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Evaluating Consumer Preferences for Clothes Dryers

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Book cover Policies and Programs for Sustainable Energy Innovations

Part of the book series: Innovation, Technology, and Knowledge Management ((ITKM))

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Abstract

Focus on encouraging the adoption of residential energy efficient appliances over recent years has resulted in major energy savings. Even though clothes dryers account for approximately 4 % of residential energy use in the USA, there is still no energy efficient clothes dryer in the market. There has been a lot of focus recently on the development of energy efficient clothes dryers; however, there is limited research on consumer preferences when purchasing a clothes dryer. These preferences should be taken into account when developing the new clothes dryer technology that may aid in encouraging adoption. This study utilizes the Hierarchical Decision Model (HDM) to capture consumer preferences and to capture the perception of manufacturers on what they think the consumer preferences are. Energy efficiency experts are used to quantify the sub-criteria for each technology and the resulting technology preferences are determined. The two highest consumer preferences were the purchase and installation cost and the operating lifetime. The results for the consumers and the manufacturers mainly align, except for the importance of potential savings, drying cycle time, and operating lifetime. It is determined that the most preferred technology is moisture and temperature sensors for clothes dryers; however, the overall scores for each technology were relatively close to one another.

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References

  1. U.S. Energy Information Organization, (Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS), 2009), http://www.eia.gov/consumption/residential/. Accessed: 06 Oct 2013

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Portland State University, SW 4th Avenue 50-02 1900, Portland, OR, 97207, USA

    Kevin C. van Blommestein

  2. Department of Engineering and Technology Management, Portland State University, 1900 SW 4th Avenue 50-02, Portland, OR, 97201, USA

    Tugrul U. Daim

Authors
  1. Kevin C. van Blommestein
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  2. Tugrul U. Daim
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kevin C. van Blommestein .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Engineering and Technology Management, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon, USA

    Tugrul U. Daim

  2. Portland State University, Portland, Oregon, USA

    Jisun Kim

  3. Portland State University, Portland, Oregon, USA

    Ibrahim Iskin

  4. Portland State University, Beaverton, Oregon, USA

    Rimal Abu Taha

  5. Portland State University, Portland, Oregon, USA

    Kevin C. van Blommestein

Appendices

Appendix 1: Clothes Dryer Consumer Preference Study Research Instrument

12.1.1 Clothes Dryer Purchasing Decision Survey

The purpose of this survey is to evaluate different criteria and sub-criteria (factors) that you as the manufacturer believe is important to a consumer when they decide to purchase a new clothes dryer for their home.

12.1.2 12.9.1 Introduction

The following are the steps to follow in order to complete this survey:

  • The comparisons in this survey are done by assigning 10 points between two criteria. As an example, the following is a comparison between Cost and Performance of a new clothes dryer:

    8

    Cost

    2

    Performance

  • Since Cost is seen as 4 times more important than Performance, 8 points are assigned to Cost and 2 points to Performance. This can be verified by: Cost = 4 x Performance (8 = 4 × 2).

  • If Cost and Performance are seen as equally important, assign 5 points to both the criteria.

  • If only Cost is seen as important, assign 9 points to Cost and 1 point to Performance. 10 points cannot be assigned to only one criterion.

  1. Q1.

    Which company are you representing in this survey?

    figure a

12.1.3 12.9.2 Section 1: Main Criteria Comparison

The criteria to be compared in this section of the survey are described below:

  1. 1.

    Performance—Relates to the effectiveness of the clothes dryer. This includes the time it takes the clothes dryer to complete one cycle, whether the clothes are completely dry after one cycle, and the level of wear and tear on the clothing.

  2. 2.

    Cost—Relates to the purchase and installation cost of the clothes dryer, the annual maintenance cost, the potential electricity savings compared to your existing clothes dryer, and the incentives offered by utilities and energy efficiency program administrators.

  3. 3.

    Reliability—Relates to the service interval, the length of warranty, and the operating lifetime of the clothes dryer.

  4. 4.

    Convenience—Relates to the ease of installing, operating, maintaining the clothes dryer. It also includes the visual appearance of the clothes dryer (i.e., does it match the clothes washer).

  1. Q2.

    Assign 10 points among Performance and Cost:

     

    Performance

     

    Cost

  2. Q3.

    Assign 10 points among Performance and Reliability:

     

    Performance

     

    Reliability

  3. Q4.

    Assign 10 points among Performance and Convenience:

     

    Performance

     

    Convenience

  4. Q5.

    Assign 10 points among Cost and Reliability:

     

    Cost

     

    Reliability

  5. Q6.

    Assign 10 points among Cost and Convenience:

     

    Cost

     

    Convenience

  6. Q7.

    Assign 10 points among Reliability and Convenience:

     

    Reliability

     

    Convenience

12.1.4 12.9.3 Section 2: Performance Sub-criteria Comparison

The objective of this section is to compare the sub-criteria (factors) for Performance. The comparisons should be completed in the same manner as was previously done. The sub-criteria are as follows:

  1. 1.

    Clothing Wear and Tear—The level of wear and tear on the clothing per cycle.

  2. 2.

    Drying Cycle Time—The time it takes the clothes dryer to complete one cycle.

  3. 3.

    Drying Effectiveness—Whether the clothes are completely dry after one cycle.

  1. Q8.

    Assign 10 points among “Clothing Wear and Tear” and Drying Cycle Time:

     

    Clothing Wear and Tear

     

    Drying Cycle Time

  2. Q9.

    Assign 10 points among “Clothing Wear and Tear” and Drying Effectiveness:

     

    Clothing Wear and Tear

     

    Drying Effectiveness

  3. Q10.

    Assign 10 points among Drying Cycle Time and Drying Effectiveness:

     

    Drying Cycle Time

     

    Drying Effectiveness

12.1.5 12.9.4 Section 3: Cost Sub-criteria Comparison

The objective of this section is to compare the sub-criteria (factors) for Cost. The comparisons should be completed in the same manner as was previously done. The sub-criteria are as follows:

  1. 1.

    Purchase and Installation Cost—The fixed purchase and installation cost for a new clothes dryer.

  2. 2.

    Annual Maintenance Cost—The annual cost associated with maintaining the clothes dryer.

  3. 3.

    Potential Savings—The monetary savings obtained per annum after installing the clothes dryer.

  4. 4.

    Available Incentives—The incentives/rebates offered when purchasing the clothes dryer.

  1. Q11.

    Assign 10 points among “Purchase and Installation Cost” and Annual Maintenance Cost:

     

    Purchase and Installation Cost

     

    Annual Maintenance Cost

  2. Q12.

    Assign 10 points among “Purchase and Installation Cost” and Potential Savings:

     

    Purchase and Installation Cost

     

    Potential Savings

  3. Q13.

    Assign 10 points among “Purchase and Installation Cost” and Available Incentives:

     

    Purchase and Installation Cost

     

    Available Incentives

  4. Q14.

    Assign 10 points among Annual Maintenance Cost and Potential Savings:

     

    Annual Maintenance Cost

     

    Potential Savings

  5. Q15.

    Assign 10 points among Annual Maintenance Cost and Available Incentives:

     

    Annual Maintenance Cost

     

    Available Incentives

  6. Q16.

    Assign 10 points among Potential Savings and Available Incentives:

     

    Potential Savings

     

    Available Incentives

12.1.6 12.9.5 Section 4: Reliability Sub-criteria Comparison

The objective of this section is to compare the sub-criteria for Reliability. The comparisons should be completed in the same manner as was previously done. The sub-criteria are as follows:

  1. 1.

    Operating Lifetime—The life expectancy of the clothes dryer.

  2. 2.

    Warranty Length—The duration of the warranty for the clothes dryer (in years).

  3. 3.

    Maintenance Interval—The expected duration between routine maintenance activities on the clothes dryer.

  1. Q17.

    Assign 10 points among Operating Lifetime and Warranty Length:

     

    Operating Lifetime

     

    Warranty Length

  2. Q18.

    Assign 10 points among Operating Lifetime and Maintenance Interval:

     

    Operating Lifetime

     

    Maintenance Interval

  3. Q19.

    Assign 10 points among Warranty Length and Maintenance Interval:

     

    Warranty Length

     

    Maintenance Interval

12.1.7 12.9.6 Section 5: Convenience Sub-criteria Comparison

The objective of this section is to compare the sub-criteria (factors) for Convenience. The comparisons should be completed in the same manner as was done previously. The sub-criteria are as follows:

  1. 1.

    Ease of Installation—How easy is it for the installation contractor or user to install and set up the clothes dryer.

  2. 2.

    Ease of Maintenance—How easy is it for a contractor or user to maintain the clothes dryer at the maintenance intervals.

  3. 3.

    Ease of Use—How easy is it to operate the clothes dryer effectively.

  4. 4.

    Visual Appearance—Must the clothes dryer matches the clothes washer.

  1. Q20.

    Assign 10 points among Ease of Installation and Ease of Maintenance:

     

    Ease of Installation

     

    Ease of Maintenance

  2. Q21.

    Assign 10 points among Ease of Installation and Ease of Use:

     

    Ease of Installation

     

    Ease of Use

  3. Q22.

    Assign 10 points among Ease of Installation and Visual Appearance:

     

    Ease of Installation

     

    Visual Appearance

  4. Q23.

    Assign 10 points among Ease of Maintenance and Ease of Use:

     

    Ease of Maintenance

     

    Ease of Use

  5. Q24.

    Assign 10 points among Ease of Maintenance and Visual Appearance:

     

    Ease of Maintenance

     

    Visual Appearance

  6. Q25.

    Assign 10 points among Ease of Use and Visual Appearance:

     

    Ease of Use

     

    Visual Appearance

12.1.8 12.9.7 General Questions

  1. Q26.

    Are there any additional comments you would like to add?

    figure b

Appendix 2: Clothes Dryer Consumer Preference Study Technology Survey

12.2.1 Clothes Dryer Technology Survey

The purpose of this survey is to quantify criteria for clothes dryer technologies. The result of this survey will be integrated into a consumer purchasing decision model to determine consumer preferences.

There are six clothes dryer categories that will be compared throughout this survey. The intention is to compare the best known dryer technology under each of the following categories:

  1. 1.

    Heat Pump Clothes Dryer

  2. 2.

    Condenser Clothes Dryer

  3. 3.

    Microwave/Radio Frequency (RF) Clothes Dryer

  4. 4.

    Clothes Dryer with Moisture and Temperature Sensor

  5. 5.

    Indirect Heating Clothes Dryer—obtains heat indirectly from a home hydronic heater system

  6. 6.

    Dryer Balls—wool, plastic, or rubber balls used to soften and separate clothing while drying, thereby reducing drying time

12.2.2 Section 1: Performance Sub-criteria

For this section, the following sub-criteria for Performance will be assessed:

  1. 1.

    Clothing Wear and Tear—The level of wear and tear on the clothing per cycle.

  2. 2.

    Drying Cycle Time—The time it takes the clothes dryer to complete one cycle.

  3. 3.

    Drying Effectiveness—Whether the clothes are completely dry after one cycle.

  1. Q1.

    Clothing Wear and Tear—The level of wear and tear on the clothing per cycle.

     

    Low

    Medium

    High

    Don’t know

    Heat Pump Clothes Dryer

    Condenser Clothes Dryer

    Microwave/RF Clothes Dryer

    Clothes Dryer with Moisture and Temperature Sensor

    Indirect Heating Clothes Dryer

    Dryer Balls

  2. Q2.

    Drying Cycle Time—The time it takes the clothes dryer to complete one cycle:

     

    Less than 30 min

    Between 30 min and 1 h

    Between 1 and 2 h

    Between 2 and 3 h

    More than 3 h

    Don’t know

    Heat Pump Clothes Dryer

    Condenser Clothes Dryer

    Microwave/RF Clothes Dryer

    Clothes Dryer with Moisture and Temperature Sensor

    Indirect Heating Clothes Dryer

    Dryer Balls

  3. Q3.

    Drying Effectiveness—Whether the clothes are completely dry after one cycle:

     

    Completely wet

    Mostly wet

    Slightly wet

    Completely dry

    Don’t know

    Heat Pump Clothes Dryer

    Condenser Clothes Dryer

    Microwave/RF Clothes Dryer

    Clothes Dryer with Moisture and Temperature Sensor

    Indirect Heating Clothes Dryer

    Dryer Balls

12.2.3 Section 2: Cost Sub-criteria

For this section, the following sub-criteria for Cost will be assessed:

  1. 1.

    Purchase and Installation Cost—The fixed purchase and installation cost for the dryer technology.

  2. 2.

    Annual Maintenance Cost—The annual cost associated with maintaining the dryer technology (percentage of purchase cost).

  3. 3.

    Potential Savings—The monetary savings obtained per annum after installing the dryer technology (percentage of purchase cost).

  4. 4.

    Available Incentives—The incentives/rebates offered when purchasing the dryer technology.

  1. Q4.

    Purchase and Installation Cost—The fixed purchase and installation cost for the dryer technology:

     

    Less than $500

    Between $500 and $1,000

    Between $1,000 and $1,500

    Between 1,500 and $2,000

    Greater than $2,000

    Don’t know

    Heat Pump Clothes Dryer

    Condenser Clothes Dryer

    Microwave/RF Clothes Dryer

    Clothes Dryer with Moisture and Temperature Sensor

    Indirect Heating Clothes Dryer

    Dryer Balls

  2. Q5.

    Annual Maintenance Cost—The annual cost associated with maintaining the dryer technology (percentage of purchase cost):

     

    Less than 10 %

    Between 10 % and 20 %

    Between 20 % and 30 %

    Between 30 % and 40 %

    Greater than 40 %

    Don’t know

    Heat Pump Clothes Dryer

    Condenser Clothes Dryer

    Microwave/RF Clothes Dryer

    Clothes Dryer with Moisture and Temperature Sensor

    Indirect Heating Clothes Dryer

    Dryer Balls

  3. Q6.

    Potential Savings—The monetary savings obtained per annum after installing the dryer technology (percentage of purchase cost):

     

    Less than 1 %

    Between 1 % and 5 %

    Between 5 % and 10 %

    Between 10 % and 15 %

    Greater than 15 %

    Don’t know

    Heat Pump Clothes Dryer

    Condenser Clothes Dryer

    Microwave/RF Clothes Dryer

    Clothes Dryer with Moisture and Temperature Sensor

    Indirect Heating Clothes Dryer

    Dryer Balls

  4. Q7.

    Available Incentives—Do you think a cash incentive from a utility or an energy efficiency program administrator would increase the market share for the dryer technology?

     

    Yes

    No

    Don’t know

    Heat Pump Clothes Dryer

    Condenser Clothes Dryer

    Microwave/RF Clothes Dryer

    Clothes Dryer with Moisture and Temperature Sensor

    Indirect Heating Clothes Dryer

    Dryer Balls

12.2.4 12.9.8 Section 3: Reliability Sub-criteria

For this section, the following sub-criteria for Reliability will be assessed:

  1. 1.

    Operating Lifetime—The life expectancy of the dryer technology,

  2. 2.

    Warranty Length—The duration of the warranty for the dryer technology,

  3. 3.

    Maintenance Interval—The expected duration between routine maintenance activities on the dryer technology.

  1. Q8.

    Operating Lifetime—The life expectancy of the dryer technology,

     

    Less than 5 years

    Between 5 and 10 years

    Between 10 and 15 years

    Between 15 and 20 years

    Greater than 20 years

    Don’t know

    Heat Pump Clothes Dryer

    Condenser Clothes Dryer

    Microwave/RF Clothes Dryer

    Clothes Dryer with Moisture and Temperature Sensor

    Indirect Heating Clothes Dryer

    Dryer Balls

  2. Q9.

    Warranty Length—The duration of the warranty for the dryer technology:

     

    Less than 1 year

    Between 1 and 2 years

    Between 2 and 3 years

    Between 3 and 4 years

    Greater than 4 years

    Don’t know

    Heat Pump Clothes Dryer

    Condenser Clothes Dryer

    Microwave/RF Clothes Dryer

    Clothes Dryer with Moisture and Temperature Sensor

    Indirect Heating Clothes Dryer

    Dryer Balls

  3. Q10.

    Maintenance Interval—The expected duration between routine maintenance activities on the dryer technology:

     

    Less than 1 year

    Between 1 and 2 years

    Between 2 and 3 years

    Between 3 and 4 years

    Greater than 4 years

    Don’t know

    Heat Pump Clothes Dryer

    Condenser Clothes Dryer

    Microwave/RF Clothes Dryer

    Clothes Dryer with Moisture and Temperature Sensor

    Indirect Heating Clothes Dryer

    Dryer Balls

12.2.5 12.9.9 Section 4: Convenience Sub-criteria

For this section, the following sub-criteria for Convenience will be assessed

  1. 1.

    Ease of Installation—How easy is it for the installation contractor or user to install and set up the dryer technology,

  2. 2.

    Ease of Maintenance—How easy is it for a contractor or user to maintain the dryer technology at the maintenance intervals,

  3. 3.

    Ease of Use—How easy is it to operate the dryer technology effectively.

  1. Q11.

    Ease of Installation—How easy is it for the installation contractor or user to install and set up the dryer technology?

     

    Difficult

    Somewhat difficult

    Neutral

    Somewhat easy

    Easy

    Don’t know

    Heat Pump Clothes Dryer

    Condenser Clothes Dryer

    Microwave/RF Clothes Dryer

    Clothes Dryer with Moisture and Temperature Sensor

    Indirect Heating Clothes Dryer

    Dryer Balls

  2. Q12.

    Ease of Maintenance—How easy is it for a contractor or user to maintain the dryer technology at the maintenance intervals?

     

    Difficult

    Somewhat difficult

    Neutral

    Somewhat easy

    Easy

    Don’t know

    Heat Pump Clothes Dryer

    Condenser Clothes Dryer

    Microwave/RF Clothes Dryer

    Clothes Dryer with Moisture and Temperature Sensor

    Indirect Heating Clothes Dryer

    Dryer Balls

  3. Q13.

    Ease of Use—How easy is it to operate the dryer technology effectively?

     

    Difficult

    Somewhat difficult

    Neutral

    Somewhat easy

    Easy

    Don’t know

    Heat Pump Clothes Dryer

    Condenser Clothes Dryer

    Microwave/RF Clothes Dryer

    Clothes Dryer with Moisture and Temperature Sensor

    Indirect Heating Clothes Dryer

    Dryer Balls

12.2.6 12.9.10 Section 5: General Questions

  1. Q14.

    Are there any sub-criteria that you think were not taken into account?

    figure c
  2. Q15.

    Are there any dryer technologies that you think were not taken into account?

    figure d
  3. Q16.

    Are there any additional comments that you would like to mention?

    figure e

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van Blommestein, K.C., Daim, T.U. (2015). Evaluating Consumer Preferences for Clothes Dryers. In: Daim, T., Kim, J., Iskin, I., Abu Taha, R., van Blommestein, K. (eds) Policies and Programs for Sustainable Energy Innovations. Innovation, Technology, and Knowledge Management. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16033-7_12

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