J uly 06, 1994 • T he P ortland O bserver
P age AS
A Bright Idea On Darkness
World’s Most Energy-
Efficient Refrigerator
V
' V
SERP Refrigerator
1.3 m illion custom ers in seven W est­
ern states.
Robinson said that one o f the
biggest incentives for the creation o f
a CFC-free refrigerator was the sign­
ing of the 1987 M ontreal Protocol.
Spurred by the growth of an ozone
hole over A ntarctica, the Protocol
binds its 128 international members
to reduce their production and con­
sum ption o f C FC s by 1998, with a
com plete phase-out by 2000.
About the time the Montreal P ro­
tocol was signed, PacifiCorp and other
organizations becam e frustrated with
the slow pace of energy efficiency
im provem ents in appliances. They
formed the SERP consortium to pool
resources and to influence the m ar­
ketplace to create a refrigerator that
would benefit the environm ent and
consumers.
M embers o f the SERP consor­
tiu m in c lu d e P a c if iC o r p , th e
Bonneville Pow er Administration, 23
utilities, the Electric Power Research
Institute, the Environm ental P rotec­
tion A gency, the Natural Resources
Being kept in the dark w ill at
last be a pleasant and fashionable
e x p e rie n c e fo r O re g o n ia n s and
W ashingtonians, w ho get an aver­
age of less than 50 percent o f pos­
sible sun on any given day during
the year. Because som etim es real
darkness is needed -- especially by
babies, their parents, and anyone
trying to catch a w ink during day­
time hours - a new window blind
called Light G arde is being intro­
duced in the Portland and Seattle
areas. The N orthw est has been cho­
sen as the first region in a national
ro ll-o u t plan that w ill continue
through 1995.
L ight G arde has a revolution­
ary new construction that blocks
light better than conventional blinds
by elim inating the slat holes through
w hich the cords are threaded. The
top slat closes on the headrail to aid
in light blockage and the overall
design allows for tighter slat clo­
sure. D esigned to reduce the am ount
o f light allow ed in the room , it is
intended for childrens’ room s or
nurseries, people who work at night
and sleep during the day, or in any
situation where alm ost total room-
darkening is desired. Light G arde is
cil for an Energy Efficient Economy,
the W ashington State Energy O ffice
and the D epartm ent of Energy.
G eorge Smith W arehouse and
P a n Lum ber in Portland are carrying
SERP refrigerators. For more infor­
mation about SERP, callP acifiC orp’s
Energy Services Hotline at 1-800-
222-4335 or W hirlpool at 1 -800-253-
blinds since the late ’60s.
The new product is made by Del
M ar W in d o w C o v e r in g s o f
W estm inster, CA . Research con­
ducted by Del M ar indicated that a
large percentage o f all mini-blinds
are purchased for bedroom windows.
According to Joe Cole, president of
Del M ar, “ W e realized that a stan­
The Light Garde mini blind is a revolutionary new product by Del
Mar Window Coverings that is the industry's first significantly
dard m ini-blind, used in the bedroom
for privacy and light control, w as not
as efficient as it could be. So we took
one o f the best features o f the m ini­
blind and m ade it better.”
Light Garde, which will cost about
15 percent m ore than conventional
blinds, is covered by Del M ar’s Per-
fect P roduct Prom ise G uarantee,
which is a lifetim e guarantee cover­
ing defects in materials and workman­
ship. The new mini-blinds are available
now at all Rodda Decor Centers in the
Northwest and will be available in other
retail stores nationwide as production
capacity is expanded.
1301.
For consum ers replacing refrig­
The m ost energy-efficient envi­
ronm entally friendly refrigerator in erators 10 years and older, they could
the world has arrived in Portland, cut their electric bills by about $90 per
thanks to the support o f PacifiCorp, year by purchasing the super efficient
which contributed to the funding to refrigerator.
“PacifiCorp took a leadership role
develop i t
The “super fridge” is the result of in launching SERP because we want
a national com petition sponsored by our custom ers to save m oney and
PacifiCorp and 30 com panies and en e rg y ,” said S co tt R o b in so n , a
organizations. They offered $30 m il­ PacifiCorp m anager who serves on
lion to the m anufacturer that could SE R P’s board o f directors. “The re­
produce the most energy-efficient re­ frigerator is the third largest energy
frigerator that was free o f chlorofluo­ user in a hom e, so we knew that an
rocarbons. Used in m ost cooling sys­ energy-efficient refrigerator would
tems, CFCs deplete the ozone layer, offer savings to custom ers on their
which protects the earth from radia­ electric bills. And we were interested
tion, and they may contribute to glo­ in spurring the developm ent o f an
environm entally friendly refrigera­
bal warming.
W hirlpool won the Super E ffi­ tor to im prove air quality.”
Since PacifiCorp helped fund the
cient Refrigerator Program (SERP)
by producing a CFC-free refrigerator com petition, W hirlpool has made the
that also is 30 percent more energy new SERP refrigerator available to
efficient than 1993 federal energy dealers in areas served by PacifiCorp.
standards. It uses hydrofluorocarbons Through its Utah Pow er and Pacific
Pow er divisions, PacifiCorp serves
instead o f CFCs.
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