ET24SWE0023 - Field Demonstration of Electric Clothes Dryer Controller
The proposed project is a field demonstration of an electric clothes dryer controller that can be added onto an existing electric dryer. Previous studies have shown that clothes dryers operate longer than needed even in automatic termination mode, wasting energy and drying time. The proposed technology consists of a duct adapter, a temperature and humidity sensor, and a controller and can be installed easily without tampering with existing power or dryer wiring. The sensor in duct detects the temperature and humidity in the dryer exhaust air stream and turns off the dryer when the exhaust air reaches an optimal level of dryness. To our knowledge, this is the only commercially available product that can be added onto existing dryers.
The technology was lab tested using the DOE’s test procedures on four different electric dryer models, which resulted in 15-20% estimated annual energy savings, with savings ranging from 75 to 125 kWh per year. The lab test also found that small energy savings occurred for newer dryer models that employed both thermistors and sensor bars, indicating that the newer dryer models can also benefit from the technology. With this project, the energy saving of the product will be evaluated in fields that is in residential homes. The field testing will supplement the previous lab test with a broader and more comprehensive dataset, allowing us to refine energy savings estimates in real-world applications. Additionally, a survey will be conducted to collect information on user experiences.
Residential electric clothes dryers typically come with timed-dry and/or automatic-dry control options. Previous studies have shown that clothes dryers often run longer than necessary, even in automatic termination mode, leading to extended drying times and energy waste (TeGrotenhuis 2014). This study investigated the energy savings potential of an add-on automatic dryer controller, an emerging technology (ET) that can help eliminate the unnecessary operation of residential clothes dryers. Prior to this study, the technology was lab-tested on four different electric dryer models using the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) test procedures. The lab test resulted in estimated annual energy savings ranging from 15 to 20 percent (Calwell and Houghton 2019). In this study, the project team installed electric dryer controller in ten residential homes to evaluate its ability to reduce drying time and energy consumption in real-world applications. In addition, the team conducted a customer survey to collect information on electric clothes dryer usage patterns as well as user experience and satisfaction with the technology.