Energy Efficient Cooling and Air Conditioning Tips
Air conditioning and cooling is one of the most important inventions of the modern age. They made summer blockbusters possible and helped boost production for wartime supplies and aircrafts.
However cooling puts a huge strain on electricity systems and causes huge quantities of pollution. This special IEA Report raises awareness of the issue and provides solutions.
Energy Efficiency
Efficiency in energy is one of the most important factors to consider when selecting a new cooling system. Upgrade to an efficient air conditioner and you’ll reduce your energy costs, as well as reduce your environmental impact. Air conditioners are rated with several different energy efficiency ratings, including SEER, EER, and HSPF. These ratings indicate how much an air conditioner can cool with a certain amount of electricity. The higher the rating is, the more efficient the unit. You can locate a SEER rating on the yellow Energy Guide label or by searching for “SEER ratings” online.
If you are in the market for an air conditioner that is new look for one that has a high rating. This rating reveals how the unit performs under normal conditions in a given season. If you’re replacing a model that’s older with a higher SEER rating will significantly reduce your energy use and expenses.
Air conditioning systems are affected by other factors as well. For instance high levels of indoor humidity and a lack of maintenance and duct leaks could all make your system more efficient and use more energy. Making sure you are keeping up with routine maintenance and sealing duct leaks are easy steps to improve your system’s energy efficiency.
Commercial cooling systems are also subject to energy efficiency issues. These systems make use of a combination of 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 in order to prevent the pipes from becoming blocked.
A lot of these huge systems can also be controlled by an Building Automation System, which integrates the cooling and heating systems into one centralized system. Verde has helped clients optimize the performance of these systems through simple retrocommissioning guidelines that typically have quick paybacks and incentives for their implementation.
Energy efficiency in air conditioning and cooling is a key component of global efforts to reduce climate change. In the end, we have to ensure that manufacturers bring super-efficient cooling equipment to market, and consumers are demanding these appliances. In the meantime, there are a variety of ways we can help cut our energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
Indoor Air Quality
Indoor air quality is an important health issue for those who spend a significant portion of their time in buildings. Fortunately, there are a number of ways to improve IAQ and stop common issues like asthma as well as allergies and fatigue.
Particulate matter (PM), volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and carbon dioxide are the three most common sources of pollution in modern homes and offices. These pollutants can be released into the atmosphere through a variety of actions like cooking, cleaning, and smoking. They can cause allergies and respiratory issues.
High levels of humidity can also cause havoc on air quality. Moisture can encourage the growth of mildew and mold that can trigger respiratory issues. Monitoring humidity and keeping the moisture low is essential to avoid these problems. This can be accomplished by regularly vacuuming and dusting, washing bedding, furniture and using a dehumidifier or humidifier based on the humidifier or hygrometer.
Apart from the obvious health benefits, improving IAQ can increase comfort in homes. A home that has high levels of air pollution, for example, can smell musty. It can also cause irritated or itchy eyes as well as a stuffy sensation. Installing an air purifier and maintaining the HVAC system can help avoid these issues. Also, ensure that you open windows and doors to let air flow in when needed.
Symptoms of poor air quality are varied and include headaches, difficulties in concentrating, or a general feeling of malaise. Although these symptoms may resolve themselves after leaving a area, prolonged exposure could worsen existing health issues and may lead to serious health issues.
The most important factor that influences IAQ is the rate of fresh air replacing the old air, a process referred to as ventilation. This can be influenced by the weather, occupancy rates, as well as the design of the building. There are a few easy ways to improve IAQ. This can be done by installing plants in the home, opening doors and windows whenever possible, and ensuring that the HVAC system works properly. If you’re looking to go further, we recommend that you talk to a Comfort Specialist about an indoor air quality assessment.
Smoke Pollution
While heat pumps and central air conditioners do an excellent job of filtering out the majority of biological pollutants, including bacteria, molds, pet dander, and pollen, they’re not designed to eliminate smoke particles. Smoke from wildfires is a source of microscopic particles that can trigger symptoms like burning or itchy eyes congestion, runny nose and coughing. They can also irritate the lungs and worsen the severity of heart and lung problems. Smoke particles can cause variety of health problems, including bronchitis and aggravated asthma.
The smoke that blanketed New York City last week was caused by forest fires raging in Canada. It can also cause dangerous air quality conditions across large parts of the north and south of the United States. The dense smoky haze reduces visibility and causes breathing difficulties for those who is outdoors.
Unfortunately, there is no way to completely block smoke from getting into your business or home through doors and windows particularly older homes with lots of drafts and cracks. However you can take steps to minimize the amount of smoke that enters your building.
Keep all doors and windows closed when it’s smoky outside. This can cut the amount of smoke by 30 percent. If possible, place wet towels around the door frames and cracks to stop the movement of smoky air into your home or office.
If your HVAC system is in an recirculation mode, make sure to switch off when you are in a smokey environment. This will allow your HVAC to take the smokey indoor air to the outside instead of returning it. If your building has ducts connecting to areas where contaminants are likely to be high, like loading docks and parking garages it is important to ensure that these ducts are kept away from the rest of.
The EPA recommends that you change your HVAC filters more frequently 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 higher. These filters are designed to remove 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. In reality, the majority of power companies offer “time-of-use” plans that offer 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 have to run their air conditioners during those high-cost summer peak periods.
This method requires a programmable thermostat that is able to adjust itself automatically. However, homeowners still need to take the time to analyze their electricity usage patterns to determine when their air conditioner is the most efficient. This strategy could save you as much as 25 percent on your energy bills.
To supercool homeowners, they set their air conditioner to a lower temperature in the morning and keeps it at the same setting for a couple of hours. This cools the home’s walls furniture, floors, flooring and fixtures, as well as the interior air. When peak energy-cost hours arrive, the homeowner turns the air conditioning on and then leaves it running until it’s off for several hours.
This method 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 your windows, doors, and other leaky points. That’s why homeowners should double-check that their home is sealed and cover any drafty or leaky areas. It is also recommended to cover windows to block out sunlight, particularly in areas that get direct sunlight during the hottest times of the day. Additionally, they should make sure that all doors and windows are sealed to prevent air from escape during cooling cycles. Also, they should consider 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 low without worrying about forgetting to turn off the system or on.