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The Personal Mini Fridge - Killer of the Planet
MINI-FRIG the Planet Killer

HISTORY

The refrigerator was invented in 1918. By the 1940s they became commonplace in middle-class and elite homes. Color options became available in the 50s and 60s, french door style in the 90s. Most recently, EPA’s Energy Star program was launched in 1996 to promote energy-efficient products.

WHY THE MINI FRIDGE IS A KILLER OF THE PLANET

Refrigerators are on 24/7 and draw an incredible amount of energy. For most Hawai‘i homes, it is the single appliance that drives the energy bill.

At work, many of us like the convenience of having a personal mini fridge for our home lunch. This means while the fridge is in use for 5 hours a day at most, it runs for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and remains on during 117 holidays and weekend days when nobody is in the office. Translating to 90% in energy waste, and killing the planet and our future. To make matters worse, office fridges are typically old ones from home or a new cheap model. Energy Star is rarely considered.

[This webpage was created in consultation with the UHM Office of Sustainability]

Turning things off when not in use is the easiest, and least costly, way to help fight against climate change.

Not-so-Fun-Facts

How much does UHM pay to run Mini Fridges?

  • $100/yr for each mini fridge
  • $500,000/yr for 5,000 mini fridges (equivalent to charging 720,000 cell phones or 40,000 EVs)

Hawai‘i Energy Source

  • 80% of O‘ahu’s electricity comes from burning fossil fuel, spewing Greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and profusely contributing to climate change.
  • Photovoltic (PV) alone is not a viable solution. There is simply not enough available space on island for the amount of PV panels needed to generate enough electricity to meet current demand. We need to reduce this demand.

College Office Hawaiʻi Hall, Room 314  [map]
2500 Campus Road, Honolulu, Hawaiʻi 96822
Office Hours M-Th  7:15 AM – 4 PM
(808) 956-6460 / CALLinfo@hawaii.edu / CALL WEEKLY (past issues + subscribe link)

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