Product labels and saving energy in the home

Transcription

1 Chapter 3 Product labels and saving energy in the home Introduction This topic should follow a discussion on energy awareness and global warming as set out in the lesson plans of section 1.3 Product labels are the primary means of communication between the manufacturer and the buyer at the point of sale. The information on the label helps the buyer to choose an article or product that is closest to their choice. In terms of the trade description act the label must accurately describe what the product comprises and what are its functions. The number of labels on products is increasing as new legislation at national or at EU level, also requires specifying the energy, environmental and recycling characteristics. This additional information helps the buyer to select a model which also has a low environmental impact. The multiplicity of labels on products is now quite large on some products there are up to 10 different labels. So there is a lot of information available which needs to be understood and one hopes that students will be able to help their parents when deciding which model they should buy. The resources describe the use of labels and in particular the types that describe the environmental impact. The subsequent activities (in chapter 7) encourage and enable the students to identify various types of label and how this information can be used to save energy in the home. Energy usage is increasing in the home even though appliances are becoming more efficient as manufacturers apply new technology. This is because new products are developed at regular intervals which make life easier and more convenient for us. These include video and DVD recorders, personal stereos and computers whilst the uptake of existing appliances such as dishwashers and TVs is also increasing. This forms the basis of the activities in chapters 8 and 9; some of these are now web based and be accessed at our website

2 3.1 What is a Product Label? A product label provides information on the characteristics of a product. It can be a small piece of paper, a cloth, a parchment, a piece of plastic attached to an article or to the package of the article to explain its origin, owner, brand, contents, use, destination or other features. Labels provide information to Consumers who wish to buy a product Retail staff who advise the buyers Installers who will select and install certain products The information on the labels is usually brief and not always self-explanatory. So additional information is generally available via brochures or installation manuals. Global Market-Multiple Labelling One of the features of globalization is that there is now a worldwide market for products. Products may be designed in one country, manufactured in a second country and sold all around the world. Especially in European Union there is an agreed European market bringing standardization to the products and product labelling. The consequences are that one can see a multiplicity of labels as the same package is used to sell the product in many countries. Low energy light bulbs seem to be the product with the most labels at present, with up to eight labels. Label types can be classified as follows - Manufacturers: generally name and logo Informative: provide information about composition and usage like maximum wash temperature is 30 degree, 50% cotton, Threshold: meet specific criteria or standards Warning: information like do not fill too full, consume in three days once opened. Environmentally friendly labels: like recycling, energy labelling, ecolabel. They help us to protect the environment All products have some impact on the environment, but some have much less effect than the others Therefore taking care over what to buy can help to protect the environment But why? and how? 3.2 Life cycle of a product

3 The life cycle of a product enables one to understand its impact on the environment during manufacture, use and either reuse or recycling. As consumers, we see a product for only a short time of its life: when we use the product. We may purchase a bottle of milk, consume it and throw it away. We do not see how the raw materials needed for the bottle are extracted from the natural environment. We do not see the manufacturing process or the transportation of the product. Then, after we throw the bottle into the bin, it seems to disappear. To understand how much a product cost in terms of financial and environmental aspects, we must consider all phases of a product in other words, life cycle of a product, not just the phase when the product is useful to us. But how can we to figure out which products are less costly? It is easy; check the labels on the products.

4 All products begin their life on the natural environment. Some form of energy is always required to extract the natural resources from the earth or its atmosphere. To produce paper, trees must be grown and harvested. To produce plastic, petroleum must be extracted from the earth. Chapter LIFE 3 Product CYCLE labels OF and energy A PRODUCT savings in the home Step1: Material Extraction Step 2: Manufacturing Raw materials are processed or refined then manufactured.energy is required for these steps The product is no longer of use to us and we dispose of it. Energy is required to dispose of the product. Step 5: Disposal of the products Step 3: Transport Products are transported to stores (consuming additional energy) and are ready for purchase Products are used after they were bought by the consumer (ourselves) some products consume energy such as electrical appliances, dishwashers and fridges. Step 4: Using the products

5 3.3 Energy and Environmental Labels Energy and environmental labels cover a broad range of environmental concerns such as energy and water consumption of the products, impact during manufacturing and disposal after use. They provide an opportunity to inform consumers about environmental characteristics of the products that may not otherwise be available and allow consumers to make comparisons amongst products. With this information one is able to reduce the environmental impact of our daily activities by purchasing environmentally friendly products and minimizing their consequences during use and disposal.

6 3.4 Types of labels Labels help to choose a product closest to our needs identify products that have low environmental impact provide advice on usage and how to reduce environmental impact There are many green labels that can be found on product. The principal ones are mentioned below: EU energy Label European label which is mandatory Must be displayed on all labelled products at point of sale Provides comparative information indicates the energy efficiency class A' being the most efficient and 'G' being the least efficient class for fridges and freezers there are two more efficient classes A+ and A++ of which A++ is the most efficient provide useful information such as volume, capacity performance criteria to define how well they function - also on a scale of A to G with A having the highest performance and G the lowest the most common label throughout Europe The products currently carrying this label are; fridges freezers washing machines tumble driers, washer driers dishwashers ovens, light bulbs, room air conditioners

7 Energy Star: This is a joint European Union and USA initiative to identify and promote energy efficient office equipment. It is voluntary endorsement-labelling program, which, within the European Union, will initially cover personal computers, monitors, fax machines, scanners, photocopiers and printers, which are available on the market. GEA label: The GEA (Group for Energy Efficient Appliances) label is a voluntary endorsement program for energy efficient products that has been developed from the Swiss Federal Office of Energy. The label applies to a variety of consumer electronic equipment such as audio equipment, battery chargers, computers, DVDs, fax machine, lamps, monitors, printers, scanners, and television and so on. Energy Efficiency recommended It is a voluntary endorsement-labelling scheme, which can be found on light bulbs, light fittings, refrigeration products, laundry and dishwashing appliances, as well as gas boilers, heating controls, loft and cavity wall insulation. Products that display an Energy Efficiency Recommended certification mark meet or exceed specified energy efficiency requirements approved by advisory committees.

8 Environmental labels These labels are all voluntary and manufacturers have to demonstrate that their products meet specific environmental criteria before such labels can be applied. These criteria can range from extraction of the raw material, usage and end of life disposal EU Ecolabel a voluntary label across the European Union, Norway, Liechtenstein and Iceland for the goods and services, which have a lower environmental impact than similar products based on life cycle of the products, covers the all impacts of the product to the environment, from the extraction of raw materials to product use and disposal products carrying this label include Nordic Eco-label: Nordic Swan introduced by the Nordic Council of Ministers operates in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland. It is a voluntary labelling scheme that is available for 60 product groups ranging from household cleaning products to hotel services to electronic products. A product carrying the Swan label meets very high environmental standards. The criteria take into consideration the product's impact on the environment from the raw material to waste, throughout the product's lifecycle. The Swan also sets criteria with regard to quality and performance.

9 Blue Angel: Blue Angel is the oldest environmental label in the world, and was introduced in 1977 by Germany. It is a voluntary endorsement label c overs wide range of products and services such as boilers, water heaters, refrigerators, freezers, and computers, printers, televisions and fax machines. The factors assessed by the label are use of raw materials, production, usage, service life and disposal, which also fulfil high standards of occupational health and safety and fitness for use. Green Dot It is European symbol for recycling Widely used, on the packaging of products It means a payment has been made to a national packaging recycling company. Therefore the supplier of that packaging is committed to protecting the environment by funding the recovery and recycling of packaging waste Mobius Loop The Mobius Loop, widely used, an international recycling symbol, can be found on many products. No one 'owns' the mobius loop, however it is often misunderstood and there are guidelines regarding its use.

10 means that the product is made from recycled material. Without a qualifying statement, the symbol can be read as the product is made from 100 percent waste. The symbol may also appear with the percentage of recycled content means that the product is recyclable. Without a qualifying statement, the symbol means that the entire product is recyclable and that more than one-third of the population in the area where it is distributed has convenient access to collection and drop-off facilities. If the product does not meet this 33 percent requirement, no claim should be made. 3.5 Why energy efficient appliances? We all use energy from the minute we wake up to the moment we go to sleep (and even when we are sleeping). It hardly seems to matter that we need to think about the energy we use, as it is abundant and cheap. It is something we take for granted that most of the time we are not even aware of its existence or usage So why should we bother? However there are number of concerns over the energy usage - global warming is related to climate change; generating electricity usually results in carbon dioxide emissions and other gases (greenhouse gases) that harm the environment. Carbon dioxide is a major cause of global warming, (contributing 84 per cent of the global warming effect of greenhouse gases in 2000 in the UK)

11 Britain is responsible for 3% of greenhouse gases of the total world - the same as the whole of Africa! * depletion of fossil fuels which is a non renewable resource According to many sources, we have only 40 years of petrol, 62 years of natural gas remaining world wide given today's consumption figures - not enough even for your lifetime So what is this to do with energy efficient appliances and are they really necessary? Almost all units of energy that we use come from power stations; which generally burn fossil fuels to generate electricity. Burning fossil fuels dumps greenhouse gases into the atmosphere the consequences of which are explained above. Energy efficient appliances consume less energy compared to the conventional ones. Therefore: Less energy consumption=less CO2 emission=less environmental damage What's more, your badly behaved appliances might not just be damaging the environment but also your bank balance. The more energy consumed means, the larger energy bills to be paid. Every household in the UK creates around six tonnes of carbon dioxide every year. In the UK, around 25 per cent of all carbon dioxide emissions released into the atmosphere comes from the energy used to run our homes! 3.6 What is new in appliances? The main feature of new appliances is efficiency, which means they consume less energy, water and detergent compared with year old appliances. However efficiency is not the only characteristic they have. They are much better designed then the old ones within many new components and options, they are more convenient; they make our lives easier and more practical

12 Don t Forget: When you buy an appliance, you don t only pay the purchase cost but also the operating cost for as long as you use it. Over the life of an appliance, the energy & water & detergent cost Appliances: can be many times greater than the first cost. Therefore it pays back to buy an energyefficient appliance. Light Bulbs There are now light bulbs available, which have much longer life than conventional filament bulbs, called compact fluorescent lamps. Because light is generated by a gaseous discharge rather than by heating a filament, such lamps are much more efficient. So they use less electricity, emit less CO 2 and result in lower electricity bills. Long life light bulbs do not need to be changed often as ordinary bulbs. Therefore one does not need to buy them so often and there is less waste Much longer life Fewer bulbs to buy and change Less waste Much higher efficiency Less energy used Reduced CO 2 emission Lower operating cost. Dishwashers Modern dishwashers use water much more efficiently and so use less water and thus less detergent. There are various washing options to suit your family s requirements and wash most efficiently. There are also improved detergents available, which require lower wash temperatures so that one can save more energy as the dishwasher uses colder water to clean the dishes Improved methods of washing Cleaner dishes Less water Less energy Newer detergents which require lower wash temperature New sensors

13 . Washing Machines Similar improvements have been made to washing machines as dishwashers. They have many washing options such as cold wash, short wash and intensive wash depending upon the type of clothes. In addition they have some new components such as load sensors and fuzzy logic operation that help decide the optimum temperature and time according to the load Improved methods of washing Cleaner clothes Less water Less energy Newer detergents New sensors Tumble Driers Better insulation results in clothes drying faster. Sensors which measure the residual moisture content of the clothes are much more effective and efficient than using a time based setting. The moist air coming from the tumble dryer will cause condensation in a room unless i t is ducted to outside. Some models now have effective moisture traps (condenser types) which enables the moisture to be extracted before exhausting to the atmosphere Better insulation Improved heat distribution Sensors which can determine residual moisture content

14 Fridges & Freezers New fridges are much more energy efficient with improved insulation and more efficient compressors. In addition the new refrigerants have much less ozone depletion potential than previously and this trend is due to continue until only natural occuring refrigerants are used. Such refrigerants will also make a smaller contribution to the Greenhouse effect. A+ and A++ energy efficiency class are now available which are even more efficient than A class appliances. Some models have calibrated thermostats, which makes it easy to control the temperature and so reduce the impact to the environment Better insulation More efficient compressors Newer environmental friendly refrigerants Very low energy consumption A++ and A+ classes Cooker/ovens Modern ovens are much improved primarily because of better insulation to preserve the heat. This also results in a more uniform temperature distribution so helping the cooking process and using less energy. Forced convection using a fan helps to circulate the heat and allows the full space of the oven to be used for cooking. Only ovens so far carry the EU energy label but not yet the cooker (or hob). Improved insulation Better heat distribution More efficient cooking Self cleaning More electronic controls and cooking options 3.7 Lifetime Operating Cost and savings Lifetime operating cost consists of the consumption of Electricity Water Detergent where relevant over the lifetime of the appliance Energy efficient appliances tend to have a higher purchase cost but this offset by a lower lifetime operating cost as they consume less electricity, water and detergent. With the help of the information on the EU energy label this cost can be calculated (see chapter 8.6).

15 3.8 Energy Labels By law all new domestic fridges, freezers and fridge-freezers, washing machines, electric tumble dryers, combined washer-dryers, dishwashers, oven/cookers and light-bulbs must have an energy label placed on them. Energy labels are valuable decision-making aids when you shop for new domestic appliances. They help you make the right choice. The one shown in figure is for Fridges. For the other appliances there are other performance criteria as result of different characteristics of the appliances. However Energy Efficiency and Energy Consumption section is standard for all appliances as these two criteria are crucial to determine lifetime cost of the products. The energy label for dishwashers additionally provide the cleaning and drying efficiency ranging from (A) to (G). It also indicates the water consumption and how much you can load into the dishwasher. The energy label for washing machines also have the washing performance and drying efficiency ranging from (A) to (G). It also indicates the water consumption and how much you can load into the washing machine. In addition to the standard A-G scale for energy efficiency, the lamp label provides information on the luminous flux of the light bulb in lumens, the input power of the light bulb in watts and the average rated life of the light bulb in hours