Energy Efficient Cooling and Air Conditioning Tips
Air conditioning and cooling are one of the most significant inventions of the past century. They helped make wartime and summer blockbusters and supplies possible.
However, cooling puts a large strain on electricity systems and creates massive quantities of pollution. This special IEA report raises awareness about the impact of this demand and offers solutions.
Energy Efficiency
When selecting the right cooling system, energy efficiency is a crucial aspect. Upgrading to an efficient air cooling system will lower your expenses for energy and reduce environmental impact. The energy efficiency of air conditioning units is evaluated in a variety of ways that include SEER and EER. These ratings show how much a unit can cool in a given amount of power consumed. The higher the rating the more efficient the unit is. The SEER rating of a unit can be found on the yellow Energy Guide Label or by searching “SEER ratings”.
If you are looking for an air conditioner that is new look for one that has an A+ rating. This rating indicates how the unit performs in normal conditions during a particular season. If you’re replacing a model that’s older with a higher SEER rating will significantly reduce your energy use and costs.
Other factors can affect the efficiency of energy in air conditioning systems, too. For example, high indoor humidity levels and a lack of maintenance and duct leaks can make your system more efficient and use more energy. Routine maintenance and sealing leaks in ducts are simple ways to increase the efficiency of your system.
Large commercial cooling systems have their own energy efficiency concerns as well. These systems often utilize the combination of split or packaged compressors with huge pipe networks to deliver cooling throughout the building. They may also incorporate steam systems that require specialized maintenance in order to prevent the pipes from becoming blocked.
In addition to that, many of these huge systems are controlled by a system known as a Building Automation System (BAS) which connects all heating and cooling systems within the building into one central system. Verde has been able to improve the efficiency of the systems by offering retrocommissioning recommendations that provide rapid paybacks.
Energy efficiency in cooling and air conditioning is a key component of global efforts to reduce climate change. Ultimately, we need to ensure that manufacturers bring super-efficient cooling appliances to market, and consumers demand them. In the meantime, there are a variety of steps we can take to reduce our energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
Indoor Air Quality
A large portion of people live their lives in buildings, and these structures could cause serious health risks if the indoor air quality isn’t good enough. There are many ways to improve IAQ and prevent common issues like asthma, allergies fatigue, allergies, etc.
Particulate matter (PM) as well as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and carbon dioxide are the three most frequent sources for pollution in modern offices and homes. These pollutants can be released into the atmosphere through a variety of activities such as cleaning, cooking, and smoking. They can trigger allergies and respiratory issues.
A high level of humidity can also cause havoc on the quality of air. Moisture can encourage the development of mildew and mold which can cause respiratory problems. Monitoring humidity and keeping the moisture low is key to preventing these problems. This can be done by regularly vacuuming and dusting, cleaning bedding, soft furnishings 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 enhance the comfort in the home. A home with high levels of air pollution, for example, can smell musty. 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, ensure that you open your windows and doors to let air flow in when needed.
Poor air quality can lead to headaches, concentration problems and general malaise. The symptoms can resolve after leaving the space however prolonged exposure to poor air quality can aggravate existing health issues or cause serious health issues.
The primary factor that affects IAQ is the speed at which fresh air replaces the old air, a process that is known as ventilation. This can be influenced by the weather, occupancy rates, as well as the design of the structure. But, a few simple steps can be taken to improve IAQ by adding plants to the home, opening windows and doors whenever possible, and ensuring that the HVAC system is working properly. If you’re looking to go one step further, we suggest you consult a Comfort Specialist about an indoor air assessment.
Smoke Pollution
While heat pumps and central air conditioners do an excellent job of filtering out the majority of biological contaminants, like molds, bacteria, pet dander, and pollen, they’re not specifically designed to remove smoke particles. The microscopic particles in smoke from wildfires are extremely dangerous and can easily enter your nose, eyes and throat, and cause symptoms such as burning eyes or itchy eyes, congestion, runny nose, and coughing. They can also cause irritation to your lungs and cause worsening of chronic lung and heart problems. The tiny particles of smoke can clog your lung, triggering a myriad of health effects such as aggravated asthma, bronchitis, and damage to your heart and lungs.
The haze that covered New York City last week was caused by forest fires raging in Canada. It can also cause dangerous air quality conditions throughout large parts of the north and south of the United States. The thick smoky haze decreases visibility and can cause breathing problems for those who has to be outdoors.
Unfortunately there is no way to completely prevent smoky air from entering your home or business through windows and doors, especially older homes with a lot of drafts and cracks. You can take steps to lessen the amount of smoke entering your building.
Close all windows and doors when it’s smokey. This can reduce the amount of smoke from outside air by 30%. If you can, put wet towels around the door frames and cracks to stop 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 smokey. This will allow the system exhaust the smoky air directly outside instead of returning it to inside. If your structure has ducts that connect to areas where contamination is likely to be high, such as loading docks or parking garages, you should ensure that these ducts are kept away from the rest of.
The EPA suggests that you change your HVAC filters more often during smokey conditions in order to ensure that they are eliminating contaminants from indoor air. Select a filter that has a minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV) of 13 or higher, as these filters are specially designed to eliminate the smoke and other gaseous air pollutants.
Supercooling
Supercooling is a trend to save energy that has become more popular in recent years. It’s based on the idea that electricity doesn’t cost the same amount at any given time of the day. In fact, many energy companies offer “time-of-use” plans that offer 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 high-cost summer peak times.
This requires a programmable thermostat that can adjust automatically. However, even with this, homeowners should take the time to look up their electric usage patterns and figure out the best time to run their air conditioning. Many people save about 25% or more off their energy bills through this method.
To supercool the home, the homeowner set their AC to a lower temperature in the morning and keeps it at that setting for a couple of hours. This cools the floors, walls, furniture, and fixtures of the home as well as the air inside. When peak energy-cost hours arrive the homeowner, he or she turns the air conditioning on and leaves it running until it’s off for several hours.
This strategy works because cooling isn’t just about making the air inside the house cool. It’s important to prevent heat from entering your home through your windows, doors and other points that leak. This is why homeowners should ensure that their home is sealed and insulate any leaky or drafty areas. It is also recommended to cover windows to block the sun, especially in areas that are exposed to direct sunlight during the hottest times of the day. They should also ensure that all windows and doors are sealed tightly to prevent air from escape during cooling cycles. They should also consider using smart thermostats to assist them remember when to start and stop cooling. This makes it easier for homeowners to keep their energy bills low and not worry about forgetting to switch off or on.