Private households are estimated to consume 16.2 percent of the energy consumption worldwide in 2010. That means a huge part of the electrical energy is consumed at home. Air-conditioning, electric ovens, electronic devices and lighting are the applications consuming the most energy.
Air-conditioning
In the US air-conditioning has been standard for a long time and is co-responsible for the high energy consumption per head of the US citizens. Inverter air-conditioning systems with intelligent compressor-motor controls enable energy savings of 30 to 40 percent in contrast to conventional air-conditioners. To take another example: At present, the Chinese air conditioner market is approximately 13 million units per year. Only a few percentage of these units are inverter designs. An increase in percentage could significantly help to save energy. According to market researcher IMS Research, shipment of inverter air-conditioner systems is expected to increase from 37 percent worldwide in 2006 to 62 percent worldwide in 2011.
Heating pumps
Heating pumps showcase the savings effect. A conventional heating pump consumes about 500 kWh/year. A heating pump with electronic control, however, consumes only 90 kWh/year, which is equivalent to an energy saving of about 80 percent. Seen in relation to the purchase price, this means that the higher initial outlay is recouped within 2 to 3 years.