In December, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency took a historic step by declaring that “greenhouse gasses threaten the public health and welfare of the American people.” The significant finding paves the way for future regulatory actions by agency.

The endangerment finding covers emissions of six greenhouse gasses: carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride.

Transportation tailpipe standards are expected to become the first target for new regulations, but the finding has the potential to affect utilities, refrigeration equipment, and industry in general.

Environmental groups praised the decision as long overdue; business groups attacked the action, predicting it will create burdensome costs for businesses and consumers. Court challenges are expected.

The final findings were made possible by a 2007 Supreme Court decision that greenhouse gasses fit within the Clean Air Act definition of air pollutants. As a result, EPA can now formulate new rules for greenhouse gasses within the scope of existing law without having to wait for passage of new climate change legislation.

The EPA statement said that the scientific consensus shows that greenhouse gasses are the primary driver of climate change, and that human activities are responsible for the increased concentration of these gasses in the atmosphere.

The agency said that the threat to public health stems from the fact that climate change will result in hotter and longer heat waves that threaten the health of the sick, poor, and elderly. Additional effects include an increase in ground-level ozone pollution that is linked to asthma and other respiratory illnesses. 

ELECTROLUX TO CHARLOTTE

ALLERGEN PROTOCOL

NSF International, Ann Arbor, Mich., announced the development of a new protocol that certifies allergen reduction performance of residential and commercial, family-sized clothes washers. To receive certification to NSF Protocol P351 the following requirements must be met:

• The removal of at least 95 percent of house dust mite allergens and pet dander.
• The wash water must achieve 55 DegC (131 DegF), the temperature necessary to kill dust mites.
• The washer must be easily cleanable, corrosion resistant, and designed to avoid accumulation of dust and debris.

Whirlpool Corp., Benton Harbor, Mich., is the first company to receive the certification with the new protocol.

HAIER MOVES HIGHER

The Haier Group, Qingdao, China, said that Euromonitor International has ranked Haier first in its Global Major Appliances Brands 2009 ranking by brand shares (by global brand name), with a retail volume market share of 5.1 percent, up 0.8 of a point from 2008. Euromonitor International’s rankings also place Haier’s refrigeration appliances and Haier’s home laundry appliances first by global brand name, with 10.4 percent and 8.4 percent retail volume market share respectively, up 3.7 points and 1.5 points from 2008. Euromonitor International, based in the U.K., is an independent provider of business intelligence on industries, countries and consumers.

GE REALIGNS

General Electric Co. has reorganized its Consumer & Industrial division based in Louisville, Ky. The industrial electrical products segment will be shifted to Atlanta, given the name Industrial Solutions, and be placed under GE Energy. The Louisville operation was renamed GE Home & Business Solutions, and retains appliances, lighting, and other products. The realignment indicates that GE now intends to keep and grow its appliance business, which it had previously wanted to sell.

WINNING HX

The micro channel evaporator developed by Delphi Thermal Systems, Auburn Hills, Mich., was named a winner of the 2010 AHR EXPO Innovation Award in the Cooling category. The award was presented during the 2010 AHR Expo held January 25-27, 2010, in Orlando. Based on Delphi’s Micro Channel Heat Exchanger (MCHX) technology, the new micro channel evaporator was specially designed to perform both cooling and heating functions for both indoor residential and commercial settings and to help OEMs meet Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) and Heating Seasonal Performance Factor (HSPF) requirements in a smaller package.

Other innovation award winners included the Danfoss Performer VSD (Green Building), the Daikin AC VRV III-C heat pump (Heating), the Samsung Electronics SPi bacteria eradication technology (Indoor Air Quality), and the Muller Industries Australia 3C Condenser.

INTERACTIVE MIRROR

Taiwan-based Sunvision Technology has developed the interactive ViViMirror that combines an embedded PC, TFT-LCD, and a Zytronic Zybrid touchscreen situated behind optically coated glass. The user interface is transparent when the PC is operating, but when the computer is off, the interface presents a highly reflective surface, similar to a mirror. Sunvision designed the interactive mirror for both homes and commercial applications such as hotel rooms. The mirror can provide access to Web applications, adjust HVAC settings, control security systems, or allow the viewing of data from a personal network.

WHIRLPOOL BUYS PLANT

In December, Whirlpool Corp., Benton Harbor, Mich., acquired selected assets of appliance maker W.C. Wood, including a factory based in Ottawa, Ohio, but not the plant in Guelph, Ontario. The Canadian courts put W.C. Wood into receivership in November. At the time,Whirlpool indicated an intention to reopen the Ottawa freezer plant.

VENDING VIEW 1

The European Vending Association said that refrigerated vending machines still need HFC-134a as a refrigerant until other viable alternatives emerge. In a position paper released on the subject, the association said that, while it is committed to searching for more environmentally alternatives, they do not yet exist. The paper went on to enumerate the limitations and drawbacks associated with using hydrocarbons or carbon dioxide as refrigerants in vending machines. As a result, the association recommended great caution when considering measures relating to the use of HFC-134a in vending machines.

VENDING VIEW 2

Days before the U.N. summit on climate in Copenhagen, The Coca-Cola Company and its bottling partners announced that 100 percent of their new vending machines and coolers will be hydrofluorocarbon-free by 2015. The company said its announcement was a direct result of work with Greenpeace that began in 2000, and a demonstration that phasing out the use of HFCs is a tangible and near-term action corporations can take to protect the climate. The transition to HFC-free refrigeration will reduce the equipment’s direct greenhouse gas emissions by 99 percent. Coca-Cola said that this move will help accelerate a market shift in commercial refrigeration away from HFCs. Coca-Cola has invested more than $50 million in research and development to advance the use of climate-friendly cooling technologies. The company currently utilizes two HFC-free solutions. Hydrocarbon refrigeration is used in smaller refrigeration equipment and carbon dioxide is used in larger equipment.

SAMSUNG IN POLAND

Samsung Electronics has acquired refrigerator and clothes washer manufacturing plants from Amica, a home appliance maker in Poland. The move makes Poland the seventh country in which Samsung produces home appliances. It is Samsung’s first production base in Europe.

INNOVATION HUBS

The U.S. Department of Energy plans to invest $366 million to establish and operate three new Energy Innovation Hubs focused on accelerating research and development in key energy areas: the production of fuels directly from sunlight, improving energy-efficient building systems, and computer modeling and simulation for the development of advanced nuclear reactors. Advanced refrigeration cycles will be among technologies pursued in the energy-efficient building hub.

DRYWALL AND A/C CORROSION

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has released results from a major indoor air study of 51 homes along with initial reports from two studies of corrosion in homes with Chinese drywall. All of the studies show a strong association between homes with the problem drywall and the levels of hydrogen sulfide and corrosion of metals in those homes, including the copper coils in air conditioning systems. The CPSC is continuing to study the issue, including possible health effects, remediation options, and the need for future standards in this area.

SMART LAUNDRY JOBS

In December, GE Home & Business Solutions announced its plans to manufacture high-end energy-efficient, frontload washers and dryers in Louisville, Ky., at GE’s Appliance Park facility beginning in 2012. GE worked with the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development and the Metro Louisville government on a package of economic development incentives to encourage the Company to expand the Appliance Park operation to increase employment and economic development opportunities in the region.

Production of the new products, together with plans to internally source manufacture of appliance components and to significantly increase the number of engineers at the facility, would result in the creation of more than 430 new jobs at the Louisville operation. When combined with the hybrid water heater jobs announced earlier in 2009, the total number of new GE Appliance jobs announced in 2009 would reach 830 jobs.

KILLER APPLIANCE

A U.K. inventor says he has developed a device to electrocute lobsters and other edible crustaceans to spare them the agony of being boiled alive. Simon Buckhaven has dubbed his appliance the CrustaStun, and says it can zap a lobster dead in seconds, compared to the 3 minutes it might take to die in boiling water. He has developed two versions of the unit, a small model for restaurants and a larger industrial sized version that can kill a large number of lobsters at once. The appliances are being marketed by his start-up company, Studham Technologies, based in Bedfordshire.

DOE LAUNCHES WEBSITE

The Department of Energy has launched Open Energy Information (www.openEI.org), a new open-source web platform that will make DOE resources and open energy data widely available to the public. The data and tools housed on the free, editable and evolving wiki-platform will be used by government officials, the private sector, project developers, the international community, and others to help deploy clean energy technologies across the country and around the world.

GEOTHERMAL STARS

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced new requirements for residential geothermal heat pumps (GHPs), enabling water-to-water geothermal heat pumps to earn the Energy Star label for the first time. EPA’s stringent specifications for this new category of geothermal heat pumps will help protect the environment and reduce energy costs, because GHPs that meet the new standards will be up to 45 percent more efficient than conventional pumps. Geothermal heat pumps use ground temperature air instead of outside air to provide heating, cooling and often water heating. GHPs can be installed in new and existing homes. Because they use the constant temperature of the earth, GHPs are among the most efficient heating and cooling technologies currently available in the marketplace. Homeowners who install geothermal heat pumps with the Energy Star are eligible for a 30 percent federal tax credit.

WALK-IN STANDARDS

The Commercial Refrigerator Manufacturers Section of the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) has approved for publication AHRI Standard 1250-2009, “Performance Rating of Walk-In Coolers and Freezers.” The standard, which is available for free download at www.ahrinet.org, establishes definitions, test requirements, rating requirements, minimum data requirements for published ratings, operating requirements, marking and nameplate data, and conformance conditions for walk-in coolers and freezers. This standard applies to mechanical refrigeration equipment consisting of an integrated single package refrigeration unit, or as separate unit cooler and condensing unit sections, where the condensing unit can be located either outdoors or indoors. Controls can be integral, or can be provided by a separate party as long as their performance is tested and certified with the listed mechanical equipment.

FLUID PUMPS SECTION

The Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) has launched a new product section: Fluid Pumps. The new section was formed in response to demands from fluid pump manufacturers seeking a forum to discuss and solve common issues. The approved scope of the section covers all roto-dynamic centrifugal pumps/circulators used for circulation of fluids in residential and commercial buildings primarily used in the following applications:

• Closed loop heating and cooling systems (primary, secondary, zone, and loop pumps).
• Domestic hot water recirculation.
• Pressure boosters.
• Steam systems.
• Cooling towers.
• Geothermal and solar.

OPEI ON ETHANOL

The Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) said that it remains concerned by the Environmental Protection Agency’s response to the Growth Energy waiver on 15 percent ethanol, as it overlooks the impact on hundreds of millions of outdoor power equipment used by consumers, such as utility vehicles, lawnmowers, chainsaws, snow throwers and other affected equipment, including boats, ATVs, motorcycles and snow mobiles. “EPA’s letter basically addressed the consideration of E15 for newer automobiles, but ignores the substantial non-automobile product families and the economic and safety issues related to their use,” said Kris Kiser, executive vice president at OPEI. “However, we’re pleased that EPA acknowledges more testing is needed.” Department of Energy testing of mid-level ethanol blends on outdoor power equipment engines demonstrated performance irregularities and failure on tested product. “Should EPA allow higher levels for newer autos, we still face a daunting task of educating millions of consumers and labeling pumps to prevent possible mis-fueling that could potentially harm engine equipment and its users,” added Kiser. To read OPEI’s own study of the DOE testing report, go to: www.opei.org/ht/d/sp/a/GetDocumentAction/i/1926

KEYBOARD STANDARDS

Keyboards will better meet the requirements of today’s digital era with the full technical revision of the “ISO/IEC standard for keyboard layouts, ISO/IEC 9995, Information technology – Keyboard Layouts for Text and Office Systems.” The multi-part standard provides the framework for the design and layout of all keyboards (whether containing letters, numbers, symbols or other markings). The latest revision defines the state-of-the-art for keyboard layout technology, while continuing to ensure that users can easily operate keyboards from around the world. The new edition takes into account the various existing and upcoming applications which use keyboards, such as personal computers, workstations, computer terminals, telephones and mobile phones, calculators, electronic typewriters, personal digital assistants, touch screens, multimedia devices with foldable keyboards, automated teller machines (ATMs), and many others. It divides keyboards into clearly recognizable sections, and allocates functions to the keys. It specifies principles for the shape and sections of keyboards, key placements and markings, spacing, physical characteristics and more.

PAPER-THIN SPEAKER

The Industrial Technology Research Institute in Taiwan has introduced a flexible, paper-thin speaker called FleXpeaker. The speakers are tiny, but can be combined to produce speaker systems of almost any size, according to ITRI. They are fabricated by a printing process and can be cut into different shapes. The new speakers will allow consumer electronics products using speakers to be lighter and slimmer and use less power.

NANO DAMAGES GENES

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles, found in a wide variety of consumer products, caused systemic genetic damage in mice, according to a comprehensive study conducted by researchers at UCLA’s Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. The TiO2 nanoparticles induced single-strand and double-strand DNA breaks and also caused chromosomal damage, as well as inflammation, all of which increase the risk for cancer. The UCLA study is the first to show that the nanoparticles had such an effect, said Robert Schiestl, a professor of pathology, radiation oncology and environmental health sciences, a Jonsson Cancer Center scientist and the study’s senior author. Once in the system, the TiO2 nanoparticles accumulate in different organs because the body has no way to eliminate them. And because they are so small, they can go everywhere in the body, even through cells, and may interfere with sub-cellular mechanisms. The study appeared in the journal Cancer Research.

U.K. BALANCING ACT

Appliance maker Indesit, energy supplier npower, and smart grid technology supplier RLtec, have outfitted refrigerators with a grid-balancing technology and began testing the concept in the U.K. in December. Throughout the rest of this year, up to 3,000 U.K. npower customers will be supplied with Indesit dynamic-demand refrigerators and refrigerator/freezers, free of charge, to test of the technology. Appliances fitted with the dynamic demand technology automatically modify their power consumption in response to second-by-second changes in the balance between supply and demand on the grid. Backers of the project say it is a silent solution that won’t affect appliance performance in any way and does not require any action on the part of the consumer. The appliances will be monitored in real time by a data collection system, which will feed information back to researchers.

Dyson’s Bladeless Fan

James Dyson has done it again, developing a novel product that breaks from tradition. This time it’s the Dyson Air Multiplier touted as a “bladeless” fan. In fact, the unit does contain an impeller as the prime air-moving source, it just isn’t visible.

The heart of the system is a variable-speed, brushless DC motor spinning a mixed-flow impeller inside the cylindrical base of the unit. Air is drawn into the base through louvers, then propelled upward into a hollow ring. The air is then pushed through a 1.3 mm annular aperture in the loop, exiting over an airfoil shaped ramp that directs its path, perpendicular to the unit.

According to Dyson, the movement of air over the airfoil ramp creates a pressure drop behind it, thereby inducing a draft that draws air through the loop. At the same time, the surrounding air from the front and sides of the device is also entrained into the air stream. Dyson says these two characteristics create a multiplier effect, multiplying air flow by 15 times.

In addition to moving air more efficiently, benefits of the unit include enhanced aesthetics, improved safety, easier cleaning, quieter operation, and less turbulent airflow.

The fan comes in both 10-in. and 12-in. models and can be tilted. Speed is controlled by a dimmer switch.

AHAM Presents Smart Grid Principles in Copenhangen

The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) issued “The Home Appliance Industry’s Principles & Requirements for Achieving a Widely Accepted SmartGrid” during the 15th United Nations Climate Change Conference.

AHAM’s position statement emphasized that consumer choice, control and security must be a priority in the development of a smart grid, and that three essential requirements are necessary for a smart grid to become widely accepted.

1. Pricing Rate Structure and Incentives to Consumers: In order to provide the maximum incentive to consumers to take advantage of smart appliances, residential electricity prices must be based on time of use. Strong consideration should be given to the development of uniform pricing and usage information standards that provide for a harmonized way of communicating local rate and timing information. If done right, time of use electricity pricing will not require people to change their behavior to save money and help the environment.

2. Communication Standards: Standards and protocols for communications with smart appliances must be open and limited in number across all utility districts. This will allow appliance manufacturers to produce for a national marketplace so the same smart appliance can contribute to the smart grid whether in a home in Florida or in Oregon.

3. Consumer Choice & Privacy: If consumers do not use smart appliances, then the vision of the smart grid is at risk. While smart appliances must work seamlessly with electric utilities in a fully functional smart grid system, the consumer must always have control over the appliance. If a consumer wishes to override deferral of an appliance function and incur a higher electricity rate, they should be able to make such a choice. The boundary of the utility’s reach should end at the smart meter. The purpose of the smart grid is to provide more efficient use of energy, not for utilities to control or monitor appliance usage.

AHAM is engaged in a number of smart grid related groups, including the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Smart Grid Interoperability Panel, Priority Action Plan (PAP) 3 on Common Price Communication Model, and PAP 9 Standard DR and DER Signals.

A white paper outlining the association’s position is available at www.aham.org/smartgrid.

DOE and Haier Enter Consent Decree

In January, the U.S. Department of Energy announced that it had entered into a Consent Decree with Haier America resolving an investigation into whether Haier violated DOE’s energy efficiency standards. DOE’s investigation led Haier to determine that a parts defect caused certain freezers to consume more energy than represented to consumers and possibly violated DOE’s energy efficiency standards and the Energy Star requirements for freezers. The Consent Decree obligates Haier to notify affected consumers, repair defective units, and pay a voluntary contribution to the U.S. Treasury.

During the investigation by DOE’s Office of General Counsel, Haier voluntarily identified a parts defect that had caused the freezer models to consume additional energy and took immediate steps on its own to remedy the defects. Haier’s cooperation with the Department of Energy’s investigation was critical in reaching the Consent Decree, the first ever entered into by the Department of Energy to enforce minimum energy efficiency standards.

“Enhanced energy efficiency is a national priority, and DOE will continue to vigorously enforce energy efficiency standards and Energy Star criteria,” said DOE General Counsel Scott Blake Harris. “Haier’s voluntary disclosures and voluntary remediation measures helped to reach this Consent Decree, which requires swift action to protect both consumers and the environment from the consequences of wasteful energy use. We would encourage all manufacturers to follow this example in the future.”

Prior to the Consent Decree, Haier took actions on their own to stop the distribution of any of the affected freezer models. Standalone upright freezers sold between December 2008 and August 2009 are covered by the Consent Decree, although not all of the units will necessarily be affected by the parts defect.

AHAM to Launch Verification Program

The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) said it will launch a third party industry verification program to verify manufacturer energy ratings for refrigerators and freezers. This program will validate the energy ratings made by manufacturers through random third party testing conducted by an independent laboratory. The program will be open to AHAM members and non-members alike. The program will be voluntary, but AHAM has received preliminary commitments from the vast majority of refrigerator and freezer manufacturers eligible for participation in the program, which is expected to begin in mid-2010.

AHAM has been working closely with the US Department of Energy (DOE) to put in place a credible third-party verification program that is consistent with DOE test procedures, which are the basis for measuring appliance energy use for both DOE appliance standards and Energy Star.

Joseph M. McGuire, AHAM president, stated that “While manufacturers already test and self-certify all models to DOE, the industry’s interest is to strengthen confidence among the public and government in refrigerators and freezer energy claims through random third party verification tests. AHAM’s long history of administering third party verification services will add assurances that products have been independently tested and will match the energy claims by the manufacturer.”