Energy Efficient Cooling and Air Conditioning Tips
Air conditioning and cooling is among the most important inventions of the modern age. They made summer movie blockbusters possible and also helped boost production for wartime supplies and aircrafts.
However, cooling puts a large demand on electric systems and causes huge amounts of pollution. This particular IEA report aims to raise awareness of the effects of this demand and offers solutions.
Energy Efficiency
When selecting a new cooling system, energy efficiency is a crucial factor. Making the switch to a more efficient air conditioner will save on your energy costs and also reduce the environmental impact. Air conditioning units are rated using a variety of energy efficiency ratings, including SEER, EER, and HSPF. These ratings show how much a unit can cool for a given amount of electricity consumed. The higher the rating the more efficient the unit is. You can find a system’s SEER rating on its yellow Energy Guide label or by searching for “SEER ratings” on the internet.
When looking for an air conditioner for the first time pick one with an A+ rating. This rating indicates how efficiently the unit will perform during the course of a season in normal conditions. If you’re replacing a model that’s older with a higher SEER rating will greatly reduce your energy use and cost.
Air conditioning systems can be affected by other factors too. For example high levels of indoor humidity as well as a lack of maintenance and duct leaks can make your system more efficient and consume more energy. Regular maintenance and sealing of leaks in ducts are simple ways to increase the energy efficiency of your system.
Large commercial cooling systems come with their own energy efficiency considerations also. These systems use a combination split or packaged compressors as well as massive pipe networks to distribute cooling throughout the building. These systems may also include steam systems that require specialized maintenance to keep the pipes from becoming blocked.
A lot of these huge systems can also be controlled by the use of a Building Automation System, which connects the cooling and heating systems into a single centralized system. Verde has assisted clients in optimizing the performance of these systems through simple retrocommissioning recommendations that typically provide quick paybacks and incentives to implement.
The global effort to reduce climate change is heavily dependent on the efficiency of cooling and air-conditioning. In the end, we have to ensure that manufacturers introduce super-efficient cooling appliances to market, and consumers are demanding them. In the meantime, there are other actions we can take to help reduce our energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.
Indoor Air Quality
Many people spend much of their lives in structures, and these structures can pose significant health threats if their indoor air quality isn’t good enough. There are many ways to improve IAQ and prevent common issues like asthma, allergies, fatigue, etc.
Particulate matter (PM), volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and carbon dioxide are the three most common sources of pollution in modern offices and homes. These pollutants are released into the air by various activities, including cooking, cleaning, and smoking, and they can cause respiratory problems and allergic reactions.
A high level of moisture may have a negative impact on the quality of air. Moisture can encourage the growth of mildew and mold that can trigger respiratory problems. Monitoring humidity and keeping the moisture low is essential to avoid these issues. This can be accomplished by regularly cleaning and vacuuming, washing bedding, soft furnishings and making use of a humidifier or dehumidifier based on the hygrometer.
In addition to the obvious health benefits in improving IAQ can improve the comfort of homes. A home with high levels of air pollutants for instance, may smell musty. It can also cause itchy skin, irritated eyes and a snoring feeling. These issues can be avoided by installing an air purifier, maintaining the HVAC system, and making sure that doors and windows are opened to allow air circulation when required.
The symptoms of poor air quality can be a variety of symptoms and can include headaches difficulty in concentrating, and general malaise. These symptoms may improve when you leave the room, but prolonged exposure to poor air quality can aggravate existing health issues or even trigger serious illness.
Ventilation is the primary factor that affects IAQ. This can be affected by the weather, occupancy rates, and also the design of the building. There are many methods to improve IAQ. This can be done by introducing plants in the home, opening windows and doors whenever possible, and ensuring that the HVAC system is operating correctly. For those who would like to take more of a thorough approach, it is suggested to speak with a Comfort Specialist about an indoor air quality assessment.
Smoke Pollution
Heat pumps and central air conditioning systems are effective at removing biological contaminants like bacteria, molds, pet dander and pollen. However they are not able to remove smoke particles. The microscopic particles in smoke from wildfires are extremely dangerous and easily get into your nose, eyes, and throat and cause symptoms such as burning or itchy eyes, congestion, runny nose, and coughing. They can also cause irritation to your lungs and cause worsening of lung and heart conditions that are chronic. Smoke particles can cause range of health issues, including bronchitis and aggravated asthma.
The smoke blanketing New York City this week is the result of forest fires in Canada, and it has created hazardous air quality conditions throughout 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 keep smoke from entering your home through doors and windows especially in older houses that have a lot of cracks and drafts. However you can take steps to minimize the amount of smoke entering your building.
Keep all windows and doors shut when it’s smokey outside. 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 business.
If your HVAC system has a recirculation function, make sure to shut it off when air is smoking. This will allow your HVAC system to exhaust the smoky indoor air outside, rather than recirculating it. If your building has ducts connecting to areas where contamination is likely to be high, for instance parking garages or loading docks it is important to ensure that the ducts are separated from the rest.
The EPA suggests changing your HVAC filters more frequently during times of smoke to ensure they’re effectively taking out the toxins in the indoor air. Choose a filter with an efficiency reporting value (MERV) of 13 or higher, as these filters are specifically designed to eliminate gases and smoke contaminants.
Supercooling
In recent years, supercooling has become an energy-saving method that is popular. It’s based on the notion that electricity isn’t priced the same amount at any given time of the day. Most energy companies offer “time of use” plans that have different off-peak and peak rates. Supercooling allows homeowners to pre-cool their homes during off-peak hours, so they don’t need to run their air conditioners during high-cost summer peak hours.
This method requires an automated thermostat that can be programmed. However even with this, homeowners should be sure to study their electric 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 by using this method.
To keep the home cool, the homeowner sets their AC to a lower temperature in the morning, and then keeps it at that temperature for a couple of hours. This cools the walls as well as floors, furniture and fixtures, as well as the interior air. 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 is shut off.
This method is efficient because cooling doesn’t just mean making the air inside 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. Also, they should consider using blinds to block out sun, especially those that get bright direct sunlight during the hottest hours of the daytime. Also it is important to ensure that all windows and doors are sealed to prevent air from getting out during cooling cycles. Additionally, they should think about using smart thermostats to assist them in ensuring that they start and stop cooling at the best times of the day. This allows homeowners to keep their energy costs at a minimum without having to remember to turn the system off or on.