Reading energy labels: EER, CEER and what importers should publish
Energy figures sell portable air conditioners, but they only work if the number on the label matches the standard your market recognises. Here is how to keep them consistent.
What the ratio actually measures
Efficiency is expressed as a ratio of cooling output to electrical input. A unit that delivers 2,600 W of cooling for 950 W of input has a ratio of about 2.6. The higher the ratio, the less electricity is used to move the same amount of heat.
Portable units are rated differently from split systems, because the condenser sits inside the room and part of the heat it rejects returns to the space being cooled. That is why a portable unit and a split unit with the same nominal efficiency figure do not perform identically in use.
Different markets, different test bases
Energy labelling schemes do not all use the same test basis. Some markets reference a seasonal or adjusted figure, others use a steady-state ratio at defined conditions, and the declared value has to come from the standard that the destination market recognises.
The safe approach is to confirm the applicable test standard with the testing laboratory for each destination before artwork is finalised, then state both the figure and the basis on the label and in the datasheet.
Keeping catalogue and label consistent
Mismatches usually come from documentation drift rather than from the product: a datasheet is revised, the label artwork is not, or a distributor publishes an older figure online. Because the label is part of market surveillance, inconsistency between catalogue, label and test report is one of the easier problems to avoid.
- Version the datasheet and the label artwork together
- Publish the test standard next to the efficiency figure
- Re-check labels when the compressor, refrigerant or control board changes
- Keep a tested sample of each label version on file with the report
