So, we'd like to get a new refirgerator (our current refrigerator is pretty old and beat. When the compressor kicks on, the lights in the living room flicker, and the shelf on the inside of the door is broken, which greatly reduces the useful storage space.), and being good liberal types, we'd like something energy-efficient. The problem is, our house is small, and the kitchen is very small, so the space available for the fridge (without ripping all the cabinets out and re-doing the whole kitchen) is only about 28" wide, and the selection in that small size is really limited. In particular, it rules out any of the "Energy Star" rated models I've seen, and the only small-size fridges I've found in Sears, Lowe's, and Best Buy are close to the maximum on the little "energy use" scale on the manufacturer's tag.
The guy at Sears said they didn't carry the small size in any model other than the energy hog one they had on display, and while I haven't asked at Lowe's or Best Buy, I suspect the same is true for those stores. My guess is that that size is usually used for apartments, and the landlords who buy them aren't willing to pay for energy efficiency.
My question for the Internet is: Is there somebody out there making and selling more efficient refrigerators in a smaller size than the 26 ft3 models that appear the be the standard? It seems crazy that you wouldn't be able to get them at all, but I'm not sure what the other options are. The thing needs to be replaced (albeit not urgently), and if we have to buy a less efficient model, we'll do that, but I'm willing to pay a few extra bucks for a better product, if I can find somebody who'll sell me what I want.
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The last time I bought a fridge, I did get an energy star rated model that was pretty small. (We had the opposite problem, the house was new and the space for the fridge was much better than the fridge itself, but we were renters....)
This was from Sears, but it was in 2002 or so.
Energy Star does have a website, and they claim that there are the more reasonably sized 18-19 cubic foot fridges that are Energy Star rated. Some even by companies that I have heard of (Amana, Fridgidaire, Bosch!, etc.)
Here's the energy star search page for fridges. They let you search by volume. There's definitely a fair number out there, but who knows whether you'll be able to find them in a local store.
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=refrig.search_refrigerat…
If you find models that interest you on the EnergyStar site, check with Earl B. Feiden Appliances in Latham (on the northbound side of Rt. 9, just below Latham Circle). They will have the manufacturer catalogs that give actual dimensions, etc. They have been very willing to order in models that they don't have in stock, and they do carry most major brands. Our family has been doing business with them for years and they are very reliable and reasonably price competitive. http://www.earlbfeiden.com/
A refrigerator does two things. It moves heat out of the inner compartment at some energy cost per BTU, and heat leaks back into the inner compartment at some BTU rate. The product of these two things is your energy usage rate. A google search gives engineering information on the subject.
For efficiency, I would guess that differences in the second number, the energy leakage rate, dominates differences between different refrigerators. If this is the case, you may be able to add a little extra insulation to a low efficiency refrigerator to bring it up to snuff. You're basically trading space for efficiency.
I hope you can locate one. Very expensive very efficient models are likely available from Solar Energy outfits like RealGoods, but I suspect you are looking for something more akin the EnergyStar.
I will mention a couple of obvious things that make small and efficient tough. The first is the surface to volume effect means you shouldn't expect as high an efficiency as voulume decreases. Less obviously the customer base is less likely to be willing to tradeoff internal voulume for efficiency, as for the larger units. I suspect the small fridge demographic is also less likely to be willing to pay for efficiency. But that hopefully doesn't mean there are no suitable models.
Depends on how small you are willing to go, and how much you are willing to spend for the warm fuzzy feeling of doing your liberal part to Save the World (tm). Here are some small fridges (11.5 - 13.8 cu. ft., 24" - 28" wide x 73" = 76" tall) that cost quite a bit of money ($1200 - $1500). Don't know if either of those metrics fit your requirements:
http://eco-fridge.com/Efficient-refrigerators.html
It should come as no surprise that these are made in Europe.
Also, a quick look at lowes.com shows some 18.5 cu. ft. fridges with Energy Star ratings. Looks like they are just a bit too wide for your space, though.
I bought a standup freezer not too long ago, and I couldn't find any companies that made one Energy Star Complient. Then I got lucky and found a Maytag at Home Depot. I suggest looking at the Maytag brand.
Young Einstein and his cousin or his brother did some interesting designs, the patent being bough by AEG (or was it ABC?).
Don't worry too much about it. Current models, even if they are on the high side of the Energy Star ratings, are far more effecient than highly rated models of a few years ago. Check Consumer Reports and consider price, reliability and noise as well. Passive 'coil on the back' types are much quieter than 'coil on the bottom' external-fan types are, and are inherently more effecient. Bottom-freezer types are generally very effecient, but very expensive. rb
The refrigerator wars....
oy.
So, the website I suggest is abtelectronics.com
Very searchable.
In top freezer models with Energy Star
Frigidaire 15 Cubic Foot White Top Freezer Refrigerator - FRT15HB3WH - 28 inch width
Uh, that's it.
The width is the killer, here.
Costco carries one of the very efficient options (at least on paper): http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11204278&whse=BC&Ne=40…
If the link doesn't work, look for the Vestfrost Space Saver
It'll fit (24x24 footprint), though it may be a little too small.
Tom
I faced a similar dilemma in our kitchen recently, although our limiting dimension was height. Turns out its really hard to get a decent fridge under about 68". We decided to rip out the cabinets and replace them at ikea. Fortunately there was only one above and one adjacent, and they're not contiguous with the rest of the cabinets in the kitchen, so they don't have to match. We're very happy with our 70"x36" french door fridge. Ripping out the cabinets turned out to be a bigger adventure than we anticipated though.