–How to calculate the air conditioning power per square feet?
When buying an air conditioner, the same question always arises: What size of air conditioner is correct for my home? How many BTU/tons do I need per square feet? Depending on the answer, the cost and performance will vary depending on the power of the HVAC system you install. Find a calculator below.
Choose an equipment that optimizes performance
The first thing you have to consider is that you do not always have to buy the most powerful equipment, but you should look for the one that best suits your needs. If you choose wrong, you may have excessive electricity consumption or, worse, you may not get adequate performance and waste energy.
Nowadays most air conditioning equipment incorporates Inverter technology, something basic when it comes to reducing power consumption and achieving more efficient air conditioning.
When assessing the energy consumption of an air conditioner, the most important thing is the classification of the machines. You should always have in consideration the energy guide labels and opt for efficient equipment.
Calculate BTU per square feet
Both the BTU and the watts are the units of measurement used for refrigeration and air conditioning systems.
The BTU or negative calorie measures the absorption of thermal energy in a room.
In general, the calculation of 100 BTU for each square feet of the room is used. For example, a 290-square feet room needs a 29000 btu ac.
How to calculate thermal energy in watt per square feet
The watt (W) indicates the thermal energy required to cool the space. It is necessary to distinguish thermal energy from electrical power consumption, which, although also measured in watts, depends mainly on the energy efficiency of the equipment.
If you want to know what power your system would need in watts, you only have to multiply the value in BTUs by 1,163.
1 refrigerator = 1,163 watt/hours
For example, an installation requiring 2700 BTUs would need a unit with a 3140 watts thermal energy.
In case you know the power in watts but want to know how many BTUs it is equivalent to, you would only have to multiply the power in BTUs by 3.412.
1 Watt = 3.412 BTU/hour
You will often find that thermal power is expressed in kilowatts (kW). 1 kilowatt equals 1000 watts. Thus, an air conditioning system requiring 2322 W will be equivalent to 2.3 kW.
Power needed for your air conditioning equipment according to the size of the room
Further below, you can find an AC tonnage calculator chart with the necessary power according to your size in square feet:
Keep in mind that many other factors influence the final calculation, so we advise you to always consult with a professional installer what power your air conditioner needs. Analyzing the space, they will perform the most accurate calculation so that your equipment is the most efficient and consumes exactly what you need.
Factors influencing the calculation of the power of the air conditioning system
To calculate the power that your installation needs, in addition to the surface, the installer will take into consideration:
- Environmental humidity and temperature conditions.
- The thermal insulation of the house. The better the insulation, the lower the power required by your equipment.
- The size of the windows or balconies and the quality of the glass.
- The orientation of the building. The more direct sun it receives, the greater the power needed to keep the space at the optimum temperature.
- The number of electronic equipment connected in the room, as these can heat the environment.
In addition, it is necessary to bear in mind that it is not the same to cool an apartment of 70 square feet than commercial premises or an office. In these spaces, more factors will be taken into account.
The Hitachi residential air conditioning range
Hitachi air conditioners are available in a wide range of powers, to suit all types of rooms.
Here you can see all available units.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the air conditioner consume per month?
There is no general rule, since the consumption will depend above all on its performance. The most efficient equipment is that with the lowest consumption. As indicated in the article, it is always necessary to distinguish between thermal load (the watts offered by the equipment to provide comfort) and electrical power (which is the consumption that its operation will produce) in order to evaluate which equipment will be more interesting.
What is energy efficiency?
Energy efficiency refers to the optimization of energy consumption to reduce the energy consumed without affecting the performance of the product. In the case of air conditioning, efficiency is measured through the SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio), a coefficient that indicates how many KW of power the equipment generates for each KW of energy consumed. To measure the efficiency of heat systems, such as air conditioning in heat mode, SCOP (Seasonal Coefficient Of Performance) is used. In both cases, the higher the SEER and SCOP, the greater the energy efficiency and, therefore, the lower the electricity consumption.
What is Inverter air conditioning?
It is a system that regulates the speed of the compressor. Once the desired temperature has been reached, the equipment operates at lower power (but continuously). In addition to providing greater comfort, because there is no variance in the temperature of the space, preventing the unit from turning off and on reduces both noise and consumption.
What type of air conditioner to buy?
This decision will depend on many factors: if you want to air condition a single room or you want to air condition several at the same time, the benefits you want, the type of indoor unit you want to install, etc.
by Hitachi
