How are Energy Rating's Calculated for Fridges/Freezers?

[Zak33]

Hi guys

As you know....I'm tight

And I'm trying to find HOW energy ratings are done, and WHAT they mean.

I need a new fridge/freezer and want to know what makes an A grade and an A+ grade rating? Is it in relation to the SIZE of the machine (so a small fridge needs to use less energy to be A than a massive monster fridge that's also A grade, maybe)?

I have spent some time on Energy Saving Trust - energy efficiency & conservation and I cant find the definitions

[Zak33]

If Curry's are to be believed, and I hesitate to always trust every word printed or spoken by their excellent staff

Think green

They’re given ratings from A++ (the best and most efficient) to G. At Currys we only stock fridge freezers rated B or higher for energy efficiency. An A+ and A++ energy rating means the fridge freezer saves 25% and 45% more energy respectively than an A rated one does.

I'm stuck.....how are they created, and who checks the manufacturers figures?

[Zak33]

And WHY do I ask?

Because I have a Fridge/Freezer running as a second unit. Out main one isn't big enough as a freezer, so I have a second, older unit.

I have used my nw infamous power reading meter on it and it is MULERING the electricity.

It is an E rated 9 year old (perfectly ok) fridge freezer.

In less than 10 hours it has cost me14p..

14p!

even if that works out to 28p for the day, it's costing over £100 per year!

And my other main fridge/freezer is likely to be nearly as bad.

So ONE brand new massive A or A+ unit, could be a good investment. Modern units all come with a typical yearly kWh useage, and on the website figures for a typical Bosch unit,
Bosch Appliances

it has a useage of 376kWh, and the old secind unit I'm using for extra space uses 1450 kWh in a year!!!!!

[Lucio]

Of course, you could go about this in a much more simple fashion. The same label that provides the energy rating, also has a nice large Kw/h figure on it

Handy Link!

So, all you have to do is use that energy measuring thing of yours, and then go and get a fridge/freezer with a better Kw/h useage.

[BUFF]

I must admit that I too have an old fridge & freezer & wonder just how much more efficient a new 1 would be & therefore whether the energy saving would pay for the cost of replacement with a new 1.
Both are integrated though so dearer to replace than standalone.

[capt_cornflake]

Interesting question...

The best I could find was a combination of Wikipedia and this document

It all seems to based on the EI (Energy Index) which is calculated using the following:

EI = (MEC / SEC) X 100

where
MEC = Measured Energy Consumption
SEC = Standard Energy Consumption

The SEC is a theoretical value which depends on the type of appliance (fridge, freezer etc), the design temperatures of the compartment(s), other factors such as whether they are frost-free, built-in, or climate class, and the volume of each compartment.

Wikipedia gives the following ratings:
A++ <30
A+ <42
A <55
B <75
C <90
D <100
E <110
F <125
G >125

So it basically all comes down to how the "Standard" energy ratings are calculated. In theory a fridge needs to use only 30% of the standard to be classed A++.
How the standard figures are calculated though I drew a blank, other than a couple of example figures in the document linked above.

And just to complicate matters, there appear to be various fudge factors introduced to make frost-free, built in appliances, or those designed to operate on warmer climates a better rating than they would otherwise recieve...

[Whiternoise]

Another interesting link, this is the directive that states what is required to be put on the notices:

EUR-Lex - Simple search

You want the first link, the pdf file!




How the ratings are produced, at least for A+ and A++ rated appliances.

The pictures links above are from the pdf file, detailing the "fudge factors" as well as how the ratings are skewed for large fridges, etc.

It appears to be a function with a number of parameters, including the type of device and other factors. The function is then repeated for each compartment in the device, so you'll presumably get 2 for your average fridge-freezer (unless compartment is literally like separate drawers in the freezer). This value is then totted up, and the annual consumption is divided by it and multiplied by 100. Thus we get our index.

[Russ]

i have a mahoosive fridge freezer zak. one of the big American ones that does ice and water, and that's A rated, so it doesn't go on size.

[deeves]

The EU has an energy saving label and is graded from A (best) to G (worst). For fridges the highest EU energy label grade is currently A++.

A break down of the power consumption by each grade per year is provided below,
A++ - below 30
A+ - below 42
A - below 55
B - below 75
C - below 90
D - below 100
E - below 110
F - below 125
G - worse than 125

The A+ and A++ grades only exist in the EU grading system for refrigeration products. The technology has advanced so much the only option was to increase above the 'A' grade. As you can see the 'A+' grade is around 25&#37; improved over the 'A' grade, and the 'A++' grade is around 50% improved over the 'A' grade. These grades are therefore significant improvements.

Energy efficiency grades and rating for fridges and freezers


Hope this helps!

[cptwhite_uk]

In theory a larger fridge should be more efficient than a smaller one due the ratio of volume against surface area:

For example, It might take x1.5 times as much power, but hold x2 as much food...

[TheAnimus]

The problem is here that it fails to take into account how much useful work the fridge does.

My point is you could make a fridge that could chill one can, it would obviously use practically no enegergy, and be A++ because of others in the class.

However obviously it would be much less effecient than a big one, which would be say A because its 100 times the volume of cold area.

get where i'm going with this?

[Whiternoise]

The one can fridge problem shouldn't matter, since the formula they use (assuming it's the one in my post) takes into account the volume of the compartment. The aim of the ratings is to give a standardised figure that is individual to each unit, otherwise they would be completely useless in any situation - ever notice how a huge fridge can still have an A++ rating as well as a tiny one? Obviously the large fridge is using much more power than the small one, but the way the rating system works takes into account size differences.

[Zak33]

Of course, you could go about this in a much more simple fashion. The same label that provides the energy rating, also has a nice large Kw/h figure on it

Handy Link!

So, all you have to do is use that energy measuring thing of yours, and then go and get a fridge/freezer with a better Kw/h useage.

Oh I can see those, but several machines with differing kWh ratings all had A grade on. And besides...as the other guys have stated above /\ it does seem a little....confusing.

For an OVEN, the rating is done simply. How much energy does an oven need to use to jheat a brick to a certain temp? Job done. Cos the size of the oven is irrelevent. Brick is the same size.

But for Fridges, particularly as Russ's mahhoooosive unit () is a good example... maybe a smaller unit at A grade needs to use less than his one.

That scale of power percentages looks like the most useful thing

[Whiternoise]

For what you want, Zak, it might be more prudent to cough up on an American style fridge that's got an A or A+/A++ rating. It'll cost a bomb on the initial outlay, but if you really need all that space then you'll be saving in the long term compared to having a knackered old chest as well as a fridge that's eating the kiloWatts like nobodies business.

For instance, Whirlpool Essence 20RBD3 Black Side by Side Refrigerator | American Fridge Freezers that jobbie uses 500kWh. If your fridge is using the same as your freezer, then already that's a saving of over 100kWh.

[Zak33]

Whiternoise, I'd love to chap but it must be 60cm wide

I just need one LARGE (ie 200cm tall) fridge freezer