Energy Efficient Cooling and Air Conditioning Tips
Air conditioning and cooling are one of the most important inventions in the history of modern times. They helped make summer blockbusters, wartime planes and other equipment possible.
Cooling, however puts an enormous strain on the power system and creates huge quantities of pollution. This special IEA report raises awareness about the negative impact of this demand, and provides solutions.
Energy Efficiency
Energy efficiency is one of the most important aspects when choosing a new cooling system. Upgrade to a more efficient air conditioner and you will reduce your energy costs and reduce the environmental impact. Air conditioning units are rated according to a variety of energy efficiency ratings, including SEER, EER, and HSPF. These ratings indicate how the air conditioner is able to cool using a certain amount of electricity. The higher the score, the more efficient the unit. The SEER rating of a system can be located on its yellow Energy Guide Label or by searching “SEER ratings”.
When looking for a brand new air conditioning system, search for one with a high SEER rating. This rating indicates how the unit performs in normal conditions during a given season. If you’re replacing a model that’s older with a higher SEER rating will drastically reduce your energy use and expenses.
Other factors can impact energy efficiency in air conditioning systems, too. High indoor humidity, lack of maintenance and leaks in ducts, for instance, could all cause your system to perform more efficiently and consume more energy. Routine maintenance and sealing ducts leaks are easy ways to increase the efficiency of your system.
Commercial cooling systems are also subject to energy efficiency concerns. These systems often make use of a combination of packaged or split compressors and massive pipes to distribute cooling throughout the building. These systems could also incorporate steam systems that require special maintenance in order to prevent the pipes from becoming blocked.
Many of these systems can also be controlled by the use of a Building Automation System, which integrates the cooling and heating systems into a single centralized system. Verde has been able to improve the efficiency of systems by providing retrocommissioning strategies that offer quick paybacks.
Energy efficiency in cooling and air conditioning is a major component of global efforts to reduce climate change. In the end, we have to ensure that manufacturers bring highly efficient cooling equipment to market, and consumers demand them. In the meantime, we can take other measures to cut down on our energy consumption and greenhouse gases emissions.
Indoor Air Quality
Indoor air quality is a major health risk for many people who spend a significant portion of their lives inside buildings. There are numerous ways to improve IAQ and avoid common ailments like asthma, allergies fatigue, asthma, etc.
Particulate matter (PM) as well as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and carbon dioxide are the three main sources for pollution in modern homes and offices. These pollutants can be released into the atmosphere by a number of activities like cooking, cleaning and smoking. They can trigger allergies and respiratory problems.
The high levels of humidity can also create havoc on the quality of air. Moist air encourages the growth of mildew and mold which can cause respiratory problems. Monitoring humidity and keeping the humidity low is key to preventing these problems. This can be accomplished by regularly vacuuming and dusting, cleaning bedding, cushions and making use of a humidifier or dehumidifier that is based on the humidity gauge.
In addition to the obvious health benefits in improving IAQ can increase comfort in the home. A home that has high levels of air pollutants for instance, may smell musty. It can also cause itchy skin, irritated eyes and a feeling of suffocation. Installing an air purifier as well as maintaining 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.
Symptoms of poor air quality are varied and include headaches, difficulty concentrating, and even a general malaise. These symptoms may improve when you leave the room however, prolonged exposure to poor quality air can worsen existing health conditions or cause serious illnesses.
The primary factor that affects IAQ is the rate that fresh air replaces old air, a process that is known as ventilation. This can be influenced by the weather, room occupancy rates, and the design of the structure. There are many ways to improve IAQ. These include installing plants in the house, opening the doors and windows whenever possible, and making sure that the HVAC system is working correctly. If you want to go a step further, we suggest that you consult a Comfort Specialist regarding an indoor air assessment.
Smoke Pollution
Heat pumps and central air conditioning systems are effective at removing biological contaminants like bacteria, molds, pet dander and pollen. However they cannot remove smoke particles. Smoke from wildfires is a source of microscopic particles which can cause symptoms like burning or itchy eyes, congestion, runny nasal and coughing. They can also cause irritation to your lungs and exacerbate the severity of heart and lung problems. Smoke particles can cause range of health issues, including bronchitis and aggravated asthma.
The smoke that blanketed New York City last week was caused by forest fires that are burning in Canada. It is also causing dangerous air quality issues across much of the north and south of the United States. The thick smoke haze can reduce visibility and can cause respiratory stress for anyone who is outdoors.
Unfortunately there is no way to completely prevent smoke from entering your business or home through doors and windows particularly older homes with a lot of drafts and cracks. However you can make steps to limit the amount of smoke that enters your home or business.
Keep all windows and doors closed when it’s smoky outside. This can cut the amount of smoky air by 30 percent. Put wet towels in cracks around door frames and in the corners to reduce the flow of smoky ai.
If your HVAC system is in the recirculation feature, make sure to turn it off during smoky conditions. This will allow your HVAC to expel the smokey indoor air outside, rather than recirculating it. If your building has ducts connecting to areas where contaminants are likely to be high, like loading docks or parking garages You should make sure that these ducts are isolated from the rest.
The EPA recommends changing your HVAC filters more frequently during smokey conditions in order to ensure that they are eliminating toxins from indoor air. Select a filter with a minimum efficiency report value (MERV) of 13 or higher, as these filters are designed to remove the smoke and other gaseous air pollutants.
Supercooling
Supercooling is a trend to save energy that’s become increasingly popular in recent years. It’s based upon the notion that electricity costs don’t vary by amount at any time of the day. The majority of electricity companies offer “time of use” plans with different off-peak and peak rates. Supercooling allows homeowners cool their homes ahead of off-peak times, so they don’t need to run air conditioners during those costly summer peak hours.
This requires an automatic thermostat that can be programmed. However even with this, homeowners should be sure to look up their electric usage patterns and figure out the most cost-effective time to run their air cooling system. A lot of people save 25% or more off their energy bills by using this method.
To keep the home cool homeowners should set their air conditioner at a lower temperature the next morning and keep it there for a few more hours. This cools down the floors, walls furniture, fixtures and furniture of the house as well as the air inside. When the energy costs are at their peak, the homeowner will turn up the temperature, and leave it running until the next time it is shut off.
This method is efficient because it doesn’t only mean making the air in the house cooler. It also aims to prevent heat from entering the home through windows, doors and other leak points. It is essential that homeowners check the insulation of their home and cover any leaky or drafty areas. Also, they should consider using window shades to block sun light particularly in areas that get bright direct sunlight in the hottest times of the daytime. Also, they should ensure that all windows and doors are tightly sealed to prevent air from escape during cooling cycles are in progress. Finally, they should consider using smart thermostats to help them remember to start and stop cooling at the best times of the day. This allows homeowners to keep their energy costs at a minimum without having to remember to turn off the system or on.
