Search

NAECA was enacted in 1987 and amended in 1988. Minimum efficiency standards have been established for air conditioners, heat pumps, dishwashers, clothes washers and dryers, furnaces, refrigerators and freezers, water heaters, and gas direct heaters. The DOE has not established minimum efficiency standards for televisions, microwave ovens, ranges and ovens. Appliance manufacturers have reduced energy consumption using improved insulation, more efficient motors, electronic controls, efficient compressors, and non-continuous burning pilots.Energy efficient appliances can prevent pollution by reducing the demand for electricity. From 1990 to 2015, the cumulative energy impact of the National Appliance Energy Conservation Amendments of 1988 is estimated to be an 0.8 percent savings of all fuels. However, energy efficient residential appliances are only one factor in the total energy consumption equation.

Objective The objectives of this study are to examine client attiudes toward the use of computer modeling and animation as a presentation device and to compare their reactions to computer models with their reactions to line drawings and showroom display presentations.Research Design The sample was composed of 32 participants who had recently remodeled or built a home. The participants indivdually were shwon 3 visual presentations fo kitchen: line drawings, showroom display, and computer modeling and animation. After each presentation, participants filled out questionnaires that asked them to rate and compare the presentations on how well each helped them to visualize the kitchen.Analysis Frequencies and percentages were used to described participants’ reactions to the design presentations. A randomized block Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), Duncan's New Multiple Range Test, and chisquare tests were used to determine if there were any significant differences in their attiudes toward the 3 persentations.Key Findings Participants rated the showroom display as the most effective to communicate and spatial concepts. The computer modeling was rated effective to show alternative finishes and was the preferred presentation. Line drawing were liked for their technical detail and portability.Conclusion This study indicated that computer modeling and animation presentations have high degree of acceptability among clients. Yet, the findings also suggest that these presentations are best used along with other types of design presentations including line drawings, samples, and showroom displays to communicate design concepts.