The relative benefits of electrification, energy efficiency, and line drying clothes in the United States

IF 11.2 1区环境科学与生态学 Q1 ENGINEERING, ENVIRONMENTAL

Resources Conservation and Recycling Pub Date : 2025-03-10 DOI:10.1016/j.resconrec.2025.108212

Zhu Zhu, Shelie A Miller

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Clothes dryers emit 27 million tonnes CO₂e annually in the US. Decarbonization efforts prioritize energy efficiency and electrification, overlooking effective behavioral changes like line and off-peak drying. This study uses government data, market observation, and literature to quantify the lifecycle GHG emissions and costs of technological and behavioral changes. Comparisons are based on a non-ENERGY STAR gas dryer emitting 2443 kg CO₂e over 16-year lifetime. Upgrading to efficient ENERGY STAR gas dryers reduces lifecycle emissions by 16 %. Using electric dryers reduces lifecycle emissions by 91 % or increases them by 223 %, depending on regional grid carbon intensity and dryer efficiency. As grids decarbonize, electrification benefits most regions by 2044. Full line drying eliminates lifecycle emissions, partial line drying cuts 56 %, and off-peak drying reduces 8 %. Efficiency upgrades and electrification increase lifecycle costs by $254–$721; partial line drying saves $262. Behavioral changes thus deliver greater GHG and cost savings than technological solutions.

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来源期刊

Resources Conservation and Recycling 环境科学-工程：环境

CiteScore

22.90

自引率

6.10%

发文量

625

审稿时长

23 days

期刊介绍： The journal Resources, Conservation & Recycling welcomes contributions from research, which consider sustainable management and conservation of resources. The journal prioritizes understanding the transformation processes crucial for transitioning toward more sustainable production and consumption systems. It highlights technological, economic, institutional, and policy aspects related to specific resource management practices such as conservation, recycling, and resource substitution, as well as broader strategies like improving resource productivity and restructuring production and consumption patterns. Contributions may address regional, national, or international scales and can range from individual resources or technologies to entire sectors or systems. Authors are encouraged to explore scientific and methodological issues alongside practical, environmental, and economic implications. However, manuscripts focusing solely on laboratory experiments without discussing their broader implications will not be considered for publication in the journal.