Combined for the first time: information on energy consumption and sales figures of electronic appliances
GfK Retail and Technology to present new system for data analysis at EEDAL Conference on Energy Efficiency
Nuremberg, June 8, 2009 – GfK Retail and Technology’s new product, ECO Reporting, enables information on the energy efficiency of product segments, brands and products to be combined with the respective sales figures. So far, reports are available for the areas of consumer electronics, lighting, air conditioning and major domestic appliances. GfK Retail and Technology will present the results for the first time in mid-June, at the EEDAL 09 5th International Conference on Energy Efficiency in Domestic Appliances and Lighting, in Berlin. Energy costs are climbing, and it is impossible to escape discussion of issues related to the environment and saving energy. GfK Retail and Technology’s new energy efficiency tracking system offers retailers and manufacturers of electric appliances fact-based information on these issues for the first time. With the help of the GfK Startrack Explorer tool, information on the energy consumption of individual electronic devices is combined with the sales figures for the respective products over the past few years. So far, this service covers the areas of consumer electronics, lighting, air conditioning and major domestic appliances. Information on further product segments is also planned for the future.
The detailed reports, which will be presented for the first time at the EEDAL 09 Conference on Energy Efficiency in Domestic Appliances and Lighting from June 16-18, 2009, show that electronic appliances have developed significantly in terms of their energy efficiency in recent years – and that these innovations are also being embraced by consumers.
Consumer electronics
The market for consumer electronics is undergoing fundamental technical change. The old CRT televisions have become outdated, and are now being replaced by LCD and plasma sets. This development goes hand in hand with a trend towards larger screens and a higher picture quality. In addition, private households nowadays own an increasing number of consumer electronics, and daily television consumption is remaining at a high level. This means that consumer electronics represent an increasing proportion of total private energy consumption. Technical developments have markedly reduced energy consumption in stand-by mode. However, the hourly electricity consumption of an average (sold) television during use has risen by 36% compared with 2006, owing to larger flat screens.
Lighting
As a result of the current EU regulation banning all inefficient lighting, the global markets are experiencing big changes, and this trend will continue in the next few years. In 2008, energy saving bulbs already had a 48% market share in Germany. The year before, the figure was 43%.
Air conditioning
Rising average temperatures and increasing per-capita income are affecting the worldwide market for air conditioning systems. In the past few years, GfK has noticed a trend towards more efficient appliances. This development is accompanied in the European Union by an increasing number of appliances with energy efficiency grade A. In 2008, such products accounted for almost 40% of sales. However, there is still potential for growth: energy-saving appliances have a more than 50% market share in Australia, and more than 90% in Japan.
Major domestic appliances
More than ten years ago, major domestic appliances were the frontrunners among energy-efficient devices. Since the European Union introduced energy efficiency labelling, many countries across the world have implemented similar concepts. The European classification system was a success from the start. In 2008, sales of appliances with energy efficiency grade A or higher totaled 83% in Western Europe. This is supported by the following findings of the new ECO Reporting tool from GfK Retail and Technology: in Western Europe between 2003 and 2008, the average energy consumption of (sold) appliances decreased, for example, by 9% for dishwashers and 15% for freezers. The EU will be revising the classification system over the next few years, in order to continue giving orientation to consumers, as well as offering incentives for innovation in the industry.
Further information: Jürgen Boyny, tel: +49 911 395-2325, juergen.boyny@gfk.com
The GfK Group
The GfK Group is the No. 4 market research organization worldwide. Its activities cover the three business sectors of Custom Research, Retail and Media. The Group has a total of 150 companies operating in more than 100 countries. Of the 10,267 employees (as at March 31, 2009), more than 80% are based outside Germany. For further information, visit our website: www.gfk.com
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