Tag Archives: Savenia Labs

Savenia Labs Wins Maryland Incubator Company of the Year

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We’re delighted to announce that Savenia Labs was awarded Maryland Incubator Company of the Year in the Best Environment / Energy Company category, a prize that acknowledges Maryland’s best performers from the state’s extensive network of business incubators. Press release is here.

PrintFounded in the Bethesda Green incubator, Savenia Labs’ has revolutionized shopping with innovative energy ratings outlining appliance lifetime energy costs and environmental impact.

“We accept this award with great appreciation for the support we have received from the local community, including Bethesda Green, University of Maryland, Strosniders Hardware, A Few Cool Hardware Stores, Twins Ace Hardware, Cohn-Reznick and many other partners, advisors and advocates” said John Jabara, founder of Savenia Labs. “We have many more developments in store to fulfill our mission of transforming the way people think about choosing products”.

Thank you everyone for your continued support!

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Savenia Labs Launches Enterprise Subscription Service

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Today we are delighted to announce the launch of Savenia Enterprise, a new subscription service to the Savenia proprietary energy ratings database for enterprise customers. The full press release is here. We are delighted to be working with The Universities at Shady Grove to bring the benefits of the Savenia system to this highly regarded higher education enterprise.
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Enterprise customers are an important 2nd channel in Savenia’s mission to change the way individuals and organizations think about choosing products to make better purchasing decisions.  While Retail represents large sellers, Enterprise customers represent large buyers, large energy users and large populations of on-site consumers. Enterprises purchase and maintain thousands of products each year across various locations.
Savenia Energy Ratings provide an easy way for enterprises to decide which products to buy to maximize savings and minimize environmental impacts. Savenia Energy Rating Labels and associated materials can be used to communicate the importance of company sustainability efforts across the organization and to external stakeholders.
We look forward to working with The Universities at Shady Grove to further their industry leading sustainability initiatives and help them realize reductions in energy costs and associated environmental impact, while driving sustainability education on and off campus to students, staff and stakeholders.
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Savenia Labs Launches First ‘HYDRO’ Washing Machine & Dishwasher Energy Rating Labels

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We are delighted to announce today the launch of Savenia Labs ‘HYDRO’ Energy Rating Labels on large appliances.  Full release is here. These labels are the first of their kind to report both lifetime water use and energy cost, customized by zip code region anywhere in the US.

Screen Shot 2013-06-06 at 5.48.59 AMWater is increasingly viewed as one of our nations most valuable natural resources. Whether due to the realities of water scarcity in the west, or concerns about water quality in the east, people are looking for more information to make better decisions. Savenia Labs can help.

Most people might be surprised to know that for washing machines, we found water costs can run 3-4x higher than energy costs, so buying water efficient units saves both money and the environment.

The thirstiest washing machine we rated used 140,000 gallons of water, the equivalent of 14 swimming pools of water over its 11 year lifetime at a water cost of $1,650 (Potomac, MD), while the most water efficient unit of the same size used only 1/3 that amount. But up to now it has been difficult to compare water use across products in the same category at the time of purchase. Savenia Labs HYDRO Energy Rating Labels solve this problem by providing both water use AND energy use by product at a glance, so buyers can make better decisions.

The ratings are currently available to enterprise customers, and will be made available to appliance retailers and consumers in fall 2013.  In the meantime, consumers can sign-up for information on the Savenia Hydro program here.

 

Electricity Prices Up Again in 2012

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Residential Energy Costs 2013 with Savenia Logo

According to the EIA, residential electricity prices rose again across the US.  Residents of 75% of states (including DC) saw price increases in 2012, with Utah increasing the fastest at 11% vs. 2011. Other big increases in the 7-8% range were WY, ID, NE, HI, SD, MI and VT.

The most expensive electricity in the US was in Hawaii, where residents paid 37 cents per kilowatt hour, over 3x more than the national average of 12 cents. Next was Alaska and NY who paid 18 cents, followed by the North Eastern states of CT, VT, NH, NJ and CA who all paid 16-17 cents, some 50% more than the national average.

The cheapest electricity rates were found in Louisiana, Idaho and Washington state where residents paid between 8-9 cents.

Electricity makes up a large chunk of household budgets and as most consumers absorb these increases, it’s good to know you can take action to lower your bills by looking at Savenia Labs ratings for energy efficient appliances, light bulbs and other electrical items.  And since electricity to power these products creates air pollution, saving energy is both good for your wallet and good for the environment.

Savenia Labs Energy Ratings use ZIP code based regional energy prices and carbon footprint data to give shoppers the most relevant information to aid their buying decisions.  A coffeemaker that costs $200 to run over 5 years in Maryland will cost over $600 to run in Hawaii, and our ratings and labels reflect this reality for local buyers.

Go in to a participating retailer and take action to reduce your electricity bill on your next purchase.

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Savenia Labs Turns 4 Years Old!

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Savenia Labs was started 4 years ago to provide energy and environmental impact information to shoppers so they could make better and more informed decisions.

Screen Shot 2013-03-18 at 11.57.00 AMIn the last year the company has grown the number of rated product categories from 3 to 10, and now has 650+ products in the ratings database.  We have also grown the number of retail store partners using our Energy Rating Labels six-fold to 13 stores across 3 states.  These forward thinking stores reach 1 million people, are within driving distance of 9 million DC metro region shoppers, and are leading a nation of 310 million people to energy and environmental savings.

We also launched our retail portal that allows stores across the country to download zip code customized energy rating labels, training materials, and more.

Savenia Labs and our partner stores have been featured on every major network. Reporters, including an Emmy award winner, from ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX told our story to millions. We’ve appeared in the Washington Post and in countless local and regional publications. Communities have tuned in to hear about us on leading regional radio news networks. Our media success has helped change the way buyers shop everywhere we go.

There is still lots of work to do: more categories, more geographies and more customers to serve…so stay tuned!

Thanks to all of our partners, stakeholders and followers for your continued support!

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Savenia Labs Launches World’s First Light Bulb Energy & Environmental Impact Rating Labels

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Today we are delighted to announce the world’s first light bulb energy and environmental impact rating labels. Full press release here.

Savvy LightbulbBy bringing the power of Savenia Labs Energy Rating Labels to light bulbs, shoppers can easily see how much it costs to light their homes across different bulb technologies, before they buy, at participating retailers.

Buying light bulbs has become a complicated task with the recent introduction of new technologies.  One thing that should be easy is calculating the big energy and cost savings from switching to energy efficient bulbs. We’re here to help. Until now, comparing the total costs for 3 bulbs required 11 mathematical calculations in the aisle.   As the average home has 50 mostly energy-hungry incandescent light bulbs, shoppers stand to save thousands by switching to more efficient bulbs that use less energy and last longer.

We found that some light bulbs cost well over $100 to power and require 16 bulb changes over a standardized 15-year lighting period, while others can cost as little as $20 to run over the same period with a single bulb

Savenia Labs’ newest Energy Rating Labels make it easy to see which bulbs will cost more in electricity over time and how many bulbs you’ll need to replace over the same period. Energy costs and carbon footprints are customized by local zip code.

The labels simplify and highlight the potential cost savings between bulbs at a glance, so shoppers can consider other features important to them.

You can see the selection of Savenia Labs Energy Rated light bulbs on the shelf at participating stores throughout the Washington and Baltimore regions.  You can also review our analysis of the features, brands, and results on your smartphone.  Let us know what you think!

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Savenia Labs Launches World’s First Electric Kettle Energy Ratings

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Today we are delighted to announce the world’s first energy ratings on electric tea kettles.  Full press release here.  Tea is often thought to be the second most popular drink in the world (the first being water) – millions of people use these units every day.  Now shoppers can find out how much they cost to operate before they buy at Savenia Labs participating retailers.

photoWho knew your tea came with so much baggage?  Our testing has shown that for many models, you purchase each electric kettle twice – once at the store and once again in energy costs over its 4 year lifetime.  And since unit prices and energy costs can vary significantly from unit to unit, consumers can lock in long-term savings by using Savenia Labs ratings as they shop.

You can see the selection of electric kettles together with Savenia Labs Energy Ratings on the shelf at participating stores throughout the Washington DC and Baltimore regions.

For more in-depth analysis of the features, brands, and lab test results, use your smartphone to review our research online.   Let us know what you think!

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Savenia Labs Expands to Woodley Park, Washington D.C.

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We are delighted to announce the latest launch of our Energy Ratings in the newly opened Woodley Park Ace Hardware in Washington D.C.  Full release here.

1217121156Woodley Park is a neighborhood of fine early 20th-century row houses just across from the National Zoo, where residents enjoy one of DC’s premiere natural environments in a highly walkable community.

Now local residents can shop for more energy efficient products and save money on energy costs, while reducing pollution due to electricity production.

Woodley Park Ace Hardware is the newest addition to the forward thinking local Ace chain, ‘A Few Cool Hardware Stores‘, with locations in DC and Maryland.

Stop by the store and check out the new display over the holidays; let us know what you think!

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Savenia Labs Launches World’s First Single Serve Coffeemaker Energy Ratings

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We are delighted to announce today that Savenia Labs has launched the world’s first ever independent lab tested energy rating labels for single serve coffeemakers.  See full release here.  These labels are in participating retail stores now, in time for holiday shoppers to make more energy efficient, cost saving and environmentally friendly purchases.  All the while buying better gifts this holiday season.

Single Serve coffeemakers are among the most popular holiday season gifts this year.  Taking the United States by storm, these pod-based brewers and supplies are the fastest growing segment of the coffeemaker market, accounting for billions in sales.

Until now, it was not possible to see how much it costs in energy to run these machines just by looking at the boxes on the shelf or online.  With Savenia Labs Energy Ratings, that’s all changing.  Now shoppers can know which coffeemaker costs $200 to run and which costs just $20…BEFORE they buy.

The waste created from used pods also drives the environmental footprint of these machines.  Many models include reusable pods, while few have recyclable pods.  We are training store staff and making practical advice available to shoppers on how to minimize this waste.

If you’re planning on giving (or receiving) a single serve machine this year, make sure to check out Savenia’s brand new ratings at participating retail stores.  Give the gift someone will want to keep using every day with confidence!

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What’s Inside a Single Serve Coffeemaker Pod?

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Single Serve coffeemakers are among the hottest holiday items this year, and chances are you’ll buy one, get one as a gift or get served a cup from one in the next month.

Savenia Labs is set to release the world’s first independent lab tested energy ratings on this popular category soon.  While energy usage drives much of their environmental footprint, the waste created from used pods also has a big impact.

Lots of single serve coffeemakers have entered the market with many different types of coffee pods.  As each works a little differently, we’ve assembled a guide on the five most popular types to help you with your holiday shopping.

To set the stage – the average person will spend over $3,000 on coffee pods and supplies over the 5 year lifetime of the unit.  Lined up side by side, the used pods alone would stretch across 3 football fields.  So which pod system you buy is pretty important.

K Cups

By far the most popular pod-based coffeemakers out there use the Keurig K Cups.  There are 268 varieties of K Cups available on Keurig’s website.  The pods are not recyclable, but Keurig provides a reusable cup that can be used to save money and waste.  The K Cups are tall, rounded plastic cups with a small paper filter at the bottom.  Your favorite coffee fills the rest of the cup above the filters.  Hot water is fed through a hole pierced in the top of each cup, through the filter, and through another hole pierced in the bottom right into your mug.  Keurig models and partner models based on Keurig K Cup technology like Cuisinart and Mr. Coffee all use K Cups.

CBTL Capsules

Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf has a slightly different design from the ubiquitous K Cup.  We found 25 varieties on The Coffee Bean’s website.  The cups are not recyclable, and we couldn’t find refillable cups for sale.  But the CBTL model we tested used much higher water pressure to handle espresso, and the small plastic capsules contain a plastic sieve to evenly distribute this higher pressure water before it gets to your mug.  The coffee is packed below that sieve and above another filter at the bottom of the packet.

T Discs

Tassimo single serve coffeemakers use T Discs.  There are 62 varieties available directly from Tassimo.  These are not widely recyclable and we couldn’t find refillable discs available.  T Discs appear to be much more intensively designed with thicker, stronger plastic channeling water through tunnels of coffee before filtering into your mug.  These use low pressure to brew a variety of coffees and beverages.  Uniquely, each T Disc includes a barcode at the top that triggers automatic brew settings to customize the brewing process.

Nescafe Dolce Gusto

DeLonghi’s Dolce Gusto coffeemakers use Nescafe Dolce Gusto Capsules.  There are 22 capsule varieties available from Nescafe.  These are not widely recyclable and there are no refillable capsules available.  From the outside, these look quite similar to K Cups but each has a permeable membrane in the middle of the capsule to enable high water pressure brew of every cup.  According to Delonghi, the machine pushes water at a pressure of 15 bars through the membrane.  They claim this approximates the pressure found in coffee house machines.

Bunn/Senseo Coffee Pads

Bunn’s MC My Café and Senseo’s Single Serve Coffeemakers use coffee pads that are quite a bit different than any other on the market.  Instead of a plastic cup as in most other systems, they use coffee filter-like paper pads that enclose the coffee.  These pads are compostable, and you can also buy refillable versions to fill with your own coffee at home without the waste (and cost). Neither the Bunn nor the Senseo push high water pressure through these pads.  Newer Bunn models also use K Cups.

Which system you buy depends on what’s important to you.  If you’re an espresso drinker, you want a high water pressure system and the options for refillable / recyclable pods are limited.  For regular coffee and other ‘non-pressure’ drinks, there are several options for you to buy, recycle or re-fill depending on your needs.

Be sure to check out our other blogs on single serve coffeemakers, including The Competition, The Consumer, The Costs and The Environment.  And look out for the release of Savenia Labs Energy Rating Labels on popular single serve coffeemakers…in stores soon!

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