How to judge the energy-saving performance of central air conditioning

With the promotion and popularity of "low-carbon" and "environmentally friendly" lifestyles, "energy conservation and emission reduction" has increasingly become an important criterion for people to choose home appliances. As the most power-consuming home appliance in the home, the energy-saving of air conditioners is not only related to the total household electricity consumption this summer, but also affects the living environment around us. Many families want to choose central air conditioners for the sake of aesthetics and convenience when decorating, but they are worried that central air conditioners will become "power tigers" in the home and not energy-saving. So, does the central air conditioner really consume too much electricity? How can we quickly judge the energy-saving performance of the central air conditioner? Here, the editor will teach you a simple and direct method, which is to look at the energy efficiency ratio label.

What is energy efficiency ratio?

Generally speaking, Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) = rated cooling capacity/rated power (power consumption).

I believe that when you are shopping for electrical appliances, you will definitely notice a colorful label with a blue and white background that says "China Energy Efficiency Label". This label is a direct reflection of the air conditioner's energy efficiency ratio. You can see that there are grades from 1 to 5, from green to red, and there are information tips on the left from "low energy consumption" to "high energy consumption", and the upper right corner clearly shows the energy efficiency grade of this specification model product.

Energy efficiency label Energy efficiency grade

⒉6～2.8 Level 5 (red - high energy consumption)

⒉8～3.0 Level 4

⒊0～3.2 Level 3

⒊2～3.4 Level 2

⒊Level 4 and above (green – low energy consumption)

What do the energy efficiency ratings mean?

Level 1 means the product has reached the international advanced level and is the most energy-saving, that is, the lowest energy consumption; Level 2 means relatively energy-saving; Level 3 means the energy efficiency of the product is at the average level of the Chinese market. Currently, only products above level 3 are allowed to be sold in the Chinese market, and products of levels 4 and 5 have been eliminated.

Knowing the air conditioner's horsepower and energy efficiency ratio can help you calculate its power consumption. Taking a fixed-frequency air conditioner as an example, a fixed-frequency air conditioner with a level 1 energy efficiency consumes only 0.83 kWh of electricity per hour to reach a cooling capacity of 3000W, while a fixed-frequency air conditioner with a level 3 energy efficiency consumes nearly 1 kWh of electricity per hour to reach the same cooling capacity.

Central air conditioners are often more energy efficient than split air conditioners

Many consumers believe that split air conditioners are more economical and save more electricity, but there is actually a misunderstanding here. In terms of energy efficiency, central air conditioners are often more energy efficient and more energy-saving than split air conditioners. The energy efficiency of general household split air conditioners is around 2.3~3.6, while central air conditioners can reach more than 6.0, which is far higher than the level of ordinary air conditioners such as cabinet and split air conditioners. Simply put, under the same cooling capacity, it is more energy-saving to choose central air conditioners than split air conditioners. Taking Hitachi central air conditioners as an example, its IPLV (i.e. the comprehensive energy efficiency ratio of a single chiller under partial load operation under standard conditions) is as high as 6.35, and the energy-saving effect is obvious.

In fact, the purpose of buying an air conditioner is to enjoy a comfortable life. It is better to spend more money to buy a product with high energy efficiency. Of course, if the area of ​​your home is relatively large, it is recommended that you consider installing a central air conditioner, because overall, installing a central air conditioner is more energy-efficient than installing a split air conditioner in each room.