Energy Efficient Cooling and Air Conditioning Tips
Air conditioning and cooling is one of the most important inventions of modern history. They made summer movie blockbusters possible and also helped boost production for wartime supplies and airplanes.
Cooling, however, puts an enormous strain on the power system and generates massive amounts of pollution. This special IEA Report aims to raise awareness of the impact and offers solutions.
Energy Efficiency
Energy efficiency is among the most important aspects when selecting a new cooling unit. Upgrade to an energy-efficient air conditioner and save money on energy bills, as well as reduce your environmental impact. The energy efficiency of air conditioners is assessed in various ways that include SEER and EER. These ratings tell you how much an air conditioner can cool using a specific amount of electricity. The higher the score, the more efficient the unit. The SEER rating of the system can be found on the yellow Energy Guide Label or by searching “SEER ratings”.
If you are in the market for an air conditioner that is new pick one with an A+ rating. This rating shows how well the unit performs under normal conditions during a given season. If you’re replacing an older model with a higher SEER rating will significantly reduce your energy consumption and expenses.
Air conditioning systems can be affected by other causes too. A high humidity indoors, a insufficient maintenance and leaks in ducts, for instance, can make your system be more demanding and consume more energy. Maintaining your system with regular maintenance and sealing leaks in ducts are easy ways to improve the efficiency of your system.
Commercial cooling systems are also susceptible to concerns about energy efficiency. These systems often make use of an array of packaged or split compressors that have huge pipe networks to deliver cooling throughout the building. These systems could also incorporate steam systems that require special maintenance to prevent the pipes from getting blocked.
Many of these large systems can also be controlled by an Building Automation System, which connects the cooling and heating systems into one centralized system. Verde has helped optimize the performance of systems by providing retrocommissioning recommendations that provide quick paybacks.
Energy efficiency in cooling and air conditioning is a major component of global efforts to combat climate change. In the end, we must ensure that manufacturers introduce super-efficient cooling appliances to market, and that consumers are demanding them. In the meantime we can take additional steps to reduce our energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.
Indoor Air Quality
Indoor air quality can be an important health issue for those who spend a large part of their lives in buildings. There are many ways to improve IAQ and avoid common ailments like asthma, allergies fatigue, allergies, etc.
Particulate matter (PM) as well as 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 through a variety of actions such as cooking, cleaning and smoking. They can trigger allergies and respiratory problems.
High levels of humidity can also create havoc on air quality. Mildew and mold can thrive in humid air, which can cause respiratory problems. To prevent these issues it is crucial to monitor humidity and keep the moisture at a low level. The best method to do this is by regularly dusting and vacuuming, cleaning bedding and furniture and utilizing the dehumidifier or humidifier when needed based on the readings of a hygrometer.
In addition to the obvious health benefits of improving IAQ, it can also increase comfort in your home. For instance, a home with a lot of air pollution can be stale and smell unpleasant. It can also trigger irritated or itchy eyes as well as a stuffy sensation. Installing an air purifier and keeping the HVAC system can help to keep these issues from happening. Also, ensure that you open your windows and doors for ventilation when needed.
Poor air quality can cause headaches, difficulty concentrating and a general feeling of unwellness. These symptoms may improve after leaving the space however prolonged exposure to poor quality air could exacerbate existing health issues or even trigger serious illness.
Ventilation is the primary factor that affects IAQ. This can be influenced by the weather, room occupancy rates, and also the design of the building. There are simple ways to improve IAQ. These include adding plants to the home, opening the doors and windows whenever possible, and ensuring that the HVAC system is operating effectively. If you’re looking to go a step further, we suggest you talk to a Comfort Specialist for an assessment of indoor air quality.
Smoke Pollution
While heat pumps and central air conditioners do a great job of filtering out most biological pollutants, including bacteria, molds, pet dander, and pollen, they are not designed to eliminate smoke particles. Wildfire smoke contains microscopic particles that can cause symptoms like burning or itchy eyes, congestion, runny nasal and coughing. They can also cause irritation to your lungs and cause worsening of chronic lung and heart conditions. Smoke particles can cause variety health effects like bronchitis, as well as aggravation of asthma.
The smoke that has blanketed New York City this week is the result of forest fires in Canada and is causing dangerous air quality conditions throughout much of the northern US and southern Canada. The thick smoky haze decreases visibility and can cause breathing difficulties for those who must be outdoors.
There is no way to prevent smoke from entering your home through doors and windows particularly 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 smoky. This can reduce the amount of smoke in the outside air by 30 percent. Place damp towels in the cracks and around door frames to reduce the flow of smoky ai.
If your HVAC system has a recirculation function, make sure you shut it off when air is smoky. This allows your HVAC system to take the smokey indoor air, rather than recirculating it. If you have ducts within your building connected to areas that may produce high concentrations of pollutants, like parking garages that are attached to the building and loading docks, you should be sure to have those ducts separate from the rest of the duct system.
The EPA recommends changing your HVAC filters much more often in the event of smoke to ensure that they are effective in eliminating the toxins from the air inside. Choose a filter that has a minimum reporting value (MERV) which is 13 or more. These filters are designed to get rid of smoke and gaseous air pollution.
Supercooling
Supercooling is a trend to save energy that has become more popular in recent years. It’s based on the notion that electricity prices are different at different times of the day. In fact, many power companies offer “time-of-use” plans that feature different off-peak and peak rates. Supercooling lets homeowners pre-cool their homes in off-peak hours, so they don’t need to run their air conditioners during the high-cost summer peak hours.
This requires an automatic thermostat that can be programmed. However homeowners must take the time to analyze their patterns of usage of electricity to determine when their air conditioner is most cost-effective. A lot of people save 25% or more on their energy bills through this method.
To supercool the home, the homeowner set their air conditioner to lower temperatures in the morning and keeps it at the same setting for a couple of hours. This cools the home’s walls, floors, furnishings and fixtures as well as the inside air. Then, when peak energy-cost hours hit the homeowner, he or she turns the air conditioning up and then leaves it running until it shuts off for a few hours.
This strategy is effective because cooling doesn’t just mean making the air inside the house cooler. It’s also about stopping heat from getting into the house through windows, doors and other leak points. It’s important that homeowners double-check the insulation of their home and cover any drafty or leaky areas. It is also recommended to use blinds to block out sun, especially those that get bright direct sunlight during the hottest times of the daytime. Also it is important to ensure that all windows and doors are tightly sealed to stop air from escape during cooling cycles. Additionally, they should think about using smart thermostats that can assist them in ensuring that they start and stop cooling at the most optimal times of the day. This allows homeowners to keep their energy bills low without worrying about forgetting to switch off or on.