Using efficient equipment

Equipment that uses less energy, more efficiently

Efficient equipment uses less energy than standard equipment to do the same thing—heating, cooling, washing or lighting—while providing comparable performance. Your choice quickly translates into long-term savings.

When evaluating the cost of equipment, don’t just look at the purchase price. Also consider the energy cost associated with lifetime use: some products can consume up to 70%⁵ more energy than other comparable models. That means equipment that costs more upfront can be much less expensive in the long term!

Examples of efficient equipment:

• Heat pumps are heating and cooling systems that move heat rather than producing it. They capture and transfer heat to warm or cool a building—that’s why they use much less energy than conventional heating equipment, which generates heat.
• Condensing boilers work like conventional boilers but use more advanced engineering to recover heat from combustion gases, usually lost in fumes, and use it to preheat the system’s water. As a result, they consume 10 to 15% less energy than conventional boilers².
• ENERGY STAR® certified units include a wide range of heating and cooling equipment, appliances, electronics, lighting and water heaters that meets stringent energy efficiency standards established by a recognized international program. They’re designed to consume 10 to 50% less energy than conventional models³.
• Infrared heaters heat people and objects, not the air, for potential energy savings of 25 to 35% compared to a conventional heating system⁴. They’re particularly effective for large spaces with high ceilings because they produce instant heat and reduce air stratification.
• Variable-speed hoods are an intelligent ventilation system that automatically adjusts the flow of exhaust air and fresh air according to the needs of the kitchen or laboratory. They are equipped with a control system that modulates air exhaust and fresh air intake as required, resulting in energy savings of up to 25% or more⁵ compared to conventional hoods.
• Air compressors or variable-speed drive systems are used for industrial purposes to compress air at a frequency that varies according to air flow demand (rather than a fixed frequency), making them more energy efficient.