The high-efficiency laundry metering and marketing analysis (THELMA) project: Volume 3 -- General market assessment. Final report
Horizontal axis (H-axis) clothes washers use less water and energy than conventional top-loading vertical axis (V-axis) clothes washers, but US consumers traditionally have shunned them. The High Efficiency Laundry Metering and Marketing Analysis (THELMA) project was conceived by EPRI and a group of 28 utilities and other organizations to gather information for motivating US consumers to adopt H-axis washers. The components of the research program include lab testing, qualitative and quantitative consumer research, and in-home metering of the energy and water used by conventional and H-axis machines. The qualitative consumer research activities involved a series of focus group discussions with consumers to understand the washer features they consider important, the perceived advantages and disadvantages of H-axis washers from the consumer`s point of view, the market barriers and opportunities for efficient washers, and the near-term potential for customer acceptance. This report presents findings and conclusions from four focus groups held in California and Washington for the THELMA project. As one of the first steps in the research program, these results: provide an initial picture of consumer views of H-axis washers, guide subsequent THELMA research activities, and identify the potential educational needs of consumers.
- Research Organization:
- Electric Power Research Inst. (EPRI), Palo Alto, CA (United States); Dethman and Associates (United States); Hagler Bailly Consulting (United States); SBW Consulting Inc. (United States); National Center for Appropriate Technology (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- Electric Power Research Inst., Palo Alto, CA (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 354817
- Report Number(s):
- EPRI-TR-109147-V3; TRN: AHC29924%%21
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: Apr 1998
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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