Energy Efficient Cooling and Air Conditioning Tips
Air conditioning and cooling is among the most significant inventions of modern history. They made blockbuster summer movies possible and helped boost production for wartime supplies and aircrafts.
However cooling puts a huge burden on electrical systems and causes huge amounts of pollution. This special IEA report aims to raise awareness of the negative impact of this demand, and offers solutions.
Energy Efficiency
Efficiency in energy is one of the most important aspects when selecting a new cooling system. Upgrading to an efficient air cooling system will lower your energy bills and reduce environmental impacts. Air conditioning units are rated using a variety of energy efficiency ratings, including SEER, EER, and HSPF. These ratings indicate how much a unit can cool with a certain amount of electricity consumed. The higher the rating the more efficient the unit. The SEER rating of the system can be found on its yellow Energy Guide Label or by searching “SEER ratings”.
When looking for a new air conditioner look for one that has an excellent rating. This rating indicates how well the unit will perform during a season under normal conditions. A higher SEER rating will lower the cost of energy and consumption when replacing an older model.
Air conditioning systems are affected by other causes as well. High indoor humidity, the absence of maintenance and duct leaks for instance, could all cause your system to work harder and consume additional energy. Regular maintenance and sealing of leaks in ducts are simple ways to increase the energy efficiency of your system.
Large commercial cooling systems have their own energy efficiency considerations, too. These systems often make use of a combination of packaged or split compressors with huge pipes to distribute cooling throughout the building. They may also incorporate steam systems that require specific maintenance in order to prevent the pipes from getting blocked.
Additionally the majority of these massive systems are controlled by something known as a Building Automation System (BAS) that integrates all heating and cooling systems within the building into one central system. Verde has assisted in optimizing the performance of systems by providing retrocommissioning recommendations that provide rapid paybacks.
Energy efficiency in air conditioning and cooling is a key element of global efforts to mitigate climate change. Ultimately, we need to ensure that manufacturers bring super-efficient cooling equipment to market, and that consumers are demanding them. In the meantime, there are a variety of steps we can take to help cut our energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
Indoor Air Quality
Many people spend much of their lives in buildings and these structures can be a major health risk when the indoor air quality isn’t good enough. There are a variety of ways to improve IAQ and prevent common problems like allergies, asthma, fatigue, etc.
Particulate matter (PM) as well as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and carbon dioxide are the three most frequent pollutants in modern workplaces and homes. These pollutants can be released into the air through a variety of activities like cooking, cleaning and smoking. They can trigger allergies and respiratory problems.
High levels of humidity can also create havoc on the quality of air. Mold and mildew can grow in humid air, and can lead to respiratory issues. To prevent this from happening, it is important to keep an eye on humidity levels and ensure that the moisture level remains at a low level. This can be accomplished by regularly vacuuming and dusting, cleaning bedding, soft furnishings and using a humidifier or dehumidifier based on the hygrometer.
Aside from the obvious health benefits in improving IAQ can enhance the comfort in homes. For instance, a home with high air pollutants can turn musty and odor unpleasant. It can also cause irritation or itchy eyes, and also a snoring sensation. Installing an air purifier as well as maintaining the HVAC system can help prevent these issues. Also, ensure that you open doors and windows for ventilation when needed.
Symptoms of poor air quality can be a variety of symptoms and include headaches, difficulty in concentrating, and general malaise. The symptoms can resolve when you leave the room, but prolonged exposure to poor quality air could exacerbate existing health issues or even trigger serious health issues.
The primary factor that affects IAQ is the speed of fresh air replacing the old air, a process known as ventilation. This is affected by the weather, room occupancy rate and the design. There are simple ways to improve IAQ. These include installing plants in the home, opening doors and windows as often as possible, and making sure that the HVAC system works properly. If you’re looking to go further, we recommend that you talk to a Comfort Specialist regarding an indoor air assessment.
Smoke Pollution
While heat pumps and central air conditioners do a great job of filtering out the majority of biological contaminants, like bacteria, molds and pet dander pollen, they are not specifically designed to remove smoke particles. Smoke from wildfires contains microscopic particles that can trigger symptoms like burning or itchy eye congested nasal, runny nose, and coughing. They can also irritate your lungs and cause worsening of lung and heart conditions that are chronic. Smoke particles can trigger a variety health effects, including bronchitis and aggravated asthma.
The haze that covered New York City last week was caused by forest fires that are burning in Canada. It is also causing dangerous air quality conditions throughout large parts of the south and north of the United States. The dense smoky fog reduces visibility and may cause respiratory distress for anyone who has to be outdoors.
There is no way to stop smoke from entering your home through your windows and doors particularly in older homes with a lot of drafts and cracks. You can take steps to lessen the amount of smoke entering your home or business.
Close all doors and windows when it’s smoky. This will reduce the amount of smoky air by 30 percent. If possible, place 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 the ability to recirculate air, be sure you shut it off when air is smoky. This will allow your HVAC system to expel the smokey indoor air instead of returning it. If your building has ducts that connect to areas where contaminants are likely to be high, like loading docks and parking garages, you should ensure that these ducts are isolated from the rest of.
The EPA suggests changing your HVAC filters much more often during smokey conditions to ensure that they are effective in taking out the toxins in the indoor air. Choose a filter that has the minimum reporting value (MERV) which is 13 or higher. These filters are designed to get rid of gaseous air pollution and smoke.
Supercooling
In recent times, supercooling has become a popular energy-saving technique. It’s based upon the notion that electricity costs don’t vary by amount at any time of the day. In fact, many power companies offer “time-of-use” plans that provide different off-peak and peak rates. Supercooling lets homeowners pre-cool their homes during off-peak hours, so they don’t have to run their air conditioners during the high-cost summer peak hours.
This requires a programmable thermostat that can adjust automatically. However even with this, homeowners must be sure to study their electric usage patterns and figure out the most cost-effective time to run their air cooling system. This can save you up to 25% on your energy bills.
To supercool the home homeowners should set their AC at an lower temperature the following morning and maintain it for a few more hours. This cools the floors, walls furniture, fixtures and furniture of the home as well as the air inside. Then, when peak energy-cost times arrive the homeowner cranks the air conditioning up and then leaves it running until it’s off for several hours.
This method is efficient since cooling doesn’t just refer to making the air in the home cooler. It’s also about preventing heat from entering the home through windows, doors and other leak points. It is essential that homeowners check their home’s insulation and insulate any drafty or leaky areas. Also, they should consider using blinds to block the sun’s rays particularly those that receive bright direct sunlight in the hottest times of the daytime. Also, they should make sure that all doors and windows are tightly sealed to prevent air from escape during cooling cycles. They should also think about installing smart thermostats to help them remember when to begin and stop cooling. This will allow homeowners to cut down on their energy bills without having to remember when to turn on or off the system.