Energy Efficient Cooling and Air Conditioning Tips
Cooling and air conditioning are one of the most significant inventions of the past century. They helped make summer blockbusters and wartime planes and other supplies possible.
However cooling places a significant strain on electricity systems and generates huge amounts of pollution. This special IEA report raises awareness about the impact of this demand, and provides solutions.
Energy Efficiency
Energy efficiency is one of the most important factors to consider when selecting a new cooling unit. Upgrade to an energy-efficient air conditioner and you’ll save money on energy bills and reduce your environmental impact. Air conditioners are rated according to a variety of energy efficiency ratings, including SEER, EER, and HSPF. These ratings tell you how the air conditioner is able to cool using a specific amount of electricity. The higher the score, the more efficient the unit is. You can locate a SEER rating on the yellow Energy Guide label or by searching for “SEER ratings” online.
When looking for an air conditioner that is new pick one with an excellent rating. This rating indicates how efficiently the unit performs during the course of a season in normal conditions. If you’re replacing an older model with a higher SEER rating will greatly reduce your energy consumption and expenses.
Air conditioning systems are affected by other elements too. For instance high levels of humidity in the indoor and a lack of maintenance and duct leaks could all make your system work harder and consume more energy. Maintaining your system with regular maintenance and sealing leaks from ducts are easy ways to improve your system’s energy efficiency.
Large commercial cooling systems have their own energy efficiency considerations, too. These systems use a combination split- or packaged compressors, as well as huge pipe networks to distribute cooling throughout the building. They could also have steam systems, which require specialized maintenance in order to keep the pipes from becoming blocked.
Additionally the majority of these massive systems are controlled by what’s called a Building Automation System (BAS), which integrates all cooling and heating systems within the building into one centralized system. Verde has helped clients optimize the performance of these systems with simple retrocommissioning recommendations that typically offer quick paybacks as well as incentives to implement.
Energy efficiency in cooling and air conditioning is a key element of global efforts to mitigate climate change. Ultimately, we need to ensure that manufacturers bring super-efficient cooling devices to market, and that consumers demand these appliances. In the meantime, there are a variety of steps 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 cause serious health risks if their indoor air quality is not as good. There are fortunately a number of ways to improve IAQ that can help stop common issues like asthma, allergies, and fatigue.
Particulate matter (PM) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and carbon dioxide are the three most frequent pollutants in modern homes and offices. These pollutants can be released into the atmosphere through a variety of actions such as cleaning, cooking, and smoking. They can trigger respiratory issues and allergies.
High levels of moisture can also have a negative impact on the quality of air. Moist air encourages the development of mildew and mold which can cause respiratory issues. Monitoring humidity and keeping the moisture low is key to preventing these problems. The best method to do this is to regularly dust and vacuuming, cleaning furniture and bedding and utilizing a dehumidifier or humidifier as necessary based on hygrometer readings.
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 such as radon, for instance, can smell musty. It can also cause irritation or itchy eyes as well as a stuffy sensation. These issues can be prevented by installing an air purifier, maintaining the HVAC system, and ensuring that doors and windows are open for ventilation as needed.
The signs of poor air quality are varied and can include headaches difficulty in concentrating, and general feeling of malaise. Although these symptoms may resolve themselves after leaving a space, prolonged exposure can worsen existing health issues and may lead to serious health issues.
The most important factor that influences IAQ is the rate that fresh air replaces the old air, a process referred to as ventilation. This can be affected by the weather, occupancy rates, as well as the design of the building. However, simple steps can be taken to improve IAQ, including introduction of plants into the house and opening doors and windows as much as possible and ensuring that the HVAC system is working effectively. If you want to go further, we suggest you consult a Comfort Specialist about an indoor air assessment.
Smoke Pollution
While central air conditioners do an excellent job of filtering out most biological contaminants, like bacteria, molds, pet dander, and pollen, they are not designed to remove smoke particles. Smoke from wildfires contains microscopic particles that can cause symptoms such as burning or itchy eyes congested nasal, runny nose and coughing. They can also cause irritation to your lungs and aggravate chronic heart and lung conditions. The invisible fine particles in smoke can clog your lung, triggering a range of health effects, including an increase in 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 it has created hazardous air quality conditions across a large portion 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.
There is no way to keep smoke from entering your home through doors and windows, especially in older homes with many cracks and drafts. You can take steps to lessen the amount of smoke entering your building.
Close all windows and doors when it’s smokey. This can cut down on the amount of smoke from outside air by 30 percent. If you can, place damp towels around the door frames and cracks to stop the flow of smoke into your home or office.
If your HVAC system has the recirculation feature, make sure to turn it off during smoky conditions. This allows your HVAC system to take the smokey indoor air instead of recirculating it. If you have ducts in your building which connect to areas that may generate high levels of pollutants, like attached parking garages and loading docks, you should be sure that those ducts are 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. Choose a filter that has a minimum reporting value (MERV) that is 13 or higher. These filters are designed to remove gaseous air pollution and smoke.
Supercooling
In recent years, supercooling has become an increasingly popular method of reducing energy consumption. It’s based off the idea that electricity prices are different at different times of the day. In reality, the majority of power companies offer “time-of-use” plans that provide different off-peak and peak rates. Supercooling lets homeowners cool their homes in advance during off-peak hours, so they don’t have to run air conditioners during those costly summer peak hours.
This requires a thermostat with programmable settings that is able to adjust itself automatically. However, even with this, homeowners should be sure to look up their electric usage patterns and figure out when it’s most cost-effective to run their air conditioning. This method could save you as much as 25% on your energy bills.
To supercool the home, the homeowner should set their AC to a lower temperature the next morning and then keep it there for a few more hours. This cools the floors, walls furniture, fixtures and furniture of the house as well as the air inside. When the energy costs are at their peak homeowners, they increase the temperature of the air conditioner and then leave it running until the next time it is shut off.
This strategy works because cooling isn’t just about making the air inside the house cool. It is essential to stop heat from getting into your home through doors, windows, and other leaky points. It is crucial that homeowners double-check their home’s insulation and insulate any leaky or drafty areas. They should also use blinds to block sun light particularly those that receive direct sunlight that is bright 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 occur. They should also think about using smart thermostats to help them remember when to start and stop cooling. This helps homeowners cut their energy bills without having to remember when to turn on or off the system.
