Environmental discussions of late have focused a lot of time on the “global warming” dilemma that we all face.  Of course, local and worldwide politics seems to be taking an ever-increasing role in defining and resolving the impact of global warming on our future.  I do not believe this issue will be resolved in the political arena any time soon, but I do believe we all can do our part in contributing to a preferred result.  My mother always told me “little things always seem to add up to big things”.  One little thing we can do with regard to wine and beverage cooling is the use of thermoelectric technology.

 In the 1800’s, a French Scientist named Peltier discovered that when electric current goes through two different metals, (semi-conductors), a temperature difference occurs.  The semi-conductors, working like heat pumps, drive heat from one surface to another.  By adding a circulating fan to the “heat pump” process discovered by Peltier, you could design and build a “thermoelectric wine cooler”.

 Thermoelectric cooling technology does not use chlorofluorocarbons like CFCs and HCFCs.  These chemicals are known to be partly responsible for the thinning in the stratosphere of the protective ozone layer.  There are laws now that control the use of these chemicals, but leaks in a cooling system using these chemicals could be a problem.  Additionally, these eco-friendly wine coolers generally are more energy efficient than compressor designed models.

 Another advantage of using this cooling technology is these wine refrigerators operate with no noise and are vibration free.  If you have an older refrigerator, you can hear the distinctive hum of a compressor based cooling system.  When compressors kick on and off when needed, there is a vibration naturally attached to that process.  However, some compressor wine cooler models do come with a “damping system” that virtually eliminates the vibration issue.

 When storing wines for more than 2 years with the intent of aging them properly, keeping vibration of the wine sediments to a minimum can be critical to success.  For short-term storage (less than 2 years), there is little noticeable difference between compressor and thermoelectric cooling systems.  A good case can be made that a dual zone thermoelectric wine cooler for simultaneously aging red and white wines would be an excellent choice for aging your wine collection.

 Thermoelectric wine coolers are not without a major disadvantage that you must be aware of that affects their cooling efficiency.  When the ambient temperature of the room where your wine cooler will be operated exceeds approximately 77 degrees F., the cooling effectiveness of a thermoelectric wine cooler declines.  Additionally, the difference between the ambient room temperature and the “set” cooling temperature should not be higher than about 13 degrees F.  Some people like their homes cool and some like them warmer, but it is a consideration if you opt for a thermoelectric wine refrigerator.  Generally they will operate more efficiently in a home when ambient temperatures are relatively stable and on the cool side of the spectrum.

 In the right situation, going eco-friendly with your wine cooler purchase is a good choice for the environment.  At a minimum, this one small choice, when added to other people’s choices, will be a step in the right direction.

 For more information go to:  http://idealwinecoolers.com/page/thermoelectricwinecoolers.html

 Author: Ronald Senn, VP Ideal Wine Coolers, Dec. 2009

Ronald Senn is currently Vice-president of Ideal Wine Coolers. Ron served in the U.S. Navy from 1966-1970. Ron graduated from the University of Arizona with BS and MS Degrees. Ron is retired from the U.S. Forest Service after serving over 30 years.

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