn. The Stone Arch Apartments utilizes this water-saving effort as a marketing tool to prospective tenants concerned about conservation. Minn also considered the convenience of facilities to residents when designing the apartments, as well as how to make common area laundry rooms more attractive. Working with a professional laundry route operator, Minn provided two laundry rooms per floor (totaling 15 laundry areas) with inviting work space, comfortable furniture and up-to-date equipment. With such an appealing design, these laundry rooms have definitely become an amenity for the Stone Arch Apartments. "Residents comment on how they can do their laundry more quickly in these attractive, easy-access facilities," states Minn. By including common area laundry rooms in the Stone Arch Apartments, Minn also qualified for a 20 percent discount on his sewer access charge from the Metropolitan Council Environmental Services, a regional waste treatment organization. T he Stone Arch Apartments are a good example of how multifamily developers can take advantage of green building credits by utilizing common area laundry rooms to save water and energy. Not only do common area laundry rooms help the environment, they also add a winning amenity for both property owners and residents. (Source: Multi-Housing Laundry Association)

Wash and Rinse Cycle Options. Choose a clothes washer that offers plenty of choices for energy conserving wash and rinse cycles. For a given temperature cycle, energy use is almost directly proportional to hot water use—a hot water wash with warm rinse can cost 5 to 10 times more than a cold wash and rinse.

Faster Spin Speed. Faster spin speeds can result in better water extraction and thus reduce the energy required for drying. Mechanical water extraction by spinning is much more efficient than thermal extraction (heating clothes in a dryer). Front-loading washers and redesigned efficient top-loading machines generally spin at a faster speed than conventional top-loaders.

Clothes Dryers. The fundamental specification choice for dryers is between electric and gas-fired models. In terms of comparative energy use, gas dryers are generally less expensive to operate. However, most sources agree that there is not a lot of variation in overall energy actually used between models. Typically, it is usage and running time that dictate the amount of energy used. Therefore, controls for turning off dryers become the major specification consideration for energy consumption, particularly if coupled with an efficient washer that has extracted a lot of the water out of the clothes already. The fundamental controls choice is whether or not the dryer uses sensors to automatically turn off the dryer once clothes are dry. The alternative is timed drying, leaving the running time, and corresponding energy use, to the guesswork of the user. The best dryers have moisture sensors inside the drum for sensing dryness and turning off the machine. Most others only infer dryness by using temperature sensors in the exhaust air portion of the dryer, which may result in running the dryer longer than needed. Compared with timed drying, savings of about 10 percent with temperature-sensing controls, and 15 percent with moisture-sensing controls are possible. Keep in mind that dryers are not regulated by the government so there is no ENERGY STAR program for them meaning the specifications should not call for the dryer to carry that label.

Conclusion

Successful building design and efficient use of water and energy are the result of many small things and details coming together. Paying attention to the selection of water-using appliances may not be the largest single way to reduce water and energy use in a building, but it contributes significantly to the cause and can mean real dollar savings to the owner. The U.S. Department of Energy has stated that, "Based on our estimates, a typical family with a home more than a decade old could save $200 per year in electricity and water bills, and 18,600 gallons of water, by switching to highly energy and water efficient appliances." Clearly when architects and designers pay attention to this potential, it is good for the environment, good for the owner and user, and good for the overall design of the building.

RESOURCE LIST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Water and Sustainability Resources for Residential Appliances ENERGY STAR® is a government-backed program helping businesses and individuals protect the environment through superior energy efficiency. ENERGY STAR® program information and rated appliances models are found at www.energystar.gov U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Standards are found at www.usgbc.org National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB) represents residential builders nationwide. Enterprise Foundation and information on the Green Communities Initiative. American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing energy efficiency and promoting economic prosperity and environmental protection. Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) provides market industry trends on appliances. Appliance Recycling Information Center (ARIC) provides information on recycling appliances. Consumer Reports' rates appliances. Rocky Mountain Institute addresses energy and consumer issues. The Green Guide  is a GreenBiz news affiliate. Greenbuilder.com  is an online resource with information about building and appliances. Laundry Wise—a service of the Multi-Housing Laundry Association. The MLA is a professional group of laundry service providers, manufacturers and affiliated companies dedicated to making multi-housing laundry service an attractive, profitable and responsible alternative for property owners and managers.

ENDNOTES

1. The ENERGY STAR Most Efficient 2011 designation recognizes the most efficient products among those that qualify for the ENERGY STAR label. These exceptional clothes washers represent the leading edge in energy-efficient products this year.

 

Peter J. Arsenault, FAIA, NCARB, LEED-AP, is a practicing architect, sustainability consultant and freelance writer based in New York State.

 

Recognized throughout Europe as the gold standard of appliances, Electrolux appliances have been used in fine European homes and restaurants for more than 80 years. With 120 designers at six design centers on five continents, Electrolux appliances feature a truly unique design and quality that have set the standard in the appliance industry. To learn more about Electrolux, please visit electroluxappliances.com