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Audit-Ready Carbon Reporting for Appliance Manufacturing

Track manufacturing energy, steel/aluminum embodied carbon, and product use-phase electricity consumption across appliance lifecycles.

The Industry Hotspot: Product Use-Phase Electricity Consumption

60-80% of lifecycle in use phase

For appliance manufacturers, 60-80% of product lifecycle emissions occur during customer use (refrigerators: 10-15 years × 400 kWh/year = 4,000-6,000 kWh lifetime). Manufacturing accounts for 10-20% (steel, aluminum, assembly energy). NetNada calculates use-phase emissions using energy efficiency ratings, estimates product lifespan, and models customer grid mix.

SASB Industry Definition

Appliance Manufacturing industry entities design and manufacture household appliances and hand tools. Entities in this industry sell and manufacture products all over the world, primarily selling products to consumers through retailers.

Industry-Specific Carbon Accounting

No generic solutions. Metrics, data sources, and reporting aligned to Appliance Manufacturing operations.

Manufacturing Emissions by Product Line

Allocate factory energy, steel/aluminum embodied carbon, and assembly emissions to product units. Calculate kgCO2e per refrigerator, per washing machine, per dishwasher manufactured.

Product-level carbon tracking

Use-Phase Emissions Modeling

Calculate customer electricity consumption: Refrigerator Energy Label rating (350 kWh/year) × 12-year lifespan × customer grid factor (0.5 tCO2/MWh) = 2.1 tCO2 use-phase emissions. Compare across product models.

Lifecycle emissions calculated

Energy Efficiency Impact Quantification

Model emissions avoided by efficiency improvements. New model uses 300 kWh/year vs 400 kWh/year previous generation = 100 kWh/year × 12 years = 1,200 kWh avoided per unit sold.

Avoided emissions tracked

SASB CG-AM Metrics Automation

Auto-generate disclosure: % revenue from Energy Star certified products, average product energy consumption, % products designed for recyclability. Footnotes cite Energy Star database.

SASB CG-AM compliant

Product Features for Appliance Manufacturing

Use Carbon Data Uploader to import production volumes, material bills of quantity, and Energy Star ratings from PLM systems. Learn more →

Appliance Manufacturing Case Studies

How entities in this industry use NetNada to solve carbon accounting challenges.

Global Appliance Brand (5M units/year)

Challenge

Retailers demanded product carbon footprint labels for refrigerators and washing machines. Had manufacturing data but no use-phase calculation methodology.

Solution

Used NetNada to calculate lifecycle emissions: Manufacturing (80 kgCO2) + Transport (20 kgCO2) + Use-phase 12 years (2,100 kgCO2) = 2,200 kgCO2 total per refrigerator. Generated labels showing kgCO2e/year.

Result

Launched carbon labels on 15 product SKUs. Retailers featured low-carbon models in sustainability campaigns. 12% sales increase for Energy Star models.

SASB Disclosure Topics for Appliance Manufacturing

Material sustainability topics beyond emissions that investors and stakeholders expect disclosed per SASB standards.

Product Energy Efficiency

environment

Report average energy consumption per product category (kWh/year). Track % of products meeting Energy Star or EU Energy Label A+++ standards. Disclose R&D investment in efficiency improvements.

Product Lifecycle Management

business model

Track product design for recyclability. Report % of appliances designed for disassembly. Monitor take-back program participation rates and end-of-life recycling volumes.

Materials Sourcing & Efficiency

environment

Track steel, aluminum, and plastic content per product. Report % recycled content. Monitor material efficiency improvements (kg materials per unit output).

Product Safety

governance

Monitor product recalls, safety incidents, and compliance with consumer product safety regulations. Track warranty claim rates.

NetNada tracks all SASB material topics, not just emissions. Our platform supports disclosure across environmental, social, governance, and business model topics relevant to your industry.

Appliance Manufacturing FAQs

Common questions about carbon accounting for this industry

How do you estimate product lifespan for use-phase emissions?
Use industry average lifespans: Refrigerators 12-15 years, washing machines 10-12 years, dishwashers 9-12 years, microwaves 8-10 years. Source: ENERGY STAR product lifetime assumptions. Can adjust based on warranty data or customer survey. Longer lifespan = higher use-phase emissions but better sustainability per year of service.
What grid emission factor should we use for customer use-phase?
Two approaches: (1) Sales-weighted average of customer locations (50% Australia 0.7 tCO2/MWh, 30% EU 0.3 tCO2/MWh, 20% US 0.4 tCO2/MWh). (2) Report range: best case (100% renewable grid) to worst case (coal-heavy grid). Disclose assumption in product carbon footprint methodology.
How do you account for embodied carbon in steel and aluminum?
Steel: Virgin steel 1.85 tCO2/tonne, Recycled steel (EAF) 0.5 tCO2/tonne. Aluminum: Virgin 12 tCO2/tonne, Recycled 0.5 tCO2/tonne. Refrigerator uses ~50kg steel + 5kg aluminum = (50×1.85) + (5×12) = 152 kgCO2 for virgin materials. Track % recycled content to reduce embodied carbon.

Calculate Product Lifecycle Carbon for Appliances

See how appliance manufacturers track manufacturing emissions, model use-phase consumption, and generate product carbon labels—meeting retailer requirements.