3 tips for running the air conditioner to help you save hundreds of dollars in electricity bills per year

Review expert: Ji Hongzeng, PhD candidate in refrigeration and heating systems at Beijing Institute of Technology In the hot summer, air conditioning is indispensable to create a comfortable and cool environment in the hot and stuffy room. However, to achieve the same cooling effect, different air conditioners consume different amounts of electricity. Why is this? Let's find out. Air conditioning source | Pixabay

How to calculate the power consumption of air conditioner?

Why do different devices consume different amounts of power to achieve the same effect? ​​First, we need to understand how power consumption is calculated.

Power consumption refers to the amount of electrical energy consumed by an appliance per unit time, which is directly linked to the output power of the appliance . The higher the output power of the appliance, the greater the power consumption . The unit for calculating power consumption in China is kilowatt-hour, which is what we often call one kilowatt-hour. "One kilowatt-hour" represents the amount of electricity consumed by an appliance running continuously for one hour at a power of 1000w. From this, a simple formula for calculating power consumption can be derived - power consumption = output power × running time/1000 .

The power consumption of ordinary electrical appliances can be roughly calculated by simply checking the output power marked on their nameplates and substituting it into the above formula. However, air conditioners are somewhat different. People are used to describing the power of air conditioners with ×× horsepower. One horsepower is about 2200w. If we substitute this power into the formula, we will find that the power consumption of ordinary air conditioners will reach about two kWh per hour, which is inconsistent with the actual situation. Source of energy consumption information of a certain brand of air conditioners | Shopping website

In fact, when merchants talk about the "horsepower" of an air conditioner, that is, its output power, they are referring to the cooling power of the air conditioner. Since the air conditioner uses a compressor to compress the refrigerant when it is working, and the refrigerant absorbs heat from the room after releasing heat outdoors, the output power of the air conditioning system is not equal to the input power. When calculating the power consumption of air conditioners, it is also necessary to combine their marked "energy efficiency ratio". The energy efficiency ratio refers to the ratio of the air conditioner's cooling capacity to its energy consumption. When calculating the power consumption of an air conditioner, its cooling capacity should be divided by its energy efficiency ratio to obtain its actual power consumption.

Of course, sometimes this calculation method will have certain errors, because the cooling capacity and energy efficiency ratio of the air conditioner are not fixed values. They will be affected by the temperature, the working status of the air conditioner outdoor unit and the size of the refrigeration space. Therefore, the power consumption of the air conditioner will also change to a certain extent.

In summary, even if the cooling capacity of two air conditioners is the same, if their energy efficiency ratios are different and their working environments are different, there will be obvious differences in power consumption . Generally speaking, an air conditioner with a higher energy efficiency ratio will save more electricity.

How big is the power consumption gap between energy efficiency?

Most high-power electrical appliances are labeled with a Chinese energy efficiency label, which indicates the manufacturer, model, energy efficiency level, energy efficiency ratio, input power, etc. For air conditioners, the energy efficiency used is usually the energy consumption efficiency during the cooling season or the energy consumption efficiency throughout the year, and the cooling power is additionally marked.
Source of China's energy efficiency label | Baidu Encyclopedia

The most important and intuitive information in the energy efficiency label is its energy efficiency level. The higher the level, the higher the energy efficiency ratio and the lower the power consumption. Conversely , the higher the power consumption. The 2016 standard divides the energy efficiency level into five levels. The energy efficiency ratio of the first level is about 5.8 (cooling capacity is less than 4.5kW), and the energy efficiency ratio of the fifth level is about 3.7 (cooling capacity is less than 4.5kW). In other words , the first level energy efficiency air conditioner saves about 36% more electricity than the fifth level energy efficiency air conditioner .

Although the difference in electricity bills for one or two days may not be large, over time, the difference in electricity consumption between the two will become larger and larger, even in some areas with higher electricity bills. For example, in Guangzhou, the market price of electricity is generally 60 cents per kilowatt-hour. Assuming that the air conditioner is used 24 hours a day and is used for five months, the average cooling capacity is calculated as 3Kw. Compared with the five-level energy efficiency, the first-level energy efficiency air conditioner can save about 635 yuan in electricity bills per year. The first-level energy efficiency air conditioner is usually about 1,000-2,000 yuan more expensive than the five-level energy efficiency air conditioner. With this calculation, the money spent on the air conditioner can be saved in just 2-3 years. Source of air conditioner outdoor unit | hippopx

However, starting from January 1, 2022, with the advancement of technology and the implementation of new standards, the new version of the air conditioner energy efficiency standard will change from level five to level three, which will eliminate fixed-speed air conditioners in the market, and also means that air conditioners below level three energy efficiency will gradually disappear from the market.

From a practical point of view, the editor recommends using air conditioners with high energy efficiency ratio. Compared with air conditioners with low energy efficiency ratio, air conditioners with high energy efficiency ratio have more advanced manufacturing technology. They not only have better cooling effect, more energy saving and less noise , but also have more functions and modes, which can meet the needs of consumers to the greatest extent.

When buying, you should first look at the cooling capacity. Usually, 1 HP is about 2200-2600 watts. Generally, one square meter of space requires about 200 watts of cooling. In other words, if it is a 15 square meter room, it will require 3000 watts, and a 1.5 HP air conditioner will be enough . The second thing to look at is the energy efficiency ratio. So if you are looking for a first-level energy-efficient air conditioner, you must look at the energy efficiency ratio before making a choice.

How can air conditioning save more electricity?

Due to personal or family economic constraints, not everyone can install a Class I energy-efficient air conditioner at home and rest assured. So how can we make this energy-hungry machine less hungry? Here are some tips for saving energy on air conditioners. Source of air conditioner outdoor unit | hippopx

1. Don’t adjust the temperature too low.

If the air conditioner temperature is set too low, it will take more time and consume more electricity to reach the set temperature. At the same time, if the difference between indoor and outdoor temperatures is too large and the temperature you set is too low, the air conditioner will run at full load and the compressor may overheat and cause other malfunctions. It is generally recommended to set the air conditioner temperature to above 26 degrees, which is also the temperature range that the human body feels most comfortable.

2. Clean the air conditioning filter regularly. If dust clogs the air conditioning filter, the blower will need to run at a higher power to ensure sufficient air flow. In the summer when the air conditioning is frequently used, the air conditioning filter can be cleaned every two months to avoid dust clogging.

3. Do not turn the air conditioner on and off or adjust the temperature frequently. The components of the air conditioner will run at a high power when it is started. If you turn the air conditioner on and off or adjust the temperature frequently, the components will frequently work at a high power, resulting in additional power consumption.

The above are some energy-saving tips for air conditioners. I hope everyone can spend this summer coolly.