Technology
IFA 2011: Trends in electrical home appliances
Trends in Home Appliances 2011
The home appliance industry for the fourth year integrated into IFA – and innovations by the industry continue to deliver exciting advances in comfort, lifestyle, wellness and health at home. New products feature intelligent technologies, connections to the Internet, Smart Grid solutions, and excellent ease of use. Outstanding design is important. And modern appliances that use water and energy efficiently decrease the consumption of resources at the same time they improve performance and comfort.
A high priority in appliances is operator comfort and ergonomics. Intelligent electronic controls make everyday use easier. Operating noise is reduced. And, connections to the Internet may deliver software updates – or recipes and preparation tips. Appliances connected to smart grids enable the cost-effective use of energy.
Some modern washing machines are equipped with programs optimized to clean clothes while using less water and lower temperatures. Users can set dishwashers to use water efficiently, to wash and dry pots and pans using special cycles. Dryers have self-cleaning condensers. Ovens and small appliances operate by simple touch. Doors without handles - open and close with a single press from a fingertip.
Cooking at home is more “en vogue” than ever. TV shows present celebrity chefs who suggest delicious, exciting, easy-to-make, quick-to-cook meals for families and friends. In large appliances, induction cookers and high-speed ovens are migrating from restaurants to offer innovative features and programs for cooks at home. In small appliances, creative users now enjoy innovative food processors, blenders and grills.
The trend to healthier eating continues, powered by steamers, built-in and standalone ovens, and an extensive range of smaller electrical appliances designed to help with the careful preparation of foods.
Refrigerators do more than provide the longest-possible safe storage of food. Counter-depth units are less-invasive in the kitchen. Air filters, humidity controls, separate storage compartments and zero-degree areas ensure optimum cooling and storage. And new models set new standards in design, from the number of doors and drawers to LED lighting, from integrated ice makers to bar-code scanners to LCD TVs on the door.
Coffee makers continue to soar as a market segment – and the choice of products and product features continues to expand. Product selections range from traditional coffee machines to espresso machines, to individual servers, to machines that automatically identify and measure the proper proportion of ingredients, to machines with tailor-made mounting solutions for the kitchen.
As a category, Personal Care & Beauty Appliances experiences significant growth. Hair care and hair styling products are available in many styles and with many features. There is also a diverse range of other personal care appliances, such as hair removal and beard trimmers. Here, too,TV shows provide many examples and drive consumer use, with programs about beauty topics and reality shows about model casting.
There is a long tradition of working hard to improve energy efficiency and conservation among manufacturers of home appliances. More and more new and innovative device concepts push advances forward and achieve significantly better results than often required by law or conservation standards. The objective is clear: To save water and energy without sacrificing excellent performance and comfort.
Impressively, over the past ten years, washing machines, dryers, refrigerators, dishwashers and other appliances have reduced the use of energy between 30 to almost 50 percent. And the portfolio of energy-efficient appliances is growing to include even coffee makers.
There are new EU efficiency requirements for household appliances that set limits on the energy consumption of new products. However, there is huge potential for savings in the replacement of old and inefficient appliances. In European households, there are an estimated 180 million appliances that are over 10 years old yet still in use. The average lifespan of household appliances is more than 12 years for a washing machine or dryer, and almost 17 years for a freezer. A recent study by ZVEI reports that older, inefficient appliances annually consume 44 TWh of electrical energy. There is clear opportunity for the industry to engage, educate and promote conservation to consumers.
The potential for savings when replacing old equipment is enormous, as document in this data:
Savings when using a new device compared to a 15-year-old device:
- Dishwasher: Energy: - 35%, water: -50%
- Washer: Energy: -35%, water: -50%
- Dryer: - 45%
- Refrigerator: - 50%
- Freezer: - 65%
- Fridge-freezer: - 65%
A reduction of energy consumption in a fridge freezer by 65
percent yields an annual savings of about 70 €.
Consumers benefit from the purchase of modern, energy-efficient appliances in three ways: they protect the environment, shrink their energy bills, and gain advances in comfort and improvements in lifestyle.