Dr Reinhard Zinkann, Executive Director and Co-Proprietor Miele & Cie. KG and CECED President

“Approx. 70 – 90% of the total energy input in the product life cycle is attributable to an appliance’s period of active use. This illustrates just how important the best possible energy efficiency of machines is in terms of climate protection. Much has already been achieved in the white goods branch in this field: The energy consumption of many domestic appliances has been reduced over the past 20 years by more than half. Using current technologies, though, further efficiency gains will be difficult to achieve. Hence, the challenge we face, alongside optimising existing processes, is to develop new technologies – something we are actively pursuing with great commitment, as the recent introduction of heat-pump technology shows. There is still great untapped potential in extending the use of this technology and developing connected appliances for use in smart homes, for example in the field of renewable energy. This is another area in which our branch of industry is progressing with great creativity”