Energy Efficient Cooling and Air Conditioning Tips
Cooling and air conditioning are one of the most significant inventions of the past century. They were instrumental in making summer blockbusters and wartime planes and supplies possible.
However cooling puts a huge burden on electrical systems and causes huge amounts of pollution. This special IEA report raises awareness about the negative impact of this demand and offers solutions.
Energy Efficiency
When you are choosing the right cooling system energy efficiency is a key aspect. Making the switch to a more efficient air cooling system will lower your energy bills and reduce environmental impact. Air conditioning units are rated with several different energy efficiency ratings, such as SEER, EER, and HSPF. These ratings tell you how much an air conditioner can cool with a certain amount of electricity. The higher the rating is, the more efficient the unit is. The SEER rating of a system can be located on its yellow Energy Guide Label or by searching “SEER ratings”.
If you are in the market for a new air conditioner pick one with an A+ rating. This rating indicates how the unit performs in normal conditions during a given season. If you’re replacing an older model with a higher SEER rating, it will significantly reduce your energy use and costs.
Other factors can impact energy efficiency in air conditioning systems, too. For instance high levels of indoor humidity, lack of maintenance, and duct leaks can make your system work harder and consume more energy. Regular maintenance and sealing of leaks in the ducts are a simple way to increase the energy efficiency of your system.
Commercial cooling systems are also subject to energy efficiency concerns. These systems make use of a combination of split or packaged compressors as well as massive pipe networks to provide cooling throughout the building. These systems may also include steam systems that require special maintenance to keep the pipes from becoming blocked.
Many of these large 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 recommendations that provide quick paybacks.
The global effort to reduce climate change is heavily dependent on the efficiency of energy used in cooling and air conditioning. Ultimately, we need to ensure that manufacturers introduce super-efficient cooling devices to market, and that consumers are demanding them. 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
Many people spend much of their lives in structures, and these structures could pose significant health threats in the event that their indoor air quality isn’t good enough. There are fortunately a number of ways to improve IAQ, which can prevent common problems such as asthma or allergies, as well as fatigue.
Particulate matter (PM), volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and carbon dioxide are the three most common sources for pollution in modern homes and offices. These pollutants are released into the air through a variety of activities, like cooking, cleaning, and smoking cigarettes, and can cause respiratory problems as well as allergic reactions.
The high levels of humidity can also cause havoc on the quality of air. Mold and mildew can grow in humid air, which can lead to respiratory problems. To avoid these issues, it is important to keep an eye on humidity levels and keep the moisture level at a lower level. This can be accomplished by regularly cleaning and vacuuming, washing bedding, cushions and making use of a humidifier or dehumidifier that is based on the hygrometer.
In addition to the obvious health benefits of improving IAQ in your home, it can increase comfort in your home. A home with high levels of air pollution for instance, may smell musty. It can also trigger irritation to the eyes, itchy skin, and a stuffy feeling. Installing an air purifier and maintaining the HVAC system can help avoid these issues. Also, make sure that you open doors and windows for ventilation whenever you need to.
Symptoms of poor air quality can be varied and include headaches, difficulty concentrating, and even a general malaise. While these symptoms will disappear after leaving the space, prolonged exposure can cause health problems that are already present and can even result in serious illness.
Ventilation is the main aspect that influences IAQ. This can be affected by the weather, the occupancy rate of rooms, and the design. There are simple methods to improve IAQ. This includes adding plants to the home, opening the windows and doors whenever possible, and ensuring that the HVAC system works effectively. If you’d like to take more of a thorough approach, it is suggested to consult a Comfort Specialist regarding an indoor air quality assessment.
Smoke Pollution
Heat pumps and central air conditioning systems are effective in removing biological contaminants like bacteria, molds, pet dander and pollen. However they cannot remove smoke particles. Wildfire smoke contains microscopic particles that can cause symptoms such as burning or itchy eye, congestion, runny nasal and coughing. They can also irritate your lungs and worsen lung and heart conditions that are chronic. Smoke particles can cause variety of health problems such as bronchitis and aggravation of asthma.
The smoke that has blanketed New York City this week has been caused by forest fires in Canada, and it is causing hazardous air quality conditions across much of the northern US and southern Canada. The dense smoky haze reduces visibility and creates breathing difficulties for those who is outdoors.
There is no way to stop smoke from getting into your home through doors and windows especially in older houses with many cracks and drafts. You can make steps to decrease the amount of smoke entering your home or business.
Close all doors and windows when it’s smokey. This will reduce the amount of smoky air by 30 percent. If possible, place wet towels on the door frames and cracks to slow the movement of smoky air into your home or office.
If your HVAC system features the ability to recirculate air, be sure that you switch it off when the air is smoking. This allows your HVAC system to expel the smokey indoor air to the outside, rather than returning it. If you have ducts in your building which connect to areas that can generate high levels of pollutants, like parking garages that are attached to the building and loading docks, make sure to have those ducts separated from the rest of the duct system.
The EPA recommends that you change your HVAC filters more frequently when you are in a smokey environment to ensure that they are effectively removing toxins from indoor air. Select a filter that has a minimum efficiency report value (MERV) of 13 or higher, as these filters are specially designed to remove smoke and other gaseous air contaminants.
Supercooling
Supercooling is a green trend that has become more popular in recent years. It’s based on the idea that electricity costs don’t vary by amount at any given time of the day. Most electricity companies offer “time of use” plans with different rates for off-peak and peak times. Supercooling allows homeowners cool their homes ahead of off-peak times, so they don’t require air conditioners during those costly summer peak hours.
This requires a programmable thermostat that can be adjusted automatically. However, even with this, homeowners should be aware of and examine their electricity consumption patterns and decide the most cost-effective time to run their air conditioner. Many homeowners save around 25% or more on their energy bills using this method.
To keep the home cool homeowners should set their AC at lower temperatures the next morning and then keep it there for a few more hours. This cools down the walls, floors furniture, fixtures and furniture of the house as well as the air inside. When energy costs are high, the homeowner will turn up the temperature, and leave it running until the next time it is turned 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 windows, doors and other leak points. It’s important that homeowners double-check the insulation of their home and cover any leaky or drafty areas. They should also use window coverings to block out sun particularly those that receive direct sunlight that is bright during the hottest parts of the daytime. It is also important to make sure that all doors and windows are tightly sealed to prevent air from getting out during cooling cycles occur. They should also think about using smart thermostats to help them remember when to start and stop cooling. This will allow homeowners to cut down on their energy consumption without worrying about forgetting when to switch on or off the system.