Air conditioners have evolved a lot over the years. The models produced in the year 2000 used 30 to 50 percent less energy than the ones that were manufactured in 1970s. Nowadays, the newer models are designed with better energy efficiency features. Before going into the details about the energy consumed by air conditioners, it is essential to know how the device works. Air conditioners work on the same principle as a refrigerator, where circuit of pipes and a pump form the cooling system. The room is cooled by the indoor cold evaporator coil, and the hot coil expels the heat outside the rooms. The cost of running an AC depends on various factors like: Energy Consumption of Air Conditioner Presently, AC models with 1 to 5 energy star rating are available in the market. A 5-star model saves maximum energy, and the 1-star rated model consumes more electricity. A regular AC used for residential purpose has a 5,500 - 14, 000 BTU/hour range. If the climate is hot, it is recommended to purchase an AC with higher start rating.

The ratings are awarded by BEE (Bureau of Energy-Efficiency). The electricity charges are based on the units of consumption (1 unit = 1 kWh) For example: 10 numbers of 100 W bulbs when switched on for 10 hours will consume: Similarly, An AC with 2,000 Watt power input if operated for about 8 hours per day will consume: Energy Efficiency Ratio for AC: You can lower the energy consumption by following these simple steps: Use Portable or Window Units: If you are not cooling the entire house, then use a portable AC to cool only the area where the cooling is required. They use 50% less energy as compared to a centralized air unit to cool the same space. It is advisable to go for a programmable thermostat. This helps you to switch the AC on and off as per the program set by you. It avoids excessive utilization of power and saves almost 15 percent on electricity bills. Although your air conditioner requires only basic maintenance, it should be kept clean and free from dust, particularly if you live in areas where there is a lot of pollution.  

The seeds or pollen may stick to the air filters, which will make the device work harder, thereby decreasing the energy efficiency.what is a 2 ton ac unit Make sure that the space in your house, where the ducts run through without air conditioning are properly insulated. 20 ton ac unitThis will help in keeping the air cool.how much is a two ton ac unit Although we rely on ACs to keep the area cool, having a few fans around is helpful too. Fans are useful in circulating the air around. Moreover, the energy consumed by fans is lesser than an air conditioner unit. Therefore, it is always a great idea to have fans as a backup.David MacKay's Map of the World Showing countries' power consumptions, population densities, and areas; power consumptions per unit area with the power production per unit area of various renewables

I first published this graph on my blog in 2009 [A new graph, showing countries' power per unit area] and in an article in the New York Times [Illuminating the Future of Energy] and in the International Herald Tribune. From 2009 to 2013 I used it in talks around the world, and occasionally improved it, in particular by including land areas. In 2012 I used these graphs in my TEDx talk at Warwick (see below). In 2013 I published the diagram in two papers in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A, and I wrote a fresh blog post. The journal slightly modified my diagrams, re-setting the axis labels, rewriting my units, and changing some of the fonts. The versions on this webpage are my own versions, which I prefer.Error 404 - Page not found Sorry, the page you have requested cannot be found. Either the URL you entered or link you came from is incorrect, or the page no longer exists. To return to the home page, please click here, or choose a different page from the menu.

Please sign up to our FREE quarterly Newsletter – Watts News in the world of energy efficient products and reducing your energy bills. Don’t forget you can Switch Energy with us! Acceptable Use Policy | Privacy & Cookies | © 2006-2016 Sust-it (TurnRound Ltd) RV & Auto Safety Some time ago I wrote an article about basic RV electricity. I received so many questions and comments from readers that the next month’s article was a follow up with additional information on RV electrical systems. Just when I thought we thoroughly covered the topic I get another good question about RV electrical systems that I failed to discuss in the previous articles. I received one of these good questions the other day and thought there would be many other RVers who would like to hear the answer. Reader’s question: In one of your previous articles you list the RV converter as drawing 8 amps. Since, I believe, the converter is operating any time you plug into a 120 volt AC system (30 Amp), does this mean that in reality you only have 22 amps to work with (30 minus 8 = 22, and not considering clock draws, etc.)? 

I am developing an electric amp chart to hang inside a cabinet and I need to resolve this question as this would make a significant difference. First of all let’s talk briefly about what your RV converter does. When you plug your RV into an electrical source, or when you use the onboard generator, the converters job is to reduce 120 volts AC down to 12 volt DC to supply power to all of the 12 volt appliances and accessories in the RV. If you weren’t plugged into an electrical source your RV battery(s) would supply the power to all of the 12 volt appliances and accessories in the RV. The converter basically prevents your RV battery(s) from draining when you’re plugged in. There are two types of amperage draw concerning your RV. The AC amps we are using and the DC amps we are using. I’ll try to explain. When you plug your RV into an electrical source and use 120 volt appliances like the roof air conditioner, the microwave and a TV you are drawing amps from the available supply at the campground, usually 30 or 50 depending on your RV electrical system and the electrical supply you are plugged into.

When you’re plugged into an electrical source and you use DC appliances and accessories like fans, lights, pumps or the TV antenna booster you are drawing amps from the converter. Are you more confused now than when we started? Let’s try wording this a little different. Let’s say you plug your RV into a 30 amp electrical supply and you only use 120 volt appliances. You’re using available amps from the 30 amp electrical supply for whatever 120 volt appliances are running, but the converter is drawing almost 0 amps because you’re not using any DC accessories. It will use a small amount for items like the LP gas leak detector, clocks or maybe an aisle light, but not enough to really affect the amperage you are plugged into. Your RV converter is rated for a certain amperage i.e. 30 amps, 45 amps, 55 amps. In other words a 45 amp converter is capable of running 45 amps worth of 12 volt appliances in the RV. When your RV converter is working at its maximum capacity, which in this case is producing 45 amps for 12 volt appliances and accessories, it is drawing a full 8 amps out of the 30 amps available from the campground electrical supply.

Let’s say you're plugged in and you're using a couple of 12 volt overhead lights (2 amps) and a ceiling fan (4 amps). In this case your converter is drawing very little from the camp grounds 30 amp electrical supply. In another scenario let's say you’re using a lot of 12 volt overhead lights (8 amps), you're running the furnace fan (11 amps), water pump (4 amps), TV antenna booster (8 amps) range hood fan (2.5 amps), and the battery is being charged by the converter charger (3 amps). Now, when the converter is running close to its full capacity it draws the full 8 amps from the campgrounds 30 amps, leaving you with 22 amps for other 120 volt appliances and accessories. As you can see it's unlikely that all of this would be happening at one time. The bottom line is the converter amperage draw will fluctuate depending on the 12 volt demand placed on it. Another question I was asked was; I know my converter is also a battery charger so why won’t it bring my discharged batteries back to a full charge?

RV converters do provide a charge to your RV house batteries, but only a small portion of the converters amperage rating is used for this. Normally 3 to 5 amps, which are not nearly enough to charge batteries that are discharged. The converter battery charger is designed to keep the house batteries topped off with this trickle charge. Another problem with older RV converters is they charge at a fixed voltage in the range of 13.5 volts. If your batteries are fully charged this can be too much for a float charge and over time it will deplete the water level in the batteries cells. This is why it’s important to check the water level in your batteries on a regular basis, especially when you leave the RV plugged in for extended periods of time. You need a three stage charger that can provide a bulk charge then an absorption charge and finally a float charge. Newer RV converters on the market are capable of charging the batteries this way. Now, to help you out with your amp chart I am including some typical amperage draws for appliances and accessories commonly used in RV’s.

Keep in mind I’m not an expert on electricity by any stretch of the imagination. This is just a basic guide to assist you in how many amps you are using at any given time. If you need to know exact amperage ratings you can check the data plate on any motors, appliances or electronic equipment you are using. If you can’t locate a data plate with this information check the appliance or electronic equipment owner’s manual. This information might provide wattage requirements rather than amps. Here are a couple of simple formulas to help you convert some common electrical terms. Wattage % Volts = Amps Amps X Volts = Wattage One other thing to keep in mind is many RV appliances require more amps to start the appliance than they do to run the appliance. A roof air conditioner can draw 16 amps to start, but may only use 13 amps once it is running. Hopefully this clears up any confusion on the difference between using amps supplied by the campground electrical source (AC amps), and using amps supplied by the converter (DC Amps).