Refrigerator, Freezer
The SunFrost™ refrigerator/freezer uses only about 8 percent of the energy used by a standard fridge of similar capacity. The freezer uses about 15 percent of the energy used by an ordinary freezer. These appliances' designer eliminated a number of energy-wasting elements common on standard models.
For example, standard refrigerator/freezers have their compressors, which radiate heat, on the bottom. Because heat rises, SunFrost™ designers placed the compressor on the top, making it easier to keep the unit cool.
Conventional refrigerators also have cooling fins attached to the back of the refrigerator that warm up the box. The SunFrost™ models' cooling tubes are instead on top. In addition, the refrigerator's liquid cooling circuit is linked by a small, gradually rising copper tube to a cooling fin on the outside wall of the entryway. When the outside air is cold, the refrigerant gas rises up, condenses back to liquid in the fin, runs back down the pipe by gravity, and keeps the compressor off. This saves about half the electricity that the refrigerator would otherwise use annually.
Conventional units have heated door seals that prevent condensation, but heat up the inside of the refrigerator and freezer. SunFrost™ instead employs seals of a material that repels water. This unit currently uses about 85 kilowatt-hours per year. Standard refrigerator/freezers made around the same time use about 1,200 kilowatt-hours annually.
This refrigerator/freezer also has thicker, higher-quality insulation than standard models. This gives the appliance superior performance, but it makes the units less compact overall. More advanced kinds of insulation that are more effective, yet much thinner, have since become available.
Next: Other Energy-Saving Kitchen Devices
