Energy Efficient Cooling and Air Conditioning Tips
Air cooling and conditioning is one of the most important inventions of our time. They made summer blockbusters possible and also helped boost production for wartime supplies and airplanes.
However cooling places a significant strain on electricity systems and creates massive amounts of pollution. This particular IEA report aims to raise awareness of the impact of this demand and offers solutions.
Energy Efficiency
When choosing a new cooling system energy efficiency is a crucial factor. Making the switch to a more efficient air conditioner will save on your energy bills and reduce the environmental impact. Air conditioners are rated using a variety of energy efficiency ratings, such as SEER, EER, and HSPF. These ratings tell you how much an air conditioner can cool in a given amount of energy consumed. The higher the score, the more efficient the unit is. You can find the SEER rating of a system on its yellow Energy Guide label or by searching for “SEER ratings” online.
When looking for a brand new air conditioning unit, look for one that has a high SEER rating. This rating indicates how well the unit performs under normal conditions in a given season. A higher SEER rating will lower your energy consumption and costs when replacing an older model.
Other factors can impact energy efficiency in air conditioning systems, too. Insufficient humidity in the indoors, lack of maintenance and duct leaks for instance, could all cause your system to work harder and consume additional energy. Keeping up with routine maintenance and sealing duct leaks are simple steps to increase the efficiency of your system.
Large commercial cooling systems have particular energy efficiency considerations as well. These systems use a combination 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 becoming blocked.
Additionally to that, many of these huge systems are controlled by something known as a Building Automation System (BAS) that integrates all cooling and heating systems within the building into one centralized system. Verde has assisted clients in optimizing the performance of these systems with simple retrocommissioning suggestions that usually have quick paybacks and incentives for their implementation.
The global effort to combat the impact of climate change is largely dependent on the efficiency of energy used in cooling and air conditioning. We need to ensure that cooling appliances are efficient and that consumers are demanding them. In the meantime, there are a variety of actions we can take to help cut our energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
Indoor Air Quality
A large portion of people live their lives in buildings, and these structures can be a major health risk in the event that their indoor air quality isn’t good enough. There are many ways to improve IAQ and avoid common ailments like allergies, asthma fatigue, asthma, etc.
Particulate matter (PM) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and carbon dioxide are the three most common sources for pollution in modern homes and offices. These pollutants can be released into the atmosphere by a number of activities such as cooking, cleaning, and smoking. They can cause respiratory issues and allergies.
High levels of humidity can also wreak havoc on air quality. Moisture can encourage the growth of mold and mildew that can trigger respiratory problems. To prevent these issues it is crucial to keep an eye on humidity levels and ensure that the moisture level remains at a lower level. This can be done by regularly cleaning and vacuuming, washing bedding, soft furnishings and using a dehumidifier or humidifier using a hygrometer.
In addition to the obvious health benefits of improving IAQ in your home, it can improve the comfort of your home. A home that has high levels of air pollutants for instance, may smell musty. It can also cause irritated or itchy eyes and also a snoring sensation. These issues can be avoided by installing an air purifier, maintaining the HVAC system, and making sure that windows and doors are open for ventilation as required.
Poor air quality can cause headaches, problems with concentration and general unwellness. While these symptoms will be relieved after leaving a area, prolonged exposure could cause health problems that are already present and can even result in serious illness.
The main factor that affects IAQ is the rate at which fresh air replaces stale air, a process referred to as ventilation. This is influenced by the weather, occupancy rates, as well as the design of the building. However, simple steps can be taken to improve IAQ by adding plants to the house and opening doors and windows as much as possible, and ensuring that the HVAC system is operating effectively. If you’re looking to take it a further, we suggest that you consult a Comfort Specialist about an assessment of indoor air quality.
Smoke Pollution
Central air conditioning systems are great at filtering out biological pollutants such as molds, bacteria pollen, pet dander and mold. However, they do not remove smoke particles. The microscopic particles in smoke from wildfires are extremely dangerous, and they can easily enter your nose, eyes and throat, causing symptoms like burning eyes or itchy eyes, congestion, runny nose, and coughing. They can also cause irritation to the lungs and exacerbate chronic lung and heart conditions. Smoke particles can cause range of health issues, including bronchitis and aggravated asthma.
The smoke blanketing New York City this week was caused by forest fires in Canada, and it has created hazardous air quality conditions across much of the northern US and southern Canada. The thick smoke haze can reduce visibility and creates breathing problems for those who has to be outdoors.
There is no way to keep smoke from entering your home through windows and doors, especially in older homes that have a lot of cracks and drafts. However you can take steps to reduce the amount of smoke entering your building.
Keep all doors and windows shut when it’s smokey outside. This will reduce the amount of smoke by 30 percent. If you can, put wet towels around the door frames and cracks to slow the movement of smoky air into your home or office.
If your HVAC system has a recirculation function, make sure you shut it off when air is smoky. This will allow the system exhaust the smoky air directly outside instead of the air being recirculated inside. If you have ducts in your building that connect to areas that can generate high levels of pollutants, like parking garages with attached loading docks, you should be sure to have those ducts independently isolated from the rest of the duct system.
The EPA suggests changing your HVAC filters much more often during smokey conditions to ensure they’re effectively taking out the toxins in the air inside. Choose a filter with an efficiency reporting value (MERV) of 13 or greater, as these filters are designed to remove gases and smoke pollutants.
Supercooling
Supercooling is a green trend that’s become increasingly popular in recent years. It’s based upon the notion that electricity costs don’t vary by amount at any given time of the day. Most power companies offer “time of use” plans that have different peak and offpeak rates. Supercooling lets homeowners to cool their homes ahead of off-peak hours, meaning they don’t require air conditioners at those expensive summer peak hours.
This method requires a thermostat that can be adjusted automatically. Even so, homeowners still need to be aware of their electricity usage patterns to determine when their air conditioner is the most efficient. Many homeowners save around 25% or more on their energy bills through this method.
To supercool the home, the homeowner should set their AC to an lower temperature the following morning and keep it there for a few hours. This cools the floors, walls, furniture, and fixtures of the house as well as the air inside. Then, when peak energy-cost times arrive, the homeowner turns the air conditioning up and leaves it running until it’s off for several hours.
This method is efficient because it doesn’t only mean making the air inside the home cooler. It is essential to stop heat from getting into your home through windows, doors and other points that leak. That’s why homeowners should double-check that their home is sealed and cover any drafty or leaky areas. It is also recommended to use window coverings to block sun light particularly in areas that get direct sunlight that is bright during the hottest hours of the day. Additionally, they should make sure that all doors and windows are sealed tightly to prevent air from getting out during cooling cycles. They should also consider using smart thermostats to assist them remember when to begin and stop cooling. This will allow homeowners to cut down on their energy consumption without having to remember when to turn off or on the system.