Energy Efficient Cooling and Air Conditioning Tips
Cooling and air conditioning are among the most important inventions in the past century. They made summer blockbusters possible and helped boost manufacturing for wartime supplies and airplanes.
However cooling places a significant burden on electrical systems and creates massive quantities of pollution. This particular IEA Report raises awareness of the issue and offers solutions.
Energy Efficiency
When choosing an air conditioner, energy efficiency is a crucial factor. Upgrading to an efficient air cooling system will lower your energy costs and also reduce environmental impacts. Air conditioning units are rated with several different energy efficiency ratings, including SEER, EER, and HSPF. These ratings indicate how the air conditioner is able to cool with a certain amount of electricity. The higher the rating is, the more efficient the unit. The SEER rating of a system can be found on its yellow Energy Guide Label or by searching “SEER ratings”.
When you are looking for a new air conditioning system, search for one with a high SEER rating. This rating indicates how efficiently the unit will perform during a season under normal conditions. A higher SEER rating can lower the cost of energy and consumption when replacing an older model.
Air conditioning systems can be affected by other factors as well. For instance high levels of humidity in the indoor as well as a lack of maintenance and duct leaks could all make your system more efficient and use more energy. Regular maintenance and sealing ducts leaks are easy ways to increase the energy efficiency of your system.
Commercial cooling systems are also subject to energy efficiency issues. They usually use the combination of split or packaged compressors with huge pipe networks to deliver cooling throughout the building. These systems may also include steam systems that require specialized maintenance in order to prevent the pipes from becoming blocked.
Many of these systems can also be controlled with the use of a Building Automation System, which connects the cooling and heating systems into a single centralized system. Verde has helped clients improve the performance of these systems through simple retrocommissioning suggestions that usually provide quick paybacks and incentives for implementation.
The global effort to reduce 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 appliances to market, and consumers are demanding these appliances. In the meantime we can also take other steps to reduce our energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
Indoor Air Quality
A lot of people spend the majority of their lives in structures, and these structures could pose significant health threats when their indoor air quality isn’t good enough. Fortunately, there are numerous ways to improve IAQ, which can stop common issues like asthma or allergies, as well as fatigue.
Particulate matter, volatile organic compounds, and carbon dioxide are three of the most common pollutants in modern homes and office buildings. These pollutants are released into the air by many different activities, including cooking, cleaning, and smoking, and they could cause respiratory problems and allergic reactions.
A high level of moisture may have a negative impact on air quality. Mold and mildew can grow in moist air, which can lead to respiratory problems. To avoid these issues it is essential to monitor humidity and keep the moisture at a minimum. The best way to achieve this is by regularly dusting and vacuuming, washing bedding and furniture, and using a dehumidifier or humidifier as necessary based on hygrometer readings.
In addition to the obvious health benefits of improving IAQ It can also increase comfort in your home. For instance, a house with high air pollutants can be stale and smell unpleasant. It can also cause irritation to eyes, itchy skin and a feeling of suffocation. This can be addressed by installing an air purifier, keeping the HVAC system, and making sure that doors and windows are kept open to let in air as needed.
Poor air quality can lead to headaches, concentration problems and general feeling of ill-health. These symptoms may improve when you leave the room however, prolonged exposure to poor air quality can worsen existing health conditions or even cause serious health issues.
The main factor that affects IAQ is the rate at which fresh air replaces the old air, a process known as ventilation. This is influenced by the weather, room occupancy rates, and also the design of the building. There are many methods to improve IAQ. This includes adding plants to the house, opening the doors and windows whenever possible, and making sure that the HVAC system works effectively. For those who would prefer an even more comprehensive approach, it is suggested to consult a Comfort Specialist about an indoor air quality assessment.
Smoke Pollution
Heat pumps and central air conditioning systems are excellent at filtering out biological contaminants like molds, bacteria pollen, pet dander and mold. However they are not able to remove smoke particles. Smoke from wildfires is a source of microscopic particles which can cause symptoms like burning or itchy eye congested nasal, runny nose, and coughing. They can also irritate the lungs and worsen chronic lung and heart conditions. Smoke particles can cause range of health issues, including bronchitis and aggravated asthma.
The haze that engulfed New York City last week was caused by forest fires raging in Canada. It can also cause dangerous air quality issues across much of the north and south of the United States. The thick smoky fog can reduce visibility, and can cause respiratory stress for anyone who has to be outdoors.
There is no way to keep smoke from entering your home through your windows and doors, especially in older homes that have a lot of cracks and drafts. However, you can take steps to reduce the amount of smoke entering your home or business.
Keep all doors and windows closed when it’s smoky outside. This can cut down on the amount of smoke from outside air by 30%. If possible, place wet towels on the door frames and cracks to stop the movement of smoky air into your home or office.
If your HVAC system has a recirculation mode, be sure to turn it off during smoky conditions. This will allow the system to exhaust the smoky air directly outside, rather than the air being recirculated inside. If your building has ducts that connect to areas where contaminants are likely to be high, for instance loading docks or parking garages, you should ensure that the ducts are separated from the rest.
The EPA suggests that you change your HVAC filters more often when you are in a smokey environment to ensure that they are removing contaminants from indoor air. Select a filter with the minimum reporting value (MERV), which is 13 or more. These filters are designed to remove the smoke and gaseous pollution from the air.
Supercooling
Supercooling is a green trend that has gained popularity in recent years. It’s based on the idea that electricity isn’t priced the same amount at all times of the day. In fact, most power companies offer “time-of-use” plans that feature different off-peak and peak rates. Supercooling allows homeowners to pre-cool their homes in off-peak hours so they don’t have to run their air conditioners during the high-cost summer peak periods.
This method requires an automated thermostat that can be programmed. However even with this, homeowners must be sure to look up their electric usage patterns and determine when it’s most cost-effective to run their air conditioning. Many people save about 25% or more on their energy bills through this method.
To cool the house homeowners should set their AC to an lower temperature the following morning and keep it there for a few more hours. The home’s walls are cooled by the cooling, floors, furnishings and fixtures as well as the inside air. When the energy costs are at their peak, the homeowner will turn up the temperature and then leave it running until the next time it’s shut off.
This method works because cooling isn’t only about making the air inside the house cool. It’s also about stopping heat from getting into the house through doors, windows and other leak points. This is why homeowners should ensure that their home is properly insulated and make sure to insulate any drafty or leaky areas. Also, they should consider using window shades to block out sun particularly in areas that get bright direct sunlight in the hottest times of the daytime. Also it is important to ensure that all doors and windows are sealed tightly 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 keep their energy bills low without worrying about forgetting to switch off or on.
