The Hindu Business Line : `Air-conditioners will be a drag on power utilities'

Are you planning to buy an air-conditioner? Or, are you having trouble with your air-conditioner and not able to take a decision on whether to service it or replace it with a new one?

Worse still, are you concerned about high electricity bills run up by the contraption?

Proper sizing, selection, installation, maintenance and correct use are keys to cost-effective operation of air-conditioners and to achievement of lower overall costs, without sacrificing any of the benefits.

According to Mr K. Madhusoodanan of the Society of Energy Engineers and Managers (SEEM), the market for comfort air-conditioning is growing at a rate of 15 per cent to 20 per cent in the country, which is almost double the rate in developed nations.

Power consumption

This is certain to contribute to an additional demand of around 30,000 MW in 2012, at the current growth rate, he said in a presentation made to the Institution of Engineers (India) here. Unless consumers are educated on life cycle costs of air-conditioners, this higher demand will have a disastrous effect on the economy and environment.

The initial cost of buying a new system will be less than 15 per cent of the total cost incurred during its life span, say, 10 years; the rest 85 per cent goes to its energy bill. Therefore consumers need to be aware of this energy guzzler and should look for efficiency of the systems they are buying.

Once installed, parasitic loads, including solar heat gain, should be reduced to the minimum. If your air conditioner is on, be sure to close your windows and outside doors. For economical operation, turn it on only when your home is occupied.

More efficient

Today's best air conditioners use 30 to 50 per cent less energy to produce the same amount of cooling as air-conditioners did in the mid-70s. Even if your air conditioner is only 10 years old, you may save 20 to 40 per cent of your cooling energy costs by replacing it with a newer, more efficient model.

Make sure you buy the correct size air-conditioner. A large air-conditioner will not provide the best cooling. Buying an oversized air-conditioner could well turn out to be a problem as big.

Each air-conditioner has an energy efficiency rating that lists how many British Thermal Units (Btu) per hour are removed for each watt of power it draws. For room air-conditioners, this efficiency rating is called the Energy Efficiency Ratio, or EER.

It is desirable to buy air-conditioners with an EER of at least 9.0, but any number of energy efficient but slightly expensive ones with EER ratings of 10.5-11 are available.

Avoid making decision solely on the basis of price. Select a room air conditioner with an EER of at least 9.0 if you live in a mild climate.

If you live in a hot climate, select one with an EER over 10 though it might cost slightly more. Next time when you buy an air-conditioner, ask the dealer what its EER rating is.

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