Green Your Drink -- Ice

Give a toast to the environment with this week's tips for finding (and making) light-on-the-planet beverages.

Tip #2: Stock up on the cold stuff

The dog days of summer call for ice by the bucket. But relying on a refrigerator's automatic ice maker--which uses heaters and extra energy--can supersize the environmental impact of your drinks. Making ice in trays, on the other hand, requires little more energy than what's already being used to drop the freezer's temperature. Of course, letting chilled air tumble out of the freezer when you open the door to grab cubes can also waste energy, but it uses less energy in the long run than auto ice makers, according to the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy. To minimize energy use and keep the convenience of ready-made ice, make several trays of ice before a party and keep the cubes in an ice bucket on the counter as you serve up drinks. Want to save more? Consider a top-mounted freezer: side-by-side fridge and freezer models use up to 30 percent more energy.

Update: Several commenters have asked about the efficiency of bottom-mounted freezers. According to Energy Star, refrigerators with freezers at the top generally use less energy than those with freezers at the bottom (472 kilowatt-hours per year versus 551 kilowatt-hours per year). Both use less energy than typical side-by-side models.

Comments

[Tony Avirgan]

And make sure your refrigerator is Energy Star certified.

[Marliss]

I have always heard that bottom freezers are more energy efficient. For ice cubes, get covered trays (mine are from Tupperware), otherwise the ice in the trays tends to disappear if it stays in the freezer a long time.

[Sarah]

What about bottom-mounted freezers? They should be even more efficient, shouldn't they? (since heat rises and cold sinks...)

[Margie Campaigne]

I agree about the efficiency of the bottom freezer. I had a side-by-side 1980's model and replaced it with an Energy Star bottom freezer model (~19 cubic feet). It had to be a HUGE factor in the resulting 44% decrease in my electric bills after I did major work and appliance replacement following my 2006 energy audit.

See www.Project-HOUSE.us "Results" page, near the bottom, to see the rest of the work done.

[Charles Wilson]

"Making
ice in trays, on the other hand, requires only the energy already
being used to drop the freezer's temperature." is not correct.
It requires a change of state.

[Robert]

Bottom freezers are the way to go. I've been in the market recently for a new fridge and the bottom freezer models, so far, have consistenly had better energy consumption figures (based on the yellow Energy Star flyer/sticker usually found inside the display model). Two other things seem to be pretty consistent, too. A through-the-door ice maker, besides wasting lots of interior shelf and door space, increases the power usage of a comparably sized model without that feature. The other observation is that the energy consumption figure can be misleading if not considered from a broader view. I know that they include a little bar chart telling you where this model stands relative to other similar models. But often the sample size of "similar models" is so narrowly defined that there may only be one or two other models in the group. So the model you're looking at might be the lowest in its group, but its score may still be higher than all the other models in the store. Just write down the number on a piece of paper and compare them directly yourself for an unbiased, realistic comparison.

Oh, and Tony notes, make sure it's Energy Star certified. It's simply remarkable that you can buy one that isn't - but that's definitely the case.

[Nimic]

What is so inefficient about an automatic ice maker? I would think having a huge tub of ice in the middle of the freezer would help maintain the temperature of the freezer. One of the best ways to keep a freezer cold is to keep it tightly packed full of frozen things.

As far as extra electricity, I know there's a small motor (a few watts at best), a small pump, and a small sensor. But we're talking maybe 20watts, which might be a dollar a month.

I think because "through the door" ice machines tend to be on side by side fridges, people might be lumping the ice maker in as part of the problem.

[Donna Bryant]

Mimic -- multiply your $1 a month & those few watts (but I'm betting it's a lot more than that) by the millions of freezers in the US alone. The problem with folks who think their part of the pie is insignificant is that they don't consider how many other folks are out there exactly like them.

As for the bottom-mounted freezers (I have one): they are undoubtedly energy-efficient, but appliance manufacturers have a lot of work to do on the design of those freezer compartments. Unlike top-mounted freezers, you often have to dig stuff out to get an item off the bottom, pile it on the counter, and then replace it all. I also find I can't store as much in my bottom-mounted freezer as I could in my old inefficient top-mounter. PLUS--and this is a biggie for older folks like me--if you have any kind of back problem, resign yourself to more back pain from having to bend over and over and over and over. I'm still glad I got a new frig, but I would likely have gotten a side-by-side if someone had mentioned these little quibbles before I bought it. I'd like to hear how side-by-sides WITHOUT icemakers and water dispensers compare with bottom mounters, energy-wise. I tried to find one but gave up too soon.

[ccsoleil]

What about just chilling your drinks in the fridge? Do we really need all that ice?
Here's a green tip:
if you do your grilling on wood or charcoal, use the left over heat to boil water (not wasting gas our electricity, not heating up your house). Make tea (use loose tea, no tea bags, saves paper and more). Let it cool down. Pour into glass bottle (recycle), put in fridge. Cold enough!

[Heather]

I have heard for over 15 yrs that bottom freezers are most efficient. As for the back problem, "something" has to be at the bottom. Don't most people make the most frequent entries into the fridge and many fewer trips to freezer.

We keep filtered water in fridge along with other beverages and only need ice on rare occasions. The built in ice makers take up lots of space that I'd rather use for other foods (local puchases while in season). As well, the automatic need a filter and other mechanisms that eventually "break down" needing attention... and for many, a hired professional!

[Heidi]

It's better for the body to drink beverages at room temperature. I only use ice after an outdoor activity during the dog days of summer (which, granted, has been most of the summer down here in Texas this year). But the shock of ice cold liquid to a 96.8 degree stomach will sometimes cause cramping and inhibit nutrient assimilation. So do you still want that ice maker?

[ccsoleil]

Thank you Heidi, glad somebody thinks different about ice. I agree, ice can be a shock to the system.

[Susan Kraber]

I feel so politically correct (as in green grass during a drought is politically INcorrect)! I just didn't want to spring for a fancy refridgerator so don't have all the controversial stuff.
What I like about this discussion is that it reinforces that every little effort we make counts. In a world where evidence to the contrary sometimes feels overwhelming, I feel encouraged that what I do really matters.