Energy saving technologies for home appliances

Since the first oil shock in the fall of 1973, there has been a growing demand in the electric industry for the development of energy-saving home electric appliances. The industry is now carrying out the technical development of such energy-saving appliances under the guidance of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry. This report reviews the current status of energy-saving technologies for home electric appliances, providing some real examples from the Tokyo Shibaura Electric Company, Ltd. First, the present status of domestic energy consumption and its future trend in Japan is presented. Then, some current technologies for the production of the energy-saving home electric appliances are outlined. Finally, the trend of research and development activities in the industry are discussed.