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Replace Refrigerator? A Retrofit Decision-Making Tool

This refrigerator replacement analysis tool, developed by D&R International, Ltd., for DOE, helps Weatherization providers determine the cost-effectiveness of replacing existing refrigerators in eligible households using the same calculation methods and assumptions programmed into NEAT. It is available for the PC or PDAs using Palm OS.

To estimate the annual energy use of the existing refrigerator, the Access-based tool for the PC contains the entire CEC refrigerator database. To keep the file size manageable, the PDA tool (below) contains a subset of the CEC refrigerator database. The analysis tool adjusts the energy use values in the database to account for performance degradation due to age.

Alternately, you can enter the results of refrigerator metering. If the kitchen is warmer or colder than normal during metering (possibly from blower door testing), the analysis tool will adjust the metered results to compensate for the temperature difference.

The tool stores data entered by the user on the annual energy use and installed cost of new, replacement refrigerators. The user can also edit the electricity price, economic life, and discount rate used to calculate the savings-to-investment ratio of the proposed refrigerator replacement.

The following files were compressed, or zipped, using WinZip 8.0.

Microsoft Access 2000 format (1.2 MB zipped .MDB file)
Microsoft Access 97 format (697 kb zipped .MDB file)

PDA Refrigerator Analysis Tool

To use the refrigerator replacement analysis tool on your PDA, you must download the application file, RRA.prc, and either Refrig9.zip or Over10-5.zip, which contain different subsets of the refrigerator energy use data. Refrig9.zip includes only refrigerators and refrigerator-freezers over 9 cubic feet in total volume. No chest or upright freezers are included in Refrig9.zip. Over10-5.zip contains all models (including freezers) over 10.5 cubic feet in total volume. Refrig9.zip and Over10-5.zip are compressed .pdb (Palm Data Base) files and were compressed, or zipped, using WinZip 8.0.

After downloading the file, unzip the .zip file you selected to extract Refrig9.pdb or Over10-5.pdb. Using your Palm Install Tool, place RRA.prc and either Refrig9.pdb or Over10-5.pdb on your C:\Palm\[username]\Install directory. The next time you HotSync your PDA, the 'Replace?' analysis tool will be downloaded onto your PDA. Touch the 'i' icon with your stylus on the various PDA screens for useful information regarding the analysis tool.

An additional file called NewRefrgDB.pdb is also available that contains fictitious energy and installed cost data for two sample replacement refrigerators. You will edit these samples to describe the new models installed by your Weatherization Program. NewRefrgDB.pdb is not required for the analysis tool to function properly. If you opt not to download and HotSync to your PDA, the list of new replacement refrigerators displayed by the tool will be empty until you add the models used in your Weatherization Program.

RRA.prc - PDA-based tool for Palm Pilot, Handspring Visor, and other PDAs that use Palm OS (45 kb .PRC file)
Refrig9.zip - Energy data for refrigerators and refrigerator-freezers (no freezers) over 9 cubic feet in total volume (263 kb zipped .PDB file)
Over10-5.zip - Energy data for all models (including freezers) over 10.5 cubic feet in total volume (363 kb zipped .PDB file)
NewRefrgDB.pdb - Contains fictitious energy and installed cost data for two sample replacement refrigerators (1 kb .PDB file)