Energy Efficient Cooling and Air Conditioning Tips
Air conditioning and cooling are among the most significant inventions of the history of modern times. They made summer movie blockbusters possible and helped boost manufacturing for wartime supplies and airplanes.
Cooling, however puts immense strain on the electricity system and generates massive amounts of pollution. This special IEA report aims to raise awareness of the negative impact of this demand, and provides solutions.
Energy Efficiency
When you are choosing a new cooling system energy efficiency is an important factor. Upgrade to an energy-efficient air conditioner and save money on energy bills, as well as reduce your environmental impact. Air conditioners are rated with several different energy efficiency ratings, including SEER, EER, and HSPF. These ratings indicate how much a unit is able to cool in a given amount of energy consumed. The higher the rating, the more efficient the unit is. The SEER rating of a unit can be located on its yellow Energy Guide Label or by searching “SEER ratings”.
When looking for an air conditioner that is new look for one that has an A+ rating. This rating indicates how well the unit can perform in normal conditions. If you’re replacing a model that’s older, a higher SEER rating will significantly reduce your energy consumption and costs.
Other things can influence energy efficiency in air conditioning systems, too. A high humidity indoors, a lack of maintenance and duct leaks, for instance, can cause your system to perform more efficiently and consume more energy. Routine maintenance and sealing ducts leaks are easy ways to improve the efficiency of your system.
Commercial cooling systems are also subject to energy efficiency concerns. These systems often make use of the combination of split or packaged compressors with huge pipes to distribute cooling throughout the building. They may also have steam systems, that require special maintenance to ensure that the pipes do not become blocked.
A lot of these huge systems can also be controlled with a Building Automation System, which integrates the heating and cooling systems into a single central system. Verde has been able to improve the performance of the systems by offering retrocommissioning strategies that offer rapid paybacks.
The global effort to curb the effects of climate change is heavily dependent on the efficiency of energy used in cooling and air conditioning. Ultimately, we need to ensure that manufacturers bring highly efficient cooling equipment to market, and that consumers demand these appliances. 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
A large portion of people live their lives in buildings, and these structures could be a major health risk when their indoor air quality is poor. There are numerous ways to improve IAQ and avoid common ailments like allergies, asthma fatigue, allergies, etc.
Particulate matter and volatile organic compounds and carbon dioxide are three of the most common pollutants in modern office and home buildings. These pollutants are released into the air by a variety of activities, such as cooking, cleaning, or smoking cigarettes, and can lead to respiratory issues and allergic reactions.
High levels of moisture can also have a negative effect on the quality of air. The humid air encourages the growth of mold and mildew which can cause respiratory issues. To prevent this from happening it is essential to monitor humidity and keep the moisture level at a lower level. This can be accomplished by regularly cleaning and vacuuming, washing bedding, furniture and using a humidifier or dehumidifier that is based on the humidifier or hygrometer.
Apart from the obvious health benefits in improving IAQ can increase comfort in homes. A home with high levels of air pollution such as radon, for instance, can smell musty. It can also trigger irritation to eyes, itchy skin and a snoring feeling. Installing an air purifier and keeping the HVAC system can help to keep these issues from happening. Also, ensure that you open doors and windows to let air flow in when needed.
Poor air quality can trigger headaches, difficulty concentrating and general unwellness. Although these symptoms may be relieved after leaving a space, prolonged exposure can cause health problems that are already present and could lead to serious illness.
The most important factor that influences IAQ is the speed that fresh air replaces stale air, a process that is known as ventilation. This can be affected by the weather, occupancy rate of the room and the design. There are many ways to improve IAQ. These include adding plants to the house, opening the windows and doors whenever possible, and making sure that the HVAC system is working properly. For those who would prefer more of a thorough approach, it is suggested to speak with a Comfort Specialist about an assessment of indoor air quality.
Smoke Pollution
While central air conditioners do a fantastic job of filtering out most biological pollutants, including bacteria, molds and pet dander pollen, they are not designed to remove smoke particles. Smoke from wildfires is a source of microscopic particles that can trigger symptoms like burning or itchy eye congestion, runny nose, and coughing. They can also cause irritation to your lungs and aggravate lung and heart conditions that are chronic. The tiny particles of smoke can lodge deep into your lung, triggering a range of health effects such as worsened asthma, bronchitis and damage to your heart and lungs.
The haze that covered New York City last week was caused by forest fires burning in Canada. It is also causing dangerous air quality conditions throughout large parts of the north and south of the United States. The dense smoky fog reduces visibility and can cause respiratory distress for anyone who has to be outside.
Unfortunately there is no way to completely prevent smoke from getting into your business or home through windows and doors especially older houses with a lot of drafts and cracks. However you can take steps to minimize the amount of smoke entering your home or business.
Close all doors and windows when it’s smokey. This can cut down on the amount of smoky outside air by 30 percent. If you can, put wet towels on the door frames and cracks in order to slow the flow of smoke into your home or business.
If your HVAC system features a recirculation function, make sure that you turn it off when the air is smoky. This will allow the system to expel the smoke directly outside, rather than the air being recirculated inside. If your building has ducts connecting to areas where contaminants are likely to be high, for instance parking garages or loading docks, you should ensure that these ducts are kept away from the rest of.
The EPA recommends changing your HVAC filters more often during smokey conditions in order to ensure that they are eliminating pollutants from the air in your home. Select a filter with a minimum reporting value (MERV) which is 13 or more. These filters are designed to remove the smoke and gaseous pollution from the air.
Supercooling
In recent years, supercooling has been an energy-saving method that is popular. It’s based upon the notion that electricity doesn’t cost the same amount at any given time of the day. Most power companies offer “time of use” plans with different rates for off-peak and peak times. Supercooling allows homeowners to cool their homes ahead of off-peak hours, so they don’t require air conditioners at those expensive summer peak hours.
This method requires a thermostat with programmable settings that can adjust automatically. However even with this, homeowners must be sure to examine their electricity usage patterns and figure out the best time to run their air conditioner. This can save you up to 25 percent off your energy bill.
To supercool the home, the homeowner should set their air conditioner at an lower temperature the following morning and keep it there for a few hours. This cools the walls, floors furniture, fixtures, and furniture of the house as well as the air inside. Then, when the peak energy-cost times arrive the homeowner, he or she turns the air conditioning on and leaves it running until it’s off for several hours.
This method works because cooling isn’t only about making the air inside the home cool. It also aims to prevent heat from entering the house through doors, windows and other leak points. It is crucial that homeowners double-check their home’s insulation and insulate any leaky or drafty areas. It is also recommended to use blinds to block the sun’s rays particularly in areas that get bright direct sunlight during the hottest times of the daytime. It is also important to make sure that all windows and doors are sealed tightly to stop air from escape during cooling cycles. They should also consider installing smart thermostats to help them remember when to start and stop cooling. This makes it easier for homeowners to keep their energy bills low without worrying about forgetting to turn the system off or on.
