Energy Efficient Cooling and Air Conditioning Tips
Air conditioning and cooling are one of the most important inventions in the past century. They made summer movie blockbusters possible and helped boost manufacturing for wartime supplies and aircrafts.
However, cooling puts a large strain on electricity systems and generates huge quantities of pollution. This special IEA report aims to raise awareness of the negative impact of this demand, and provides solutions.
Energy Efficiency
When choosing the right cooling system, energy efficiency is a crucial aspect. The upgrade to a more efficient conditioner will help you save on expenses for energy and reduce environmental impacts. The energy efficiency of air conditioning units is evaluated in a variety of ways, including SEER and EER. These ratings show how much a unit can cool in a given amount of electricity consumed. The higher the rating the more efficient the unit. You can locate a system’s SEER rating on its yellow Energy Guide label or by searching for “SEER ratings” online.
When you are looking for a new air conditioning system, search for one with a good SEER rating. This rating indicates how well the unit will perform during the course of a season in normal conditions. A higher SEER rating will lower your energy costs and consumption if you are replacing an older model.
Other things can influence the efficiency of air conditioning systems, too. Insufficient humidity in the indoors, the absence of maintenance and duct leaks, for instance, can make your system work harder and consume additional energy. Regular maintenance and sealing of ducts leaks are easy ways to increase the energy efficiency of your system.
Large commercial cooling systems come with their own energy efficiency concerns also. These systems use a combination split or packaged compressors as well as massive pipe networks to provide cooling throughout the building. They might also have steam systems which require specialized maintenance to prevent the pipes from becoming blocked.
In addition the majority of these massive systems are controlled by something called a Building Automation System (BAS), which integrates all heating and cooling systems of the building into one centralized system. Verde has assisted in optimizing the efficiency of these systems by providing retrocommissioning strategies that offer rapid paybacks.
Energy efficiency in air conditioning and cooling is a major component of global efforts to mitigate climate change. In the end, we have to ensure that manufacturers bring super-efficient cooling devices to market, and consumers are demanding them. In the meantime we can take additional measures to reduce our energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
Indoor Air Quality
A lot of people spend the majority of their lives in buildings, and these structures can pose significant health threats when their indoor air quality is not as good. There are fortunately many ways to improve IAQ, which can prevent common problems such as asthma as well as allergies and fatigue.
Particulate matter (PM) as well as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and carbon dioxide are the three main sources of pollution in modern homes and offices. These pollutants are released into the air by a variety of activities, such as cooking, cleaning, and smoking cigarettes, and can cause respiratory problems as well as allergic reactions.
A high level of humidity can also cause destruction on the air quality. Mildew and mold can flourish in moist air, which can lead to respiratory problems. Monitoring humidity and keeping the humidity low is key to preventing these issues. The best way to achieve this is to regularly dust and vacuuming, cleaning bedding and soft furnishings and utilizing the dehumidifier or humidifier when necessary based on hygrometer readings.
In addition to the obvious health benefits, improving IAQ can increase comfort in homes. For instance, a house with high air pollutants can become musty and smell unpleasant. It can also cause irritated eyes or itchy eyes, as well as a stuffy sensation. Installing an air purifier and keeping the HVAC system can help keep these issues from happening. Also, make sure that you open doors and windows for ventilation when needed.
Symptoms of poor air quality are varied and can include headaches difficulty in concentrating, and general feeling of malaise. While these symptoms will resolve themselves after leaving a space, prolonged exposure can worsen existing health issues and can even result in serious health issues.
Ventilation is the primary factor that affects IAQ. This can be affected by the weather conditions, the occupancy rate of rooms and the design. There are a few easy ways to improve IAQ. These include introducing plants in the house, opening the doors and windows as often as possible, and ensuring that the HVAC system is operating correctly. For those who would prefer more of a thorough approach, it is recommended to consult a Comfort Specialist about an indoor air quality assessment.
Smoke Pollution
Central air conditioning systems are excellent at removing biological contaminants like bacteria, molds pollen, pet dander and mold. However, they do not remove smoke particles. Wildfire smoke contains microscopic particles that can trigger symptoms such as burning or itchy eyes congestion, runny nose and coughing. They can also cause irritation to your lungs and worsen lung and heart conditions that are chronic. Smoke particles can cause variety health effects such as bronchitis and aggravation of 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 across a large portion of the northern US and southern Canada. The dense smoky haze reduces visibility and creates breathing problems for those who is outdoors.
There is no way to stop smoke from entering your home through your windows and doors especially in older houses with many cracks and drafts. You can make steps to decrease the amount of smoke that enters your home or business.
Keep all windows and doors closed when it’s smoky outside. This can reduce the amount of smoke from outside 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 business.
If your HVAC system has the ability to recirculate air, be sure you turn it off when the air is smokey. This allows the system to expel the smoke directly outside rather than returning it to inside. If your structure has ducts that connect to areas where contaminants are 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 recommends changing your HVAC filters more often when you are in a smokey environment to ensure that they are removing toxins from indoor air. Select a filter with a minimum reporting value (MERV) that is 13 or more. These filters are designed to get rid of the smoke and gaseous pollution from the air.
Supercooling
Supercooling is a green trend that has gained popularity in recent years. It’s based upon the notion that electricity doesn’t cost the same amount at any given time of the day. Most electricity companies offer “time of use” plans that have different rates for off-peak and peak times. Supercooling lets homeowners pre-cool their homes in off-peak hours, so they don’t have to use their air conditioners during high-cost summer peak times.
This requires a thermostat with programmable settings that can be adjusted automatically. However, even with this, homeowners should be aware of and study their electric usage patterns and determine when it’s most cost-effective to run their air conditioning. This could save you as much as 25% on your energy bills.
To make the house super cool homeowners, they set their air conditioner to a lower temperature in the morning and maintains it at that temperature for a couple of hours. This cools down the floors, walls furniture, fixtures and furniture of the home as well as the air inside. When the energy costs are at their peak the homeowner, he or she will increase the temperature of the air conditioner and leave it on until the next time it’s shut off.
This strategy is effective since cooling doesn’t just refer to making the air inside the home cooler. It also aims to prevent heat from entering the home through windows, doors and other leak points. It is essential that homeowners check their homes’ insulation and seal any drafty or leaky areas. Also, they should consider using window coverings to block out sun, especially those that get bright direct sunlight in the hottest hours of the daytime. Additionally they should ensure that all windows and doors are sealed to prevent air from getting out during cooling cycles. They should also think about using smart thermostats to help them remember when to start and stop cooling. This allows homeowners to reduce their energy bills without having to remember when to turn off or on the system.
