Energy Efficient Cooling and Air Conditioning Tips
Air conditioning and cooling are among the most significant inventions of modern history. They were instrumental in making summer blockbusters, wartime planes and supplies possible.
However cooling places a significant burden on electrical systems and generates huge amounts of pollution. This particular IEA Report raises awareness of the effects and suggests solutions.
Energy Efficiency
When selecting the right cooling system energy efficiency is a key factor. Upgrading to an efficient air conditioner will save on your energy costs and also reduce environmental impact. The energy efficiency of air conditioners is evaluated in a variety of ways, including SEER and EER. These ratings indicate how much an air conditioner can cool in a given amount of energy consumed. The higher the score, the more efficient the unit is. You can find a SEER rating on the yellow Energy Guide label or by searching for “SEER ratings” online.
When looking for a new air conditioner pick one with a high rating. This rating reveals how well the unit performs under normal conditions in a given season. If you’re replacing a model that’s older with a higher SEER rating, it will drastically reduce your energy use and expenses.
Other things can influence the efficiency of energy in air conditioning systems, too. A high humidity indoors, a insufficient maintenance and leaks in ducts, for example, can all cause your system to be more demanding 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 issues. They usually use the combination of split or packaged compressors with huge pipes to distribute cooling throughout the building. They could 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 by the use of a Building Automation System, which integrates the cooling and heating systems into a single centralized system. Verde has helped clients optimize the performance of these systems through simple retrocommissioning recommendations that typically have quick paybacks and incentives for their implementation.
Energy efficiency in air conditioning and cooling is a major component of global efforts to combat climate change. We must ensure that cooling appliances are super-efficient and that consumers demand them. In the meantime, there are a variety of actions we can take to reduce our energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
Indoor Air Quality
Many people spend much of their lives in buildings and these structures could pose significant health threats when the indoor air quality isn’t good enough. There are numerous ways to improve IAQ and prevent common problems like allergies, asthma fatigue, asthma, etc.
Particulate matter (PM) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and carbon dioxide are the three most common pollutants in modern offices and homes. These pollutants can be released into the atmosphere through a variety of activities like cooking, cleaning, and smoking. They can trigger respiratory issues and allergies.
High levels of humidity can also wreak destruction on the air quality. The humid air encourages the growth of mold and mildew which can cause respiratory issues. To avoid these issues, it is important to keep an eye on humidity levels and keep the moisture level at a low level. This can be accomplished by regularly cleaning and vacuuming, washing bedding, soft furnishings and using a humidifier or dehumidifier using a hygrometer.
Apart from the obvious health benefits, improving IAQ can enhance the comfort in homes. For example, a home with high air pollutants can become musty and smell unpleasant. It can also cause irritation eyes or itchy eyes, as well as a stuffy sensation. This can be addressed by installing an air purifier, keeping the HVAC system, and ensuring that windows and doors are kept open to let in air as needed.
Symptoms of poor air quality can be a variety of symptoms and can include headaches, difficulty in concentrating, and general malaise. While these symptoms will disappear after leaving the area, prolonged exposure could exacerbate existing health conditions and can even result in serious illness.
Ventilation is the most important factor that impacts IAQ. This is affected by the weather conditions, the occupancy rate of the room, and the design. There are many methods to improve IAQ. This includes adding plants to the house, opening the doors and windows as often as possible, and ensuring that the HVAC system is working correctly. If you’d prefer to take an even more comprehensive approach, it is suggested to consult a Comfort Specialist regarding an assessment of indoor air quality.
Smoke Pollution
Central air conditioning systems are great at filtering out biological pollutants like bacteria, molds pollen, pet dander, and mold. However they cannot remove smoke particles. The tiny particles that make up wildfire smoke are very dangerous and easily get into your nose, eyes, and throat which can cause symptoms like burning or itchy eyes, congestion, a runny nose and coughing. They can also irritate your lungs and aggravate chronic heart and lung conditions. The fine particles that are invisible in smoke can get stuck in your lung, triggering a myriad of health effects such as aggravated asthma, bronchitis, and damage to your lung and heart.
The smoke blanketing New York City this week is the result of forest fires in Canada and is causing dangerous air quality conditions throughout much of the northern US and southern Canada. The thick smoky fog can reduce visibility and may cause respiratory stress to anyone who is required to be outdoors.
Unfortunately, there is no way to completely prevent smoky air from entering your home or business through windows and doors particularly older homes with lots of cracks and drafts. However you can take steps to reduce the amount of smoke that enters your home or business.
Keep all windows and doors closed when it’s smoky outside. This can cut down on the amount of smoke from outside air by 30 percent. If you can, put wet towels around the door frames and cracks in order to slow the flow of smoke into your home or office.
If your HVAC system is in an recirculation mode, make sure to turn it off during smoky conditions. This allows your HVAC system to take the smokey indoor air to the outside instead of the air being recirculated. If you have ducts in your building connected to areas that can produce high concentrations of pollutants, like attached parking garages and loading docks, be sure that those ducts are separated from the rest of the duct system.
The EPA recommends changing your HVAC filters much more often in the event of smoke to ensure they’re effectively taking out the toxins in the indoor air. Select a filter with an MERV that is at least (MERV) which is 13 or greater. These filters are designed to eliminate the smoke and gaseous pollution from the air.
Supercooling
Supercooling is a green trend that’s become increasingly popular in recent years. It’s based on the notion that electricity doesn’t cost the same amount at any given time of the day. Most electricity companies offer “time of use” plans that have different peak and offpeak rates. Supercooling lets homeowners cool their homes ahead of off-peak times, so they don’t require air conditioners during those costly summer peak hours.
This requires an automatic thermostat that can be programmed. However, even with this, homeowners should be aware of and look up their electric usage patterns and determine the most cost-effective time to run their air conditioner. A lot of people save 25% or more off their energy bills using this method.
To cool the house, the homeowner should set their air conditioner at an lower temperature the following morning and keep it there for a few hours. The home’s walls are cooled by the cooling, floors, furnishings and fixtures, as well as the air inside. When peak energy costs hit homeowners, they increase the temperature of the air conditioner and leave it on until the next time it is shut off.
This strategy is successful since cooling doesn’t just refer to making the air inside the home cooler. It’s also about stopping heat from getting into the house through doors, windows and other leak points. It is essential that homeowners check their home’s insulation and insulate any leaky or drafty areas. It is also recommended to use window covers to block out the sun, especially in areas that receive direct sunlight during the hottest parts of the day. Also, they should ensure that all windows and doors are tightly sealed to prevent air from escaping when cooling cycles occur. Also, they should consider installing smart thermostats that will assist them in ensuring that they start and stop cooling at the ideal times of the day. This will allow homeowners to cut down on their energy costs without worrying about forgetting when to switch on or off the system.