Despite the convenience that home appliances provide (like not having to handwash dishes or laundry), your favorite electronic household helpers are actually one of the largest energy-suckers in your home. Not including heating and cooling (which comprises a whopping 44% of residential energy expenditures), household appliances account for approximately 30% OF AN AVERAGE HOME’S ENERGY USE.
So with those staggering statistics in mind, Inhabitat is pleased to bring you a new summer series called Green Your Appliances, starting next Wednesday, August 15th, sponsored by green-minded appliance manufacturer Bosch.
Every Wednesday for four weeks, we’ll tell you all the nitty gritty energy details about common appliances like your refrigerator, washer/dryer, and more, and more importantly, how you can cut back on energy consumption and live a greener, but still very convenience-filled life.
GREEN YOUR APPLIANCES! schedule:
AUGUST 15: Refrigerators
AUGUST 22: Washers and Dryers
AUGUST 29: Dishwashers
SEPTEMBER 5: Kitchen Gadgets
Our Greener Appliance series will be written by green gadget expert and o2nyc organizer Jennifer van der Meer, who has brought you articles about greenwashing and green electronics in the past. Thanks also to Bosch for their sponsorship on this summer series.
About BOSCH
“Bosch is committed to preserving the environment through innovative approaches to the products we manufacture, as well as the partnerships we form with key leaders in sustainable construction and design. Sustainability, responsibility and continuous improvement are the tenets of our company and are shared by our partners across the United States.
Bosch practices low-impact manufacturing processes while designing the most efficient machines on the market. In fact, we introduced a global integrated management system for environmental issues that makes certain we maintain our high standards for environmental responsibility wherever our operations take us.
Bosch regards innovation as something more than exceptional product quality, functionality and design. Not only our technical developments, but also our commitment to society has an effect on the world of tomorrow.”
+ Bosch Green Thinking Resource Center
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JENNIFER VAN DER MEER
Jennifer is a leader in brand and product innovation, and is a founding principal at research design house Risqué Consulting. A former Wall Street analyst and economist, Jennifer transitioned into the design industry upon graduating with an MBA from HEC in Paris. She has held strategy and executive management positions at Organic, Inc., Frog Design, and Fahrenheit 212. A leader in the green design community in NY, Jennifer serves as chapter chair of o2-NYC, and lectures on the topic of sustainable innovation.
+ o2-NYC
Which is why I never run my air conditioner. And depending on how you do dishes a dishwasher can actually use less water I have heard. But , I do them the way my wife does. She fills a small bowl with water and dish soap and uses that water to scrub the dishes. As you wash, they get stacked in the sink. Then they are rinsed. We only use the dishwasher for the larger piles of dirty dishes, like after having guest over.
Bosch was a Flex Your Power honoree for their energy efficient appliances marketing campaigns. Go Bosch!
If you want some help purchasing Bosch’s appliances or any energy-efficient appliance, for that matter, Flex Your Power maintains a ZIP code rebate finder on their website for the state of California.
Here’s the link to the California Rebate & Incentives Finder.
http://www.flexyourpower.org/res/tools/rgl.html
I’ve read some interesting articles on Bosch appliances at http://www.getwithgreen.com. Check under the Appliance category. Also, there is some useful information under the rebate section. I think they have a link to the Bosch calculator there too!!! Anyway, check it out!