Environmental Issues

Replacing conventional refrigerator with a high efficiency alternative

The conventional refrigerator I use is a pre-1986 with an average wattage of 160 wHhr, and it is always on, 24 hours per day. The days used per month are 31, while the Kilowatt hours used is 1428 kWhyear and the cost per month is  14.28, hence for a year is  171. This makes it one of the most expensive energy consuming appliances in my entire home. There is likelihood that my calculations may even underestimate the real facts, due to variation in the environmental factors like seasons. Therefore to cut down this exorbitant expenditure I opt to replace it with a high-efficiency one.

Means for Implementation
The means shall be by opting for a refrigerator with more polyurethane foam, the best non-exotic insulation so that it can not be degraded by the metal supports between the inner and outer walls hence allowing heat loss  high-efficiency compressors that are mounted on top, so that the heat generated by the compressor and condenser does not reenter the refrigerator, and also with a cooler running condenser, the efficiency of the cooling system shall have been increased better door seals which will ensure that there is no air circulation between the refrigerator and freezer compartments, such a design shall also reduce infiltration of warm air when the doors are opened and more accurate control of temperature by use of a passive evaporator  and a condenser with a large surface area. Lastly mounting the condenser on top of the refrigerator shall ensure its easy accessibility and cleaning, hence allowing the cooling system to continue running efficiently.

Under the above conditions, ideal environmental factors, model and size of the refrigerator, positioning of the refrigerator and cost of the electricity, the energy savings one might expect for instance with a high-efficiency refrigerator that uses 425 kWh per year compared to my conventional one is 1003 kWh per year. I do pay 11 kWh, then yearly I would have saved 1003 x 0.11  110.33yr which translates to 0.0126 KWhhour.

Conclusion
Therefore by replacing a conventional refrigerator by a high-efficiency alternative, one saves a lot per year in terms of money and even if the initial cost of buying and its instillation is high eventually the refrigerator will pay for itself in a few years to come by, this is only true if the cost of electricity and proper maintenance remains the same.