Dishwashers Combine Energy Efficiency, Water Conservation, and Premium CleaningClean and Green

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Good
Energy usage: 330 to 357 annual kWh or an energy factor between 0.65 and 0.70 and a corresponding percentage improvement on the minimum federal energy standard between 41% and 46%
Sound transmission: 53 dBA or less
Water usage: 4 gallons or less per cycle

Better
Energy usage: 280 to 325 annual kWh or an energy factor between 0.71 and 0.89 and a corresponding percentage improvement on the minimum federal energy standard between 48% and 74%
Sound transmission: 48 dBA or less
Water usage: 3 gallons or less per cycle

Best
Energy usage: 190 to 249 annual kWh or an energy factor between 0.92 and 1.14 and a corresponding improvement on the minimum federal energy standard between 100% and 147%
Sound transmission: 43 dBA or less
Water usage: 2 gallons or less per cycle

Waterless Washing

Clean dishes without getting them wet? It's a possibility. In much the same way clothes can be dry-cleaned, technologies to get dishes dirt-free without turning on the faucet may soon be science fact rather than science fiction. More specifically, the application of ultraviolet and ionic technologies to loosen and remove soil holds promise for eventually going water-free.

During the 2005 Electrolux Design Lab Awards, for example, a team of students from Singapore developed a prototype for the Airwash, a waterless washing machine that uses atmospheric air and negative ions to clean clothes, a technology that could easily apply to waterless dishwashers, according to Bob Martin, Electrolux director of industrial design.

"The technologies that the teams are espousing are very cool and very theoretical," Martin says. "But that is how companies and industries innovate. The designers in my position are thus forced to question why we cannot develop what seems, at first, so far-fetched."

Paolo Falcioni, international technical affairs manager for Indesit, says he's seen several designs and prototypes for waterless washing machines at European appliance shows, but is also quick to characterize those efforts as an exercise in brainstorming.

"Still, I side with James Bond," Falcioni says. "From steam to ultrasonic to microwave and UV, it is technology that we are all looking into from an R&D perspective, so never say never."

Resources
Energy Star: www.energystar.gov
American Council for an Energy- Efficient Economy: www.aceee.org
Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers: www.aham.org
National Kitchen & Bath Association: www.nkba.com

Chris Wood is a senior editor for Multifamily Executive and Developer, sister publications of EcoHome.

KitchenAid

KitchenAid. The U Series dishwasher, part of the Architect Series II, features a steam option for more powerful cleaning that uses less water, the maker says. The unit features a four-blade food disposer that eliminates the need for pre-rinsing and turbidity sensors that adjust water amounts. A sound-dampening and insulation system reduces sound emissions to 48 dBA. The dishwasher is Energy Star certified with annual energy consumption of 334 kWh*. 800.334.6889. www.kitchenaid.com