Energy Star AC

As we all know, air conditioners are electrical appliances. Like any other electrical appliance, energy consumption has always been an issue for all of us. That is why the United States government came up with a program that promotes energy efficient products which is the Energy Star. A joint program of the United States Department of Energy and the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Energy Star enables the consumer to save their hard earned money and at the same time protect the environment by way of energy efficient air conditioners.

Most of the air conditioners (if not all) that are out on the market today have the “energy star” logo. These are units are called the energy star air conditioners. Of all the air conditioner type that has energy star logos, the most common is the energy star window unit air conditioners. Window unit air conditioners with energy star logos are mainly used to cool offices, apartments and houses. This type of energy saving air conditioner removes the warmth and humidity of a room. A blower or fan of the air conditioner pulls warm air through a filter and vents it outside of the room.

Having an energy star certified air conditioner does not necessarily mean that you can save on your electric bill. Choosing the appropriate air conditioner is also important. For example, using a large air conditioning unit on a small room or a small air conditioning unit on a large room, it will only waste energy and thereby the increase of your electric bill. Even if you use an energy star certified air conditioner, the power consumption will increase because the energy cycle of the air conditioner will shorten; thus, the increase in your energy bill.

The need cooling capacity of an energy star certified air conditioner depends on the size or area of the enclosed space or room. A typical energy star certified window unit air conditioner has a cooling capability that range from 5,000 BTUs to 14,000 BTUs an hour. In order to have an efficient air conditioner, appropriate size is required. For example, for a room with an area of 350 square feet, the energy star certified room air conditioners must have a cooling capacity of 8,000 BTUs. As the area of the room increases so does the BTU of the air conditioner. Remember, bigger air conditioners are not necessarily better because large units will be unable to lower the temperature of an area evenly. A typical air conditioner requires at least 20 BTUs for every square foot of space. The height of the enclosed area that is to be cooled, the local climate and the shading of the area are also some of the vital factors.

In order for your air conditioning unit to be more efficient it is advisable to place your air conditioning unit near the corner of the room by which it can circulate its airflow properly. Place your air conditioner on an even area wherein its drainage system can operate efficiently. Place your unit on a shaded are because direct sunlight on the air conditioner can affect your unit’s heat exchanger and other mechanism. It will also decrease the efficiency of the unit as much as 10%. Avoid placing the unit’s thermostat near heat sources such as lamps and televisions. The heat that the thermostat detects can cause the unit to operate longer than required.

In air conditioning, energy efficiency and energy conservation have two different meanings. When you say energy conservation on air conditioning, it means lowering the level on the thermostat or by turning of your air conditioner. On the other hand, in energy efficiency, you get the same result by using less energy. This is done mostly by using economical energy star air conditioners instead of those old and less efficient air conditioners.