Energy conversion efficiency is the ratio of useful energy produced to energy input in a device. It is expressed as a percentage or number from zero to one. Environmental factors can affect efficiency, and wasted energy reduces overall efficiency.
“Energy conversion efficiency” is a term used to describe the amount of useful energy produced that results from a given energy input into a device used to convert energy from one form to another. A solar energy converter, for example, converts radiant energy from the sun into usable electricity that can be used to power electrical devices. The ratio of the energy produced to the energy input of this process describes the overall energy conversion efficiency of the solar energy converter. Knowing efficiency is important if you want to estimate how much useful output a given conversion process or device will receive. In some cases, overall efficiency over time will be affected by factors unrelated to the device; a solar power converter, for example, only works during the day and is negatively affected by clouds.
A converter device can lose efficiency in various ways. Some devices intended to convert one form of energy into another lose energy as heat. An engine intended to convert chemical energy into work or engine power may, for example, release energy in the form of heat. This heat does not contribute to the desired output of work, so it is wasted energy. As such, it comes at the expense of overall energy conversion efficiency, as only the desired output is factored into the ratio of output to input.
The energy conversion efficiency ratio of output to input is usually expressed as a percentage from zero to 100 percent or as a number from zero to one. This number has no unit or dimension; it is simply a ratio of the energy received from a conversion to the energy input into the conversion. A device or process with a high energy conversion efficiency will have a ratio closer to one or 100 percent, while a low energy conversion efficiency is represented by a ratio closer to zero or zero percent .
Energy conversion efficiency is generally only used to describe a device when it is working properly and under good circumstances. It should be remembered, however, that a variety of environmental factors can negatively impact overall efficiency, as well as overall equipment degradation over time. Clouds can negatively impact the efficiency of a solar energy converter just as windless days can reduce the efficiency of windmills. Even a device with near perfect energy conversion energy will be next to useless if the input power source is simply not available.
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