Understanding the Energy Efficiency/Star Ratings (EER) of the AC

Understanding the Energy Efficiency/Star Ratings of the AC’s available in the market is important because an inefficient AC can be quite expensive to run, and nowadays all firms provide this kind of data on their AC/Refrigerator models.

Here is a link to a document on the website of Bureau of Energy Efficiency which lists the star ratings of many AC models available in India:

http://bee-india.nic.in/Label-launch/BEELabeledAppliances/AirConditioners.doc

The higher the star rating, the better the AC.

Overview of EER and Star Ratings:

AC’s are rated in tonnage for their cooling power. But a tonnage means about 12,000 Btu/hr of cooling capacity. Therefore, 1.5 tons AC corresponds to 18,000 BTU/h. Moreover, a tonnage equals 3.5 kW approx.

Now, the tonnage tells about the output of the AC, i.e., its cooling capacity. But to find out its efficiency, we need find out its power consumption as well. Assuming it to be watts, the EER or Energy Efficiency Ratio is defined as:

The ratio arrived at, by dividing the Cooling Capacity of the Air conditioner, by the electrical power input expressed in Watts. The formula is:

EER = (Cooling capacity in Watts)/Electrical consumption in Watts

The higher the EER, the better the efficiency.

The Bureau of Energy Efficiency arrives at Star Ratings after testing the various models of AC’s available in India. Following is the table used for certifying ACs with star ratings:

Although these limits have been moved up this year (by .2 EER each) the document specified earlier seems to be following this table only. This table, and the rating and labeling is explained in the doc available at http://bee-india.nic.in/Label-launch/Schedule3-RAC.pdf

Let’s take a typical example: a 1.5 ton AC = 5.25 kW = 4.8 kW at 90% cooling efficiency factor having a power consumption of 1900 Watts has an EER of 4800/1900 = 2.53 approx. and would have a star rating of 2 according to the table above.

If compared with a non star rated AC, having an EER of 2.2 for example, and hence an energy consumption of 4800/2.2 = 2182 Watts approx. the difference in electrical power consumption comes out to be about 282 watts (2182-1900). Assuming usage of 8 hours per day for 4 months per year, the total energy consumption comes out to be 8 hrs x 120 days x 282 watts = 270720 Watt hours or 270.72 kW-Hr.

Multiply with rate of electrical unit (say for example it falls in 101-200 units a month range, taking average of Rs. 2.5 per unit), the difference in expenditure comes out to be about 270.72 x 2.5 = Rs. 676.80. ( 1 unit = 1 kw-Hr)

Now, one would have to calculate these savings by putting in the exact values for the AC cooling capacity, the power consumption and the usage. The document specified earlier lists several ACs and their EER and Star Ratings which can be used for this purpose.

After this, one would need to decide if the extra capital expenditure initially, for a higher star rated AC, is justified by the savings in power consumption over the lifetime of the AC. (Playing the devil’s advocate here, because there is also a reason for buying higher efficient ACs regardless of one’s actual usage as it is better for the environment.)

Hope this data helps us in purchasing the right AC.

TOI Article : How Agra got the Taj

"Wahan toh road bahut kharab hai", was our guide's first reaction, when informed about the intention to visit Mumtaz Mahal's grave, or kabr . It is early morning in Burhanpur, a small town in southern Madhya Pradesh, near the Maharashtra border, and despite the threat of the kharab road, we set out for the kabr . Not many would have heard of Burhanpur today, but it occupied a prominent place in the empire during Mughal times, since it was a strategic point from which to control the Deccan region. It was here that Shah Jahan spent a considerable number of years as governor of the Deccan region, before his ascension to the throne. And it was in Burhanpur, two years after he became the emperor — on June 17, 1631, to be precise — that his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal passed away, while giving birth to their 14th child. A grief-stricken emperor had her laid to rest near the banks of the Tapti river and a monument was built, where her remains were kept. Simultaneously, work also started on a grand mausoleum near the kabr . Shah Jahan wanted it to be a monument of unparalleled beauty, conceptualised in white marble, whose reflection in the Tapti river would increase its beauty manifold. Yes, the Taj Mahal was initially planned to be built at Burhanpur. However, destiny had other plans. Today, the vast stretches of open land on the banks of the Tapti river, near Mumtaz Mahal's kabr in Burhanpur, stand mute testimony to what could have been.

By the time we reach the kabr , located almost 10 km away from the town of Burhanpur, the sun is shining brightly overhead. A few kilometres away from our destinition, the road gives way to a wobbly dust track that finally leads to a monument, now largely a ruin. A signboard next to it proclaims it as Begum Mumtaz Mahal ki kabr and claims that it is ostensibly protected by the state archaeology department. Two boys, playing cricket nearby, offer to show us around the ruins. We go down a flight of stairs to a small chamber, where Mumtaz Mahal's body was presumably buried. Debris and rubble now covers the floor. Sometime back, we are informed, the ground here was levelled. So, any sign of a kabr has now disappeared. The ruins of a masjid, built in her memory, lie nearby. This state of disrepair is a little ironical because almost 400 years ago — during Shah Jahan's time — this complex would perhaps have been one of the most important buildings of the Mughal empire. One can almost visualise the scenes that must have unfolded here. History books tell us that Shah Jahan was devotedly attached to Mumtaz Mahal, to a degree rarely seen in polygamous households, especially royal ones. Her death, therefore, had a profound impact on him, with one account suggesting that because of the shock, his hair turned completely grey. His grief found other expressions too. Every Friday, it is believed, the emperor would come to the kabr and light a lamp in his wife's memory, even as maulvis recited verses from the Quran and pandits chanted shlokas near the burial chamber. In fact, the alcoves where the lamps were lit — known as chiraagdaan — can still be seen in the wall around the complex. Much of the surrounding landscape has also not changed, with the Tapti river flowing placidly nearby, as it would have, during those times. No wonder then, that Shah Jahan wanted to have his Taj built here. Three things, however, prevented this from happening, says Vinit Sharma, head of the history department of Burhanpur's Seva Sadan college. "First, there were logistical problems in transporting marble from the quarries in Makrana in Rajasthan to Burhanpur. Then, when the builders evaluated the site, they found that the black soil along the Tapti could not support the weight of a structure of the magnitude that they were planning. They advised Shah Jahan to shift the mausoleum away from the river, but he was adamant that it should be built along the river, so that he could see its reflection. Therefore, the hunt began for a better location and finally, the project was shifted to Agra. Being the capital of the empire, it was felt to be a more practical choice, since the emperor could then visit the mausoleum more frequently. Further, its proximity to marble quarries and the presence of better soil along the Yamuna also went in its favour," says Sharma. While the location of the mausoleum was being decided, Mumtaz Mahal's body remained in the kabr at Burhanpur. It is generally believed that it was kept here for six months and a temporary burial, known as amanat was performed, although there is no clear account of whether the body was preserved. However, according to Armanul Haq of Jamia Hamdard, who published a research on this subject some years ago, Mumtaz Mahal's body would have been preserved according to Unani techniques. In his research report, Haq says that the body was probably kept in an air-tight box, filled with herbs like camphor, acacia, sandalwood, ash etc, that created a vacuum and prevented it from decaying. Since Islam prohibits cutting a body after death, these herbs were packed tightly in layers around the body, points out Haq. However, according to Sharma, it is highly unlikely that the body could have been preserved for long. By the time it would have been taken to Agra, only the skeleton would have remained, he says. Nevertheless, it is fascinating to know that Mumtaz Mahal's body was buried at three different places at various times. According to KK Muhammad, superintending archaeologist of Bhopal circle, first the body was kept at the royal hunting palace, the ahukhana, located near the kabr in Burhanpur. Here, the ceremony of takfeen or wrapping it in a kafan was performed, before it was taken to the kabr , where it was interred for six months. It was then taken to Agra where it was buried for a few years, while the Taj Mahal was being built, before finally being shifted to its ultimate resting place in the monument's basement. The Taj, of course, has been associated with Mumtaz Mahal for centuries and has got its due recognition. But perhaps, it's time the other monuments that have played their part in this saga — like the kabr and ahukhana in Burhanpur — also get their due. For, Agra may have got the Taj, but the story behind it, still reverbrates in these monuments in Burhanpur.

Original article at - http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/How_Agra_got_the_Taj/articleshow/2929624.cms

Signinficance of position of Moles on Women's Face

Classic Chinese Face Reading : Moles on Women's Face

Moles on your face are like stones in your house. When appearing in the living room (your forehead and cheeks), they mess the look of your household; when showing up in the corridors (your nose and mouth), they block the passage. But if they emerge in the undergrowth (your hair) or below a rock (you torso) in your backyard (a private place away from public view), they could form a little wonder of the landscape (your fortunes-cape).


1 Uncontrollable sexual lust
2 Bad luck to sister-in-laws
3 Bad luck to parents
4 Lack of assistance
5 Multiple marriages


6 Bad luck to family
7 Bad luck to husband
8 Indulge in sexual lust
9 Prone to have trouble during childbirth
10 Prone to accident when traveling

11 Happy marriage
12 Be guest
13 Luck
14 Fortune
15 Happy marriage


16 Respect and nobility
17 Indulge in sexual lust
18 Prone to be harmed
19 Good luck to your husband
20 Secure and stable life


21 Great wealth
22 Good luck to your husband
23 Misfortune
24 Blessing
25 Prone to accident with water


26 Good luck to junior female family members
27 Good luck to children
28 Good luck to husband's career
29 Prone to lose husband
30 Bad luck to husband


31 Good luck
32 Tears of sadness
33 Bad luck to children
34 Misfortune
35 Bad luck to husband


36 Prone to fire accident
37 Less fertile
38 Indulge in sexual lust
39 Prone to gossip
40 Prone to be robbed


41 Longevity
42 Prone to self-harm
43 Prone to jealous
44 Prone to accident with water
45 Low self-esteem


46 Bad luck to husband
47 Prone to give birth to twins
48 Low self-esteem
49 Prone to lose children


50 Prone to argument
51 Bad luck to husband
52 Longevity
53 Back luck to subordinates
54 Prone to accident with water
55 Lack of assets


56 Enjoyment of food
57 High intelligence
58 Rich assets
59 Prone to accident with water
60 Ill health


61 Short of money
62 Secure and abundant life
63 Filial piety
64 High intelligence
65 Good husband
.

This information is originally avaialable at http://wenhousecrafts.com/facereading/moles2.htm#22

Significance of position of Moles on Men's Face

Classic Chinese Face Reading : Moles on Men's Face

Moles on your face are like stones in your house. When appearing in the living room (your forehead and cheeks), they mess the look of your household; when showing up in the corridors (your nose and mouth), they block the passage. But if they emerge in the undergrowth (your hair) or below a rock (you torso) in your backyard (a private place away from public view), they could form a little wonder of the landscape (your fortunes-cape).

1 An illness and accident prone childhood
2 Inherited huge wealth
3 Bad luck to your mother
4 Bad luck to your parents
5 Bad luck to your father

6 Fortune and longevity
7 Quick temper
8 Fortune and talent
9 Big wealth
10 Will live and die in a place away from your hometown

11 Prone to accident when traveling
12 Wealth
13 High position
14 Property
15 Supreme luck

16 Nobility
17 Property
18 Big wealth
19 Will have to work hard in order to achieve longevity
20 Prone to accident with fire

21 Supreme luck
22 wealth
23 Misfortune
24 A career in government
25 Supreme Luck

26 Prone to accident with water
27 Disaster prone
28 Misfortune
29 Good luck
30 Less fertile

31 No descendants
32 Prone to lose descendants
33 Misfortune
34 Misfortune
35 Bad luck to your father

36 Bad luck to your wife
37 Bad luck to your mother
38 Bad luck to your children
39 Uncontrollable sexual lust
40 Disaster prone

41 Prone to accident with water
42 Prone to accident with cattle and horse
43 Obsessed with clothing
44 Greedy
45 Longevity

46 Prone to accident with water
47 Good luck in gaining wealth
48 High intelligence
49 Longevity
50 Prone to gossip

51 Greedy
52 Prone to argument
53 Good luck in gaining big wealth
54 Luck and fortune
55 High intelligence

56 Enjoyment of abundant food and drink
57 Prone to alcohol-related disaster
58 Enjoyment of gourmet food and good life
59 Blessing
60 Prone to lose wife

61 Bad luck to your wife
62 Prone to clash with law
63 Romance
64 Good luck
65 Filial piety
66 Good luck
67 High intelligence

Information mentioned here is originally available at http://wenhousecrafts.com/facereading/moles.htm#15