Energy Efficient Cooling and Air Conditioning Tips
Air cooling and conditioning is one of the most important inventions of modern history. They made blockbuster summer movies possible and helped boost manufacturing for wartime supplies and airplanes.
However cooling places a significant strain on electricity systems and causes huge quantities of pollution. This particular IEA Report aims to raise awareness of the issue and offers solutions.
Energy Efficiency
When you are choosing an air conditioner, energy efficiency is an important aspect. Upgrading to an efficient air conditioner will save on your energy costs and also reduce environmental impact. Air conditioning units are rated with several different energy efficiency ratings, including SEER, EER, and HSPF. These ratings tell you how much an air conditioner can cool using a specific amount of electricity. The higher the rating 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 looking for an air conditioner for the first time pick one with an excellent rating. This rating indicates how the unit performs under normal conditions in a given season. If you’re replacing an older model, a higher SEER rating will greatly reduce your energy use and costs.
Air conditioning systems are affected by other causes as well. Insufficient humidity in the indoors, lack of maintenance and duct leaks for instance, could all make your system work harder and consume additional energy. Keeping up with routine maintenance and sealing duct leaks are easy steps to improve the efficiency of your system.
Commercial cooling systems are also subject to energy efficiency issues. These systems often utilize a combination of split or packaged compressors that have huge pipe networks to distribute cooling throughout the building. These systems may also include steam systems that require specialized maintenance in order to prevent the pipes from getting blocked.
Additionally, many of these large systems are controlled by what’s called a Building Automation System (BAS), which integrates all heating and cooling systems within the building into one centralized system. Verde has helped clients improve the performance of these systems by providing simple retrocommissioning suggestions that usually offer quick paybacks as well as incentives to implement.
Energy efficiency in cooling and air conditioning is a key component of global efforts to reduce climate change. We must ensure that cooling devices are super-efficient and that consumers demand these appliances. In the meantime we can also take other measures to cut down on 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 when the indoor air quality isn’t good enough. There are fortunately numerous ways to improve IAQ that can help be a solution to common ailments like asthma or allergies, as well as fatigue.
Particulate matter (PM) as well as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and carbon dioxide are the three most frequent sources for pollution in modern workplaces and homes. These pollutants are released into the air by many different activities, such as cooking, cleaning, and smoking, and they could cause respiratory problems and allergic reactions.
High levels of humidity can also create havoc on the quality of air. Mildew and mold can flourish in humid air, which can lead to respiratory problems. To avoid these issues it is essential to monitor humidity and keep the moisture at a low level. The best method to do this is to regularly dust and vacuuming, cleaning bedding and soft furnishings, and using a dehumidifier or humidifier as required based on readings from hygrometers.
Aside from the obvious health benefits, improving IAQ can increase comfort in a home. For example, a home with a lot of air pollution can be stale and smell unpleasant. It can also trigger irritated eyes or itchy eyes, and also a snoring sensation. These issues can be prevented by installing an air purifier, maintaining the HVAC system, and ensuring that windows and doors are opened to allow air circulation when needed.
Poor air quality can lead to headaches, problems with concentration and a general feeling of feeling of ill-health. 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 health issues.
The main factor that affects IAQ is the speed of fresh air replacing old air, a process that is known as ventilation. This is affected by the weather, the occupancy rate of the room and the design. However, simple steps can be taken to enhance IAQ by introduction of plants into the house, opening windows and doors as much as possible, and ensuring that the HVAC system is operating properly. If you’d like to take more of a thorough approach, it is recommended that they speak with a Comfort Specialist about an assessment of indoor air quality.
Smoke Pollution
Central air conditioning systems are effective at removing biological pollutants such as bacteria, molds pollen, pet dander, and mold. However they cannot remove smoke particles. Smoke from wildfires contains microscopic particles which can cause symptoms such as burning or itchy eye congestion, runny nose and coughing. They can also irritate the lungs and exacerbate the severity of heart and lung problems. Smoke particles can cause variety health effects like bronchitis, as well as aggravation of asthma.
The smoke that has blanketed New York City this week was caused by forest fires in Canada and is causing hazardous air quality conditions across much of the northern US and southern Canada. The dense smoky fog reduces visibility and may cause respiratory stress to anyone who is required to be outdoors.
Unfortunately, there is no way to completely block smoky air from entering your home or business through doors and windows, especially older homes with many drafts and cracks. However, you can take steps to minimize the amount of smoke entering your building.
Close all doors and windows when it’s smokey. This can reduce the amount of smoky outside air by 30 percent. If you can, put wet towels on the door frames and cracks to stop the movement of smoky air into your business or home.
If your HVAC system has an recirculation mode, make sure to switch off when you are in a smokey environment. This allows the system to expel the smoke directly outside instead of returning it to inside. If you have ducts in your building connected to areas that may have high concentrations of contaminants, such as parking garages with attached loading docks, be sure to have those ducts separated from the rest of the duct system.
The EPA recommends changing your HVAC filters more frequently in the event of smoke to ensure that they are removing pollutants from the air in your home. Select a filter with an MERV that is at least (MERV), which is 13 or more. These filters are designed to remove smoke and gaseous air pollution.
Supercooling
In recent years, supercooling has become an energy-saving method that is popular. It’s based off the idea that electricity prices are different at different times of the day. In fact, many electricity companies offer “time-of-use” plans that feature different rates for off-peak and peak times. Supercooling allows homeowners to pre-cool their homes during off-peak times so that they don’t need to run their air conditioners during those high-cost summer peak times.
This method requires an automated thermostat that can be programmed. However, homeowners still need to examine their electricity usage patterns to determine when their air conditioner will be most cost-effective. This method can save you up to 25% on your energy bills.
To supercool homeowners, they set their AC to lower temperatures in the morning, and then keeps it at that temperature for a couple of hours. This cools the home’s walls as well as floors, furniture and fixtures, as well as the air inside. When peak energy-cost times arrive the homeowner, he or she turns the air conditioning up and leaves it running until it’s off for several hours.
This strategy is successful because it doesn’t only mean making the air in the home cooler. It’s also about preventing heat from entering the home 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 blinds to block out sun, especially those that get direct sunlight that is bright during the hottest hours of the day. They should also make sure that all windows and doors are tightly sealed to prevent air from escape during cooling cycles. Finally, they should consider using smart thermostats that can help them remember to start and stop cooling at the best times of the day. This helps homeowners cut their energy consumption without worrying about forgetting to turn off or on the system.
