CONSUMPTION UNDER REAL LIFE CONDITIONS IN EUROPE

摘要

As one of the largest energy users in private homes, domestic refrigerators and freezers were among the first appliances to be targeted for energy efficiency improvements. Good progress was achieved in the last decades, but the question remains open if these improvements manifest themselves also under real household conditions. A study was conducted to test the sensitivity of refrigerators' energy consumption to various usage conditions within realistic ranges, which have been determined by two empirical studies carried out in four European countries (France, Germany, Great Britain and Spain). Practical experiments were performed under controlled laboratory conditions with four different domestic refrigerators with an A+ or A++ energy efficiency rating. Key information gathered from the experiments was used as a base for the development and validation of a simplified model that allows predicting the energy consumption of refrigerators in use. The modelling methodology follows a first-principle approach adjusted by experimental data. When compared to experimental results, model predictions show a reasonable agreement for the whole range of investigated conditions.