The Australian designed and manufactured Electrolux 2008 refrigeration collection has won the 2009 award for excellence in sustainable design in Standards Australia ’s Australian International Design Awards.
To acknowledge the important link between design and the environment, the Australian International Design Awards, in partnership with Sustainability Victoria, the Design Institute of Australia and WSP Environmental, present this award to the finalist product that demonstrates the environmentally-responsible design.
According to John Gertsakis, Senior Sustainability Consultant, WSP Environmental, the Electrolux refrigeration collection was a standout example of a product addressing a range of environmental issues through design. The collection demonstrates a sophisticated approach to design for sustainability. It shows how users can combine good design with environmental performance and how design can address functionality, aesthetic quality and affordability in a product that potentially has an environmental impact.
All 14 models in the 2008 Electrolux refrigeration collection are designed to be highly energy efficient with an energy rating of five stars or better and 49% less energy use than 10-year-old models of equivalent capacity. All models use Iso butane, a non-synthetic refrigerant with a shorter life in the atmosphere and feature low wattage defrost systems, vacuum panelling and high efficiency compressors.
The refrigerator range is designed in-house by Electrolux in Australia and manufactured in their factory in Orange. Mandatory minimum energy performance standards define performance and labelling requirements to measure and validate the energy efficiency of refrigerators and other power-hungry household items, allowing consumers to choose products based on energy use and environmental impact. Winners of the 2009 Australian International Design Awards were announced at a gala event in Melbourne on 29 May, 2009.