Table of Contents
Recommendations
Product List

Selection Criteria Cold Appliances

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Methodology

Topten.eu presents the most energy efficient refrigerators and freezers on the European market: only A+++ models are listed on topten.eu.

The efficient cold appliances on Topten are categorised as follows:

Scope

  • Refrigerators inbuilt
    • 1-door
    • 2-doors
  • Refrigerators freestanding
    • 1-door
    • 2-doors
  • Upright Freezers
  • Chest freezers

Data Sources

  • Producers’ declarations (according to the EU energy label)
  • National data-bases and Topten-sites
  • Encodex data base

Order of presentation

The products are ranked according to their energy efficiency index (EU energy label). The order of presentation can be changed by clicking on the headings of the tables.
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Glossary

Electricity costs

Assumptions:
  • Costs for electricity during 15 years (product's life time)
  • According to the declared annual energy consumption
  • Tariff of electricity: 0.15 €/kWh (there however can be large differences depending on country or electrical utility).

Net volume

Net volume according to the EU energy label. Several volumes may be distinguished:
  • Zero degree zone ('chill compartment')
  • Cooling compartment
  • Freezing compartment (*** or ****, -18° Celsius)
  • Total net volume

Height, width and depht (cm)

The dimensions of the model are indicated in cm.

Ambient temperature (°C)

The ambient temperature indicates the recommended room temperature range for cold appliances according to the climate classes. Sub-tropical and tropical appliances get a bonus in the energy efficiency index.

Climate class Temperature range
SN 10 - 32 °C
N 16 - 32 °C
ST (sub-tropical) 18 - 38 °C
T (tropical) 18 - 43 °C

Energy class and energy efficiency index

Since December 2011 the energy label from 2010 with classes up to A+++ is mandatory. The classification is based on the energy efficiency index (EEI).
Class EEI
 Energy Label
A+++ <22%
A++ 22%-33%
A+ 33%-44%
A 44%-55

no longer

allowed

on the market

(absorption type)
B 55%-75%
C 75%-95%
D 95%-110%
E 110%-125%
F 125%-150%
G >150%

Energy (kWh/year)

Annual energy consumption, according to the labelling regulation No. 1060/2010.

Available in countries

This item displays the availability of models in European countries according to producers’ declarations, national Topten sites and other data bases such as Encodex. "EU" means all countries of the European Union. However, the availability is sometimes difficult to define precisely, as it can depend on marketing and sales decisions by retailers and national manufacturing units. "On demand" means that producers could not indicate the availability and that consumers have to ask in their countries on their own. The country codes are according to ISO.
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Infoplus

Standards and Labels

Links

  • Energy efficiency measures by the European Commission
  • Coolproducts informs about the EU ecodesign process. It is a coalition of NGOs' campaign for a stronger, fast Ecodesign Directive to save the climate and money.
  • Encodex, Nürnberg, Germany ; Encodex is a subsidiary of the GfK Group and is present in over 50 countries worldwide. Encodex is specialised in product market studies.

Producers and retailers are kindly asked to contact info(at)topten.eu to inform about more products meeting the Topten selection criteria.

March 2012, Bush, Michel