How many solar panels do I need on my house to become energy independent?Actually, in terms of overall electricity usage in households, air conditioners use the most on a continual basis, followed by refrigerators. But on a unit per hour basis, air conditioners are not that bad, even though they’ve been made the villain by the media. Broadcasters, in particular, are offering tips to households on how to cut down on energy consumption and the main suggestion is to set your air conditioner at 28 degrees centigrade. Because so many people, in particular the elderly, have fallen victim to heat stroke, no one is saying to turn off the air conditioner any more, but the general consensus is that the average air conditioner in the average home uses about 130 watts of energy and, overall, accounts for a bit less than a fourth of the summer electricity bill, which gives you some idea of the savings potential. What the media doesn’t say, according to an article in the most recent issue of Shukan Post, is that there is another appliance in your house that actually uses more electricity.

A typical large screen (over 37 inches) LCD television set uses on average 220 watts, or 70 percent more energy than the air conditioner if both are being used continuously, but, of course, media companies aren’t going to suggest you turn off the TV because that would hurt their business. And according to the Nomura Research Institute, since air conditioners work on something akin to fuzzy logic, they save more energy the longer you keep them on. The point is not to turn them off and on. If a room is, say 32 degrees and you turn on an air conditioner set to 27 degrees, it requires 800 watts right at the beginning, but after only a minute the energy consumption drops to 600 watts and then after 17 minutes it can drop to as low as 80 watts. What tends to be the concern of energy producers is not so much that households use their air conditioners, but rather that they don’t all turn them on at the same time. By the time an air conditioning unit is maintaining its set 27-degree temperature it may be using as little as 20 watts.

The problem is, once you turn the air conditioner off, you have to start from zero again. Also, it should be noted that these figures are for rooms that are fully insulated. In comparison, three incandescent 60-watt light bulbs use 162 watts, continuously. And TVs are worse: 220 watts isn’t a whole lot better than the old CRT TVs. Though LCD and plasma displays are touted as being more energy efficient by the industry, the comparisons are being made for equivalent screen area. For sure, a 28-inch CRT TV uses about 87 watts, and a same-size LCD screen only uses 42 watts, but the energy consumption increases exponentially from there. When you get to 40 inches, the LCD consumption jumps to 230 watts. And the whole point of flat screen TVs is that they take up less room and thus families are buying larger and larger ones. A 50-inch plasma screen uses 400 watts. Also, there’s a big difference in manufacturer specifications. Some makers are much more energy efficient than others, but the point is that the TV is not only using a lot more electricity than your aircon, it’s also heating up your room, making more work for your aircon.

Even when the TV is on standby it’s consuming about 3 watts of power. So turn it off. There’s nothing to watch anyway. Tags: air conditioners, energy saving, LCD TVs, plasma TVs, setsuden This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 16th, 2011 at 8:43 pm and is filed under Consumer tips, Family matters. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.small ac units for sale Both comments and pings are currently closed.average cost central ac unitsAs energy costs rise and more people become concerned about the use of energy in their homes, many homeowners are asking “How much energy do air conditioners use?” air conditioner units for dog housesAir conditioning likely accounts for more than 50 percent of energy costs during the summertime.

Determining the actual amount of energy that is used by the air conditioner takes several factors into account. Years ago, the energy efficiency of air conditioning systems was estimated with only an Energy Efficiency Rating, or “EER.” The EER is a simple rating that measures how much energy an air conditioner requires to produce each British Thermal Unit, or “BTU” of cooling power. The EER does not account for seasonal changes and the energy requirements that accompany these changes. Experts and researchers argued that, because some systems reach their peak cooling power at a slower rate, these systems actually consume more energy than a similarly rated system. Therefore, the SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) rating was compiled. The SEER accounts for seasonal differences in the energy consumption of air conditioning systems. The EER is still provided as an energy estimate. However, the SEER system rating is now also used. The SEER rating has evolved into the industry standard for measuring the energy efficiency of cooling systems.

A unit with a higher SEER rating will use less energy to cool a home over a season than a unit with a lower SEER. When homeowners ask, “How much energy do air conditioners use?” the response from an HVAC technician will be “What is the SEER for the unit?” Though the SEER score is evaluated in a laboratory setting, and other factors influence the amount of energy required by central air systems, the SEER score provides a basis for comparison between AC units. When you purchase a new AC system, you should purchase the unit with the highest SEER that your budget will allow. The SEER score was invented a few decades ago, but has recently gained momentum in the HVAC industry. Within the last 20 years, the U.S. Department of Energy began to impose standards and regulations on the energy efficiency of HVAC units. The U.S. Department of Energy adopted the SEER score as the benchmark for estimating air conditioning system efficiency. In the 1990s and early 2000‘s, the required minimum SEER score for an air conditioning system was 10.

All central air conditioning units sold in the U.S. had to have a SEER score of 10 or higher. In 2006, this standard was raised to a SEER of 13. This means that every air conditioning unit sold in the U.S. since January, 2006 was required to have a minimum SEER of 13. As time passes and older units are replaced, fewer homes are using low efficiency systems. Federal regulations are not the only reason higher SEER scores are desired. The higher the SEER score, the more energy is conserved when using the air conditioning system during the summer when compared to a unit with a lower score. The more energy that is conserved when cooling the home, the more cost savings the homeowner realizes on their electric bill. HVAC equipment manufacturers produce standard efficiency units in addition to high energy efficient units in order to accommodate consumer budgets. The high efficiency air conditioners are priced higher than standard units. However, the homeowner saves money over the lifespan of the unit and recovers a good deal of the initial investment in energy savings.

Consumers are increasingly seeking to reduce their carbon footprint, as well. High efficiency units are much more eco-friendly than older units, or even standard efficiency units. Installing a high efficiency air conditioner also increases the overall value of the home. High efficiency AC systems are a top selling point for many home buyers. Energy experts estimate that installing a system with a SEER score that is three points above that of the previous system will save the homeowner about $30 per month in electrical costs, depending on the region and the cost of electricity. If you have an older air conditioner, particularly one with a low SEER rating, consider replacing the unit with a more energy efficient system. Individual savings depend on the temperature setting you normally use in your home, as well as the region in which you live. Another factor that contributes to savings is keeping your central air unit well maintained. AC companies provide annual maintenance services that keep your system running at peak performance, saving energy and money for consumers.