Understanding the Zoned Energy Rating Label
We rely on air conditioners to keep us comfortable. Buying an efficient aircon is a great idea to keep yourself cool without breaking the bank. You might have seen the energy efficiency labels and made your decision using the ratings to purchase an appliance.
The energy rating labels have been optimised to consider the local climate and their noise levels. Now you can see new labels which include a lot more information than the old labels.
New energy rating labels are required for reverse-cycle air conditioners. You might still be able to see the old energy label on air conditioners until the current set of registrations expires in 2025. The Zoned Energy Rating Label (ZERL) was introduced in April 2020. This allows consumers to make more informed decisions when purchasing an air conditioner, including how much heating and cooling power it has as well as its energy efficiency based on location or noise production levels in your home!
The information on it includes how much power each model uses in different situations--which can save you money during winter months since heating costs tend to go up faster than cooling does (and vice versa).
Old energy rating labels
The old label shows:
- Power Input kW - Electrical power is drawn at high output
- Capacity Output KW - heating or cooling provided by the units
- Stars - More the number of stars, the higher will be its energy efficiency
However, they do not determine the effect location has on the performance of the unit. Local climate affects the efficiency of the unit significantly.
In cooler climates, ice will form on the coils in the outdoor unit. Defrosting the coils requires significant energy. If you are living in cold climates like Hobart or Melbourne, the efficiency of your aircon will matter. An efficient unit will be able to run a defrost cycle and handle it efficiently. For hotter climates, how efficiently they remove humidity from the air is critical.
Zoned Energy Efficiency Label
The new label includes a lot more information than the old label. You can see that it is a lot more informative. However, do not let that deter you. You only need to factor in your location and determine your climate zone.
Cooling and Heating Capacity
The cooling capacity when the outside temperature is 35 degrees and the heating capacity when the outside temperature is 7 degrees and 2 degrees. If the temperature drops below 5 degrees, ice starts forming on the outdoor coils. Running the defrost cycle takes up more power as explained above. The heating capacity is impacted by the defrost cycles.
If you are living in cold zones, ensure the capacity of the aircon at 2 degrees is not significantly lower than the capacity at 7 degrees.
It wouldn’t matter for hot climates like Darwin and Brisbane but it would be a white elephant for cooler places.
The three climate zones are:
- Hot - Brisbane, Darwin and Pacific Island.
- Average - Sydney, Perth and Adelaide
- Cold - Canberra, Hobart, Melbourne and New Zealand
Depending on where you live, read the white, grey or black ratings. The climatic conditions of different locations are simulated and the air conditioners' performance is tested to determine the energy rating.
Star Ratings
It shows the heating and cooling efficiency based on the three climate zones. The more stars, the higher will be the efficiency. Blue stars represent the cooling efficiency and red stars show the heating efficiency. You can also see the annual energy usage in kWh.
kWH - measures the amount of energy used per hour.
The lower the kWh numbers, the lower will be the cost to run the air conditioning unit. To find the annual operating costs, add the numbers in red and blue and multiply with your electricity tariff.
For example,
Cooling costs – 933 kWh
Heating costs - 93 kWh
Total - 1026 kWh
If you pay 30 cents per kilowatt-hour, then multiply energy usage with the electricity tariff to get the annual operating costs. In this case, it would cost you $307.8 to run the aircon.
Note: The actual costs might vary depending on your usage.
Noise
It gives the noise level of the aircon in decibels for the indoor and outdoor units.
The number mentioned inside the home is the noise generated by the inside unit and the other number is that of the outdoor unit.
To put the numbers in perspective:
- 40 dbA = noise in a quiet home
- 60 dBA - noise level in a typical conversation
How to use the new label?
- Find out the size of the room you are heating or cooling.
- Take professional advice to determine the right-sized aircon for your space. There are many other factors which are important like orientation, insulation, ceiling height and shading in your space will affect the efficiency significantly. Your air conditioning technician will be able to advise you on the right size for your new unit.
- Check the ZERL and compare air conditioners of the same size
- Find out which zone you are in
- Check the star ratings and determine whether air conditioners are efficient for your climate zone
- Calculate the running costs
- Compare products having the same labels, i.e. ZERL with ZERL label