The truth is: every electric heater on the market is '100% efficient', yes even portable electric heaters.
Electric fan heaters are very power intensive, consuming a lot of electricity even in a short space of heating time. Electricity prices are also on the rise, so you'll want to limit your usage of your electric fan heater only to when it's really necessary.
Electric resistance heating is 100% energy efficient in the sense that all the incoming electric energy is converted to heat. However, most electricity is produced from coal, gas, or oil generators that convert only about 30% of the fuel's energy into electricity.
At point of use electric heaters are 100% efficient and there's one big reason for that – every watt of power they draw from the wall is turned into usable heat, which means nothing is wasted. This is in stark contrast to gas central heating which is famously inefficient for a number of reasons.
Efficiencies cannot exceed 100%, which would result in a perpetual motion machine, which is impossible. However, other effectiveness measures that can exceed 1.0 are used for refrigerators, heat pumps and other devices that move heat rather than convert it.
It is impossible for heat engines to achieve 100% thermal efficiency () according to the Second law of thermodynamics. This is impossible because some waste heat is always produced produced in a heat engine, shown in Figure 1 by the term.
Reverse cycle split system air conditioners (A.K.A heat pumps) – the most energy efficient electric heater. 5 and 6 star reverse cycle units can be even cheaper to run than gas heaters, producing just one-fifth of the greenhouse gas emissions that a standard electric heater creates.
The efficiency of an ideal machine should be 100% but the efficiency of a practical machine is always less than 100% according to the second law of thermodynamics. The second law of thermodynamics states that as energy is transferred or transformed, more and more of it is wasted.
Because technology wasn't as advanced in the late 20th century, the electric radiators that were installed back then tend to be less efficient and consume a lot of energy. This not only creates high energy bills but is also at odds with our goals for a more sustainable future.
Infrared panels are a highly efficient heating solution, ideal for use over long periods. Using 100% radiant heat to warm people and surfaces directly, infrared panels include a wide range of programming options and energy-saving features.
Infrared heaters are the most efficient type of heater available. They use very little electricity to generate heat, and they provide a lot of heat for their size. Infrared heaters are also very safe to use, as they do not emit any harmful radiation. Oil-filled heaters are another type of heater that is very efficient.
Traditional Fan Heaters vs Ceramic Fan Heaters
While conventional fan heaters relies only on heating wires to heat the air, ceramic fan heaters use a ceramic heating plate, which get heated by the electricy and heats up the surrounding air.
Choose the heater based on your room size
The size of your room is a crucial factor when selecting a room heater. For smaller spaces like cubicles, consider regular halogen heaters. Fan-based room heaters are ideal for slightly larger areas.
Fan heaters and infrared heaters reduce the oxygen levels and humidity in the room which can cause dry eyes and nasal blockage over the long term. It is advisable to keep a bucket of water in the corner of the room or use a humidifier to prevent significant dehydration."
If you want to heat a room for an hour or two, then a fan heater is a good option. However if you're working all day in the room and running it all day too, it will not be as cost-effective.
Heat Losses: Electric heaters can experience heat losses through conduction, convection, and radiation. Conductive losses occur when heat is transferred through the material of the heater itself, while convective losses occur when the hot air generated by the heater escapes into the surroundings.
Infrared heaters excel in energy efficiency and quiet operation, ideal for poorly insulated spaces, while ceramic heaters offer immediate warmth and portability, suitable for smaller, well-insulated areas.
But in general, since central heating powered by natural gas is cheaper than heat from electricity, heating a large space will cost less with an HVAC system that runs on gas.
In a machine, there is always some loss of energy due to friction between different parts of the machine, as a result of which the output of the machine is always less than the input.
In practice no machine can achieve 100% efficiency. When you mean 100% efficiency it means your input energy should be completely transformed to output energy. This is against the thermodynamic law.
Oil-filled heaters can be very energy efficient, especially for long-term use. Once the oil is heated, these heaters can continue to provide warmth even after being turned off, using less electricity overall.
Example (you can use an electric heater running cost calculator below for different wattages/kWh prices): If we assume the price of electricity is $0.1319 per kWh, a 1,500-watt electric space heater will cost; $0.20 to run per hour. $4.80 to run per 24 hours (day). $11.20 to run per week (8h/day).
Modern models use ceramic elements, which get more resistant as they get hotter (they have a “positive thermal coefficient”). This means they produce heat more quickly and retain it better, making them cheaper to run than fan heaters used to be – as long as you use the thermostat wisely.