Energy Efficient Cooling and Air Conditioning Tips
Air conditioning and cooling are among the most important inventions of the past century. They were instrumental in making summer blockbusters, wartime planes and supplies possible.
However, cooling puts a large demand on electric systems and generates huge quantities of pollution. This special IEA Report raises awareness of the impact and provides solutions.
Energy Efficiency
When choosing an air conditioner energy efficiency is an important factor. Making the switch to a more efficient air conditioner will save on your energy bills and reduce the environmental impact. Air conditioning units are rated with several different energy efficiency ratings, including SEER, EER, and HSPF. These ratings indicate how much a unit is able to cool for a given amount of power consumed. The higher the rating the more efficient the unit is. The SEER rating of a system can be found on its yellow Energy Guide Label or by searching “SEER ratings”.
If you are looking for a new air conditioner look for one that has an A+ rating. This rating reveals how the unit performs in normal conditions during a particular season. A higher SEER rating will reduce the cost of energy and consumption if you are replacing an older model.
Other factors can affect energy efficiency in air conditioning systems too. A high humidity indoors, a insufficient maintenance and leaks in ducts, for example, can all cause your system to be more demanding and consume more energy. Regular maintenance and sealing leaks in ducts are simple ways to increase the efficiency of your system.
Commercial cooling systems are also subject to energy efficiency concerns. These systems make use of a combination of split- or packaged compressors, as well as huge pipe networks to provide cooling throughout the building. They might also have steam systems, which require specialized maintenance to prevent the pipes from becoming blocked.
A lot of these huge systems can also be controlled by an Building Automation System, which connects the cooling and heating systems into a single centralized system. Verde has helped optimize the efficiency of the systems by offering retrocommissioning strategies that offer rapid paybacks.
The global effort to reduce climate change is heavily dependent on the efficiency of cooling and air conditioning. In the end, we have to ensure that manufacturers bring highly efficient cooling devices to market, and that consumers want them. In the meantime, there are other ways we can reduce our energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
Indoor Air Quality
Indoor air quality can be a serious health concern for many people who spend a large part of their time in buildings. There are numerous ways to improve IAQ and prevent common problems such as asthma, allergies fatigue, asthma, etc.
Particulate matter and volatile organic compounds and carbon dioxide are three of the most frequent sources of pollution in modern office and home buildings. These pollutants can be released into the air by a number of activities like cooking, cleaning, and smoking. They can cause respiratory issues and allergies.
The high levels of humidity can also wreak havoc on air quality. Moisture can encourage the growth of mildew and mold, which can trigger respiratory problems. To prevent this from happening it is crucial to keep an eye on humidity levels and ensure that the moisture level remains at a lower level. The best way to accomplish this is to regularly dust and vacuuming, washing furniture and bedding and utilizing an air dehumidifier and humidifier if necessary based on hygrometer readings.
Apart from the obvious health benefits as well as the obvious health benefits, improving IAQ can improve the comfort of the home. For instance, a home with high air pollutants can be stale and smell unpleasant. It can also trigger irritation to eyes, itchy skin, and a stuffy feeling. Installing an air purifier and keeping the HVAC system can help to keep these issues from happening. Also, make sure that you open windows and doors to let air flow in when needed.
Poor air quality can lead to headaches, concentration problems and general malaise. Although these symptoms may disappear after leaving the space, prolonged exposure to air pollution can worsen existing health issues and could lead to serious health issues.
The primary factor that affects IAQ is the speed that fresh air replaces the old air, a process that is known as ventilation. This can be affected by the weather, the occupancy rate of the room, and the design. There are a few easy ways to improve IAQ. This can be done by introducing plants in the home, opening the doors and windows as often as possible, and ensuring that the HVAC system works properly. If you want to go one step further, we recommend that you speak with a Comfort Specialist regarding an indoor air quality assessment.
Smoke Pollution
Heat pumps and central air conditioning systems are excellent in removing biological pollutants like molds, bacteria, pet dander and pollen. However they are not able to remove smoke particles. The tiny particles that make up smoke from wildfires are extremely dangerous and easily get into your eyes, nose and throat, which can cause symptoms like burning or itchy eyes, congestion, runny nose, and coughing. They can also cause irritation to your lungs and worsen chronic heart and lung conditions. The fine particles that are invisible in smoke can get stuck in your lung, triggering a myriad of health effects such as an increase in asthma, bronchitis, and damage to your lung and heart.
The smoke blanketing New York City this week is the result of forest fires in Canada, and it is causing hazardous air quality conditions throughout much of the northern US and southern Canada. The dense smoky haze reduces visibility and can cause breathing difficulties for those who is outdoors.
There is no way to prevent smoke from entering your home through your windows and doors particularly in older homes with many cracks and drafts. However you can take steps to minimize the amount of smoke that enters your home or business.
Close all windows and doors when it’s smokey. This will reduce the amount of smoke by 30 percent. If you can, place damp towels around the door frames and cracks in order to slow the flow of smoke into your business or home.
If your HVAC system has a recirculation function, make sure to turn it off when the air is smoking. This will allow your HVAC system to exhaust the smoky indoor air, rather than returning it. If you have ducts within your building that connect to areas that may produce high concentrations of pollutants, like parking garages with attached loading docks, make sure to have those ducts independently isolated from the rest of the duct system.
The EPA suggests that you change your HVAC filters more often when you are in a smokey environment to ensure that they are eliminating toxins from indoor air. Select a filter that has a minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV) of 13 or greater, as these filters are specially designed to eliminate the smoke and other gaseous air pollutants.
Supercooling
In recent years, supercooling has been a popular energy-saving technique. It’s based on the notion that electricity prices vary at different times of the day. The majority of power companies offer “time of use” plans with different off-peak and peak rates. Supercooling allows homeowners to pre-cool their homes in off-peak hours, so they don’t have to use their air conditioners during high-cost summer peak times.
This method requires an automatic thermostat that can be programmed. Even so homeowners should take the time to analyze their electricity usage patterns to determine the time when their air conditioner is the most efficient. This method can save you up to 25% on your energy bills.
To supercool the home, the homeowner should set their AC at lower temperatures the next morning and keep it there for a few more hours. This cools the walls, floors furniture, fixtures and furniture of the house as well as the air inside. When energy costs are high, the homeowner will increase the temperature of the air conditioner and then leave it running until the next time it is turned off.
This method is effective because cooling isn’t just about making the air inside the house cool. It also aims to prevent heat from getting into the house through doors, windows and other leak points. This is why homeowners should ensure that their home is constructed and insulated, and also cover any drafty or leaky areas. They should also use blinds to block sun light, especially those that get bright direct sunlight during the hottest hours of the day. Also, they should make sure that all doors and windows are sealed tightly to prevent air from getting out during cooling cycles. They should also think about using smart thermostats to help them remember when to start and stop cooling. This will allow homeowners to keep their energy bills low without worrying about forgetting to switch off or on.