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eco-kettle: keep the kettle boiling Andrew Sweatman Andrew Sweatman is a researcher at the Manchester Metropolitan University's Design for the Environment research group. Andrew is working on the DEEDS (Design for Environment Decision Support) project with Cranfield University, and the companies Electrolux and ICL. DEEDS aims to develop tools for integrating environmental concerns into the design process. John Gertsakis is a project manager at the Centre for Design at RMIT - a national centre for teaching and researching environmental design (based at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology). John's current activities include co-ordinating the development of an Eco Re Design information kit, and researching the links between product design and disposal. The kettle of the future will, no doubt, be a super efficient microwave device powered by solar electricity, or perhaps the product itself will dematerialise and boiling hot water will be available through a tap. These are possibilities for the future, but what of the products produced today? New technologies that offer substantial environmental improvement are not always readily available or cost effective. One way that we can start to move towards more eco-efficient products is to better understand how people actually use products. The following case study of a kettle developed by the Centre for Design at RMIT and an Australian appliance manufacturer, as part of the Eco Re Design program, shows how substantial environmental improvements are possible by having a greater insight in the day to day use of products. Reducing the energy consumption of a kettle In the recent past kettles that are 100 per cent recyclable have been deemed to be 'green'. As the understanding of the environmental impact of products has matured we are now conscious of the life-cycle impacts - from the initial extraction of resources, production, use and then final disposal. As with most appliances that consume electricity it was shown through a life cycle analysis that energy was the real environmental problem, not disposal. The effect of boiling water seven times a day (the calculated average usage) over the five year life of the kettle is manifested through a range of environmental impacts. This encompasses the production of solid wastes on the one hand and greenhouse gases on the other. Table 1 below shows the overwhelming impact of energy usage. Overall, to significantly improve the environmental performance of kettle, the energy consumption would have to be greatly reduced. Other issues such as recyclability were considered, but energy conservation was the greatest priority. However, reducing the energy consumption of a kettle proved to be difficult. Unless the product was significantly reconfigured, such as a kettle that use microwaves, the options for heating water are restricted to elements. As it is difficult to radically improve element technology, other approaches to reducing energy consumption were required. Without a technological fix, behavioural studies were required to better understand how consumers' use determines the kettle's consumption of energy. The study identified a number of ways in which the design of the kettle could be improved to reduce energy consumption. These included the following methods: judging the water level Only 26 per cent of people actually used the water gauge, almost half relied on the weight of the kettle whilst others watched the rising water in the kettle and some noted how long the tap was turned on. Obviously if the gauge was improved boiling excessive amounts of water could be reduced. judging the water temperature It was shown that most people re-boil kettles even when there is no need to. In addition to this it was shown that it was difficult for people to know whether a kettle did require re-boiling only. 10 per cent attempted to judge this by touching the kettle to test its temperature. Design improvements The outcomes of the study suggested that three design improvements could be made to reduce the energy consumption of the kettle.
Once these features were included in the kettle it was necessary to test the improved environmental performance. The improved water gauge and temperature gauge are difficult to test unless more behavioural surveys are undertaken. We assume people do use less water and are not tempted to re-boil so often. In terms of the energy improvement from the insulation, table 3 gives an indication of the energy savings possible. Energy consumption during re-boiling It can be seen that significant environmental improvements can be made by better understanding how people use such products. When designing for the environment, break-through technologies may not always be appropriate or available (for example, compact fluorescent globes to replace incandescent globes). Therefore by observing inefficiencies of use, subtle changes in product can be made that can achieve significant environmental gains. Energy star-rated computers respond to the fact that most people leave their computers on even when they are not in use. Similarly, the new design of kettle is an attempt to maximise energy efficiency and assist people in their everyday use of a common appliance.
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