Energy Efficient Cooling and Air Conditioning Tips
Air cooling and conditioning is one of the most significant inventions of modern history. They were instrumental in making wartime and summer blockbusters and other supplies possible.
However cooling places a significant demand on electric systems and causes huge quantities of pollution. This particular IEA report aims to raise awareness of the impact of this demand and provides solutions.
Energy Efficiency
Energy efficiency is among the most important factors to consider when selecting a new cooling system. Upgrade to an efficient air conditioner and you will save money on energy bills and also reduce your environmental impact. Air conditioners are rated according to a variety of energy efficiency ratings, such as SEER, EER, and HSPF. These ratings tell you how much an air conditioner can cool for a given amount of electricity consumed. The higher the rating the more efficient the unit. The SEER rating of a unit can be located on its yellow Energy Guide Label or by searching “SEER ratings”.
When shopping for a new air conditioning system, search for one with a high SEER rating. This rating indicates how well the unit performs during the course of a season in normal conditions. If you’re replacing a model that’s older with a higher SEER rating will significantly reduce your energy consumption and expenses.
Other things can influence energy efficiency in air conditioning systems, too. For instance, high indoor humidity levels as well as a lack of maintenance and duct leaks can make your system more efficient and use more energy. Maintaining your system with regular maintenance and sealing leaks in ducts are simple steps to increase your system’s energy efficiency.
Large commercial cooling systems come with particular energy efficiency considerations also. They usually use an array of packaged or split compressors that have huge pipes to distribute cooling throughout the building. They might also have steam systems, which require specialized maintenance in order to prevent the pipes from becoming blocked.
Many of these systems can also be controlled by an Building Automation System, which integrates the cooling and heating systems into a single centralized system. Verde has assisted in optimizing the efficiency of systems by providing retrocommissioning strategies that offer quick paybacks.
Energy efficiency in cooling and air conditioning is a major component of global efforts to mitigate climate change. We must ensure that cooling devices are extremely efficient and that consumers want them. In the meantime we can also take other steps to cut down on our energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
Indoor Air Quality
A large portion of people live their lives in buildings and these structures can pose significant health threats when the indoor air quality isn’t good enough. Fortunately, there are numerous ways to improve IAQ that can help be a solution to common ailments like asthma as well as allergies and fatigue.
Particulate matter (PM) as well as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and carbon dioxide are the three most frequent sources of pollution in modern workplaces and homes. These pollutants are released into the air due to various activities, including cooking, cleaning, or smoking, and they could lead to respiratory issues and allergic reactions.
The high levels of humidity can also wreak havoc on the quality of air. Mildew and mold can thrive in humid air, and can cause respiratory problems. Monitoring humidity and keeping the moisture low is key to preventing these issues. This can be done by regularly cleaning and vacuuming, washing bedding, cushions and making use of a humidifier or dehumidifier that is based on the humidity gauge.
Aside from the obvious health benefits as well as the obvious health benefits, improving IAQ can increase comfort in the home. For instance, a house with a lot of air pollution can turn musty and odor unpleasant. It can also trigger irritation to the eyes, itchy skin and a feeling of suffocation. This can be addressed by installing an air purifier, keeping the HVAC system, and ensuring that doors and windows are open for ventilation as needed.
The symptoms of poor air quality can be varied and can include headaches, difficulties in concentrating, or a general feeling of malaise. These symptoms may resolve after leaving the space, but prolonged exposure to poor quality air can aggravate existing health issues or cause serious health issues.
The most important factor that influences IAQ is the speed at which fresh air replaces the old air, a process known as ventilation. This can be affected by the weather conditions, the occupancy rate of the room and the design. But, a few simple steps can be taken to enhance IAQ by introduction of plants into the home, opening windows and doors as much as is possible and ensuring that the HVAC system is working properly. If you’re looking to go a step further, we recommend that you talk to a Comfort Specialist for an indoor air quality assessment.
Smoke Pollution
Central air conditioning systems are excellent in removing biological pollutants like bacteria, molds pollen, pet dander, and mold. However they are not able to remove smoke particles. The microscopic particles in wildfire smoke are very dangerous, and they can easily enter your eyes, nose 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 worsen chronic heart and lung conditions. The tiny particles of smoke can clog your lungs, triggering a variety of health issues, including an increase in asthma, bronchitis, and damage to your lungs and heart.
The smoke that blanketed 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 dense smoky haze reduces visibility and creates breathing problems for those who is outdoors.
Unfortunately, there is no way to completely block smoke from getting into your business or home through windows and doors particularly older homes with many drafts and cracks. You can take steps to reduce the amount of smoke that enters your home or business.
Close all windows and doors when it’s smokey. This will reduce the amount of smoky air by 30 percent. If you can, place damp towels on the door frames and cracks in order to slow the flow of smoke into your home or office.
If your HVAC system features the ability to recirculate air, be sure you turn it off when the air is smoking. This allows the system to exhaust the smoky air directly outside instead of returning it to inside. If you have ducts in your building that connect to areas that can produce high concentrations of pollutants, like attached parking garages and loading docks, be certain to have these ducts separate from the rest of the duct system.
The EPA recommends changing your HVAC filters more frequently in the event of smoke to ensure they’re effectively taking out the toxins in the indoor air. Select a filter that has a minimum efficiency report value (MERV) of 13 or more, since these filters are specifically designed to remove gases and smoke contaminants.
Supercooling
In recent years, supercooling has been an energy-saving method that is popular. It’s based off the idea that electricity prices are different at different times of the day. Most power companies offer “time of use” plans that offer different rates for off-peak and peak times. Supercooling lets homeowners to cool their homes ahead of off-peak hours, meaning they don’t need to run air conditioners at those expensive summer peak hours.
This method requires an automated thermostat that can be programmed. However even with this, homeowners should be aware of and study their electric usage patterns and figure out the best time to run their air cooling system. Many homeowners save around 25% or more off their energy bills by using this method.
To supercool homeowners, they set their AC to a lower temperature in the morning, and then keeps it at that setting for a couple of hours. This cools the walls, floors, furniture, and fixtures of the home as well as the air inside. When peak energy costs hit the homeowner, he or she will turn the air conditioning up and then leave it running until the next time it’s shut off.
This strategy is successful because cooling doesn’t just mean making the air inside the home cooler. It’s important to prevent heat from entering your home through doors, windows, and other leaky 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 covers to block out sun, especially in areas that receive direct sunlight during the hottest hours of the day. Also, they should ensure that all doors and windows 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 allows homeowners to keep their energy costs at a minimum without having to remember to switch off or on.