Energy Efficient Cooling and Air Conditioning Tips
Cooling and air conditioning are among the most important inventions of the history of modern times. They made summer blockbusters possible and also helped boost production for wartime supplies and aircrafts.
However cooling places a significant burden on electrical systems and creates massive amounts of pollution. This special IEA report aims to raise awareness of the effects of this demand, and offers solutions.
Energy Efficiency
Efficiency in energy is one of the most important factors to consider when selecting a new cooling system. Upgrade to a more efficient air conditioner and reduce your energy costs and reduce the environmental impact. The energy efficiency of air conditioners is evaluated in a variety of ways that include SEER and EER. These ratings indicate how much a unit is able to cool in a given amount of electricity consumed. The higher the rating, the more efficient the unit. The SEER rating of a system can be found on its yellow Energy Guide Label or by searching “SEER ratings”.
When shopping for a new air conditioning unit, look for one with a good SEER rating. This rating indicates how well the unit performs under normal conditions during a given season. A higher SEER rating will reduce your energy consumption and costs in the event that you replace an older model.
Other factors can impact energy efficiency in air conditioning systems, too. For example, high indoor humidity levels, lack of maintenance, and duct leaks can all make your system work harder and consume more energy. Regular maintenance and sealing of ducts leaks are easy ways to increase the efficiency of your system.
Large commercial cooling systems come with their own energy efficiency considerations as well. They use a combination of packaged or split-compressors and huge pipe networks to distribute cooling throughout the building. These systems may also include steam systems that require specialized maintenance in order to prevent the pipes from getting blocked.
In addition the majority of these massive systems are controlled by what’s known as a Building Automation System (BAS), which integrates all cooling and heating systems in the building into one central system. Verde has been able to improve the performance of the systems by offering retrocommissioning recommendations that provide rapid paybacks.
Energy efficiency in cooling and air conditioning is a key component of global efforts to mitigate climate change. In the end, we must ensure that manufacturers bring super-efficient cooling appliances to market, and consumers want them. In the meantime we can take additional steps to reduce our energy consumption and greenhouse gases emissions.
Indoor Air Quality
A lot of people spend the majority of their lives in buildings, and these structures could be a major health risk in the event that their indoor air quality isn’t good enough. Fortunately, there are a number of ways to improve IAQ and prevent common problems such as asthma, allergies, and fatigue.
Particulate matter (PM) as well as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and carbon dioxide are the three main sources for pollution in modern offices and homes. These pollutants are released into the air due to many different activities, such as cooking, cleaning, or smoking cigarettes, and can cause respiratory problems and allergic reactions.
High levels of moisture can also have a negative effect on the quality of air. Moisture can encourage the growth of mildew and mold which can cause respiratory problems. Monitoring humidity and keeping the moisture level at a minimum is crucial to avoid these issues. This can be achieved by regularly vacuuming and dusting, washing bedding, soft furnishings and using a humidifier or dehumidifier using a hygrometer.
In addition to the obvious health benefits of improving IAQ It can also improve the comfort of your home. For instance, a house with high air pollutants can become musty and smell unpleasant. It can also cause irritation or itchy eyes and also a snoring sensation. Installing an air purifier and maintaining the HVAC system can help to keep these issues from happening. Also, make sure that you open your windows and doors to let air flow in when needed.
Symptoms of poor air quality are varied and can include headaches difficulty in concentrating, and general feeling of malaise. Although these symptoms may resolve themselves after leaving a area, prolonged exposure could exacerbate existing health conditions and can even result in serious health issues.
Ventilation is the primary factor that impacts IAQ. This is influenced by the weather, room occupancy rates, as well as the design of the structure. But, a few simple steps can be taken to improve IAQ, including introducing plants into the house opening up windows and doors whenever possible, and ensuring that the HVAC system is operating correctly. If you’re looking to go a step further, we suggest you speak with a Comfort Specialist regarding an indoor air assessment.
Smoke Pollution
Heat pumps and central air conditioning systems are great at filtering out biological contaminants like bacteria, molds, pet dander and pollen. However they are not able to remove smoke particles. Smoke from wildfires contains microscopic particles which can cause symptoms such as burning or itchy eye congested nasal, runny nose and coughing. They can also irritate your lungs and cause worsening of chronic lung and heart problems. The fine particles that are invisible in smoke can lodge deep into your lung, triggering a myriad of health effects, including worsened asthma, bronchitis and damage to your heart and lungs.
The smoke that has blanketed New York City this week has been caused by forest fires in Canada and is causing dangerous air quality conditions across much of the northern US and southern Canada. The thick smoke haze can reduce visibility and can cause respiratory stress for anyone who is outdoors.
There is no way to prevent smoke from getting into your home through doors and windows, especially in older homes with a lot of drafts and cracks. You can take steps to reduce the amount of smoke entering your building.
Close all doors and windows when it’s smokey. This can cut down on the amount of smoke in the outside air by 30%. If you can, put wet towels on the door frames and cracks in order to slow the flow of smoke into your home or business.
If your HVAC system has the recirculation feature, make sure to switch off the recirculation mode during smoke conditions. This will allow the system to eliminate the smoke outside, rather than the air being recirculated inside. If your building has ducts that connect to areas where contamination is likely to be high, such as loading docks or parking garages, you should ensure that the ducts are separated from the rest of.
The EPA suggests that you change your HVAC filters more frequently in the event of smoke to ensure that they are effectively removing pollutants from the air in your home. Choose a filter that has an MERV that is at least (MERV) that is 13 or greater. These filters are designed to eliminate gaseous air pollution and smoke.
Supercooling
In recent years, supercooling has become an energy-saving method that is popular. It’s based upon the notion that electricity costs don’t vary by amount at any time of the day. Most energy companies offer “time of use” plans with different rates for off-peak and peak times. Supercooling allows homeowners to pre-cool their homes in off-peak times so that they don’t need to run their air conditioners during high-cost summer peak hours.
This method requires a programmable thermostat that can adjust automatically. Even with this, homeowners still need to take the time to analyze their usage patterns for electricity to determine when their air conditioner is most cost-effective. A lot of people save 25% or more off their energy bills through this method.
To cool the house homeowners should set their air conditioner at a lower temperature the next morning and then keep it there for a few more hours. This cools the floors, walls, furniture, and fixtures of the house as well as the air inside. Then, when the peak energy-cost hours hit the homeowner, he or she turns the air conditioning up and runs it until it is turned off for several hours.
This strategy is effective since cooling doesn’t just refer to making the air inside the home cooler. It also aims to prevent heat from entering the house through doors, windows and other leak points. That’s why homeowners should double-check that their home is properly insulated and make sure to insulate any drafty or leaky areas. Also, they should cover windows to block out sun, especially in areas that get direct sunlight during the hottest parts of the day. Also, they should ensure that all doors and windows are tightly sealed to prevent air from escape during cooling cycles. Finally, they should consider installing smart thermostats that will help them remember to start and stop cooling at the ideal times of the day. This will allow homeowners to keep their energy costs low without worrying about forgetting to turn the system off or on.