Question

Using appropriate software, determine the power input required by the air conditioner to cool the house as a function for air conditioner EER ratings:

a) It decreases linearly with EER ratings
b) It increases quadratically with EER ratings
c) There's no correlation between power input and EER ratings

Answer 1

The Energy Efficiency Rating (EER) indicates an air conditioner's efficiency by comparing the energy transferred (in Btu per hour) to the power input (in watts). A higher EER corresponds to a more efficient air conditioner, resulting in lower power input required for the same level of cooling, which leads to reduced operational costs.

Step-by-step explanation:

The concept of the Energy Efficiency Rating (EER) is crucial when discussing the efficiency of air conditioners. The EER gives us an idea of how much cooling a unit can provide per unit of power consumed. Specifically, the EER is the ratio of the amount of heat removed from the interior (in British thermal units, or Btu, per hour) to the power input required (in watts).

For a 4-ton air conditioner that removes 48,000 Btu from a cold environment in an hour, if we have an EER of 12.0, to determine the power input in joules required, we use the formula:

• Btu per hour (Qc/t1) divided by the EER giving us the power input in watts (Wi)
• Then, the power input in watts is converted to joules by multiplying by the number of seconds in an hour (3600 s) since 1 watt is equivalent to 1 joule per second.

If the work to run the air conditioner costs 10.0 cents per kilowatt-hour, the cost for operating can be calculated by converting joules to kilowatt-hours and multiplying by the cost per kilowatt-hour.

The relationship between power input and the EER is inverse; as the EER increases, implying greater efficiency, the power input required decreases. This relationship is essentially linear; higher EER ratings correspond to lower power inputs to achieve the same amount of cooling. Considering the operational costs and initial purchase prices is essential, as more energy-efficient units often come with higher upfront costs but lower overall operating costs.

It is clear that the EER rating of an air conditioner affects the cost of running the appliance. A higher EER means the unit is more energy-efficient and thus will cost less to operate in terms of energy consumption.