Despite the polar vortex and the coldest and snowiest winter on record in Ann Arbor, it looks like we will continue to have negative energy bills for the full year. Net zero energy (producing more energy on site than the occupants use) is not a challenge; it's a choice. And it's important to note, it is not a game of whether your want to sacrifice comfort for savings.
On the contrary, we have been able to achieve net zero energy year after year because we choose to invest in the most energy efficient and highest quality appliances available. We pay for quality now rather than high energy use forever. So our money goes to more comfort for us rather than to our utility company.
This year we added three new appliances to our home that have been game changers. We scrapped our 1968 Magic Chef gas stove and disconnected our home from fossil fuels forever. We replaced it with a Whirlpool double-convection oven induction range. We exchanged our electric water heater with the latest technology Rheem heat pump water heater. And finally, our first generation HE washing machine died after only 8 years. That gave us the perfect excuse to get an extraordinary new Energy Star Whirlpool Duet washer (we even got an awesome 70% off deal on a dented floor model at the Sears Outlet store).
These three appliances give us better cooking, better hot water, and better clothes washing. Surprisingly, they also reduce our energy use compared to the old models by 2,927kWh, or $356 every year. That's enough energy to power eight Energy Star refrigerators! Since my net zero energy house has many other conservation measures already in place, these appliances energy savings' could be even bigger in your home.
Let's take a closer look at our latest appliances helping us achieve net zero energy:
Whirlpool Induction Range with Double Oven
Photo credit to Whirlpool. Model WGI925C0BS
Since the dawn of civilization chefs have grunted, "Fire. Good." And since the first humans sat around the campfire, it has indeed been good. That was before we began to reinvent fire.
The hottest thing among home chefs is the induction stove. My wife and I are in love with induction. It boils water in half the time, it melts chocolate without a double boiler, it has no flame so it's much safer for kids, the surface around the cooking area doesn't get hot, it has no gas (which eliminates the need for a carbon monoxide sensor), it doesn't make the kitchen hot in the summer, and it saves us a ton of energy. That's a lot of pros from one appliance!
Rheem Prestige Heat Pump Water Heater
Photo credit to Rheem. Model: HB50RH
Savings 1,700 kWh/year
There's really only one things water heaters need to do: get hot water to your shower and sinks whenever you need it. But the price of heating water is huge. It's the second biggest energy hog in your home.
In my home, our geothermal heating and cooling system gives us about 60% of our hot water for free. But we still needed to find that other 40%. Our old water tanks were just wasteful electric units that were poorly insulated. We now have a Marathon tank to store the water heated by the geothermal system and a Rheem Prestige Hybrid Heat Pump Water Heater to provide us the rest.
The heat pump water heater moves heat from the air into your hot water. It operates about 250% more efficiently than old school electric water heaters.
It's amazing. It also comes with a full-color touch screen LCD display with intuitive controls and diagnostic capabilities.
HE Clothes Washers:
Photo credit to Whirlpool. Model: WFW94HEAW
Savings 227 kWh/year
I don't know which I love more: the extremely quiet spin cycle or the energy and water savings. The ultra fast spin cycle has high tech stabilizing sensors to keep the washer from vibrating across the floor like our old model. This also spins much more water out of the clothes, which both protects your clothes and reduces time they spend in the dryer.
Plus, with the 12-Hour FanFresh option selected, you can tumble clothes for up to 12 hours after the cycle ends, so you can wash and dry a small load right in the washer. Even with larger loads, the FanFresh cycle cuts the time clothes are in our dryer in half! That is a lot of energy savings and is much more convenient for us.
