GE to make fridges with a better, greener insulator

GE already holds the top spot in Consumer Reports ratings of top-freezer refrigerators. But it is superior temperature performance and convenience that vaults the GE Profile model ahead of the competition. The refrigerator's energy efficiency score, while very good, is less than that of the Maytag, Kenmore, and LG models that come next in the Ratings. Perhaps sensing an opportunity to make a standout refrigerator even better, GE announced today that it will adopt a new foam-blowing agent, called cyclopentane, that will improve the efficiency of its top-freezers. GE says the agent will also greatly reduce the greenhouse gases that are emitted during the manufacturing process.

"GE Appliances & Lighting is looking at every aspect of environmental stewardship for our appliances—from manufacturing processes to more responsible product end-of-life management,” said Paul Surowiec, general manager, refrigeration, in today's news release. “We also offer hundreds of Energy Star-qualified models to ensure our appliances deliver efficiency and cost savings to consumers throughout the appliance’s life.”

Cyclopentane won't be a component of the actual refrigerators, but rather an agent used to propel insulation into the doors and cases. GE clearly devotes a lot of research and development money to insulation. Last year, we reported on the manufacturer's adoption of vacuum-insulated panels (VIPs), which offer far greater thermal resistance (R-value) than conventional insulation. The VIP-enhanced GE side-by-side refrigerator that we tested had markedly higher energy efficiency than a previous model without the technology.

Will cyclopentane deliver similar results? We'll find out during our next round of testing. In the meantime, check out our recently-updated refrigerator Ratings, which now contain more than 150 models.