Energy Efficient Cooling and Air Conditioning Tips
Air conditioning and cooling are among the most significant inventions of the history of modern times. They made summer blockbusters possible and helped boost production for wartime supplies and airplanes.
Cooling, however, puts enormous strain on the electricity system and generates massive quantities of pollution. This particular IEA Report raises awareness of the impact and offers solutions.
Energy Efficiency
When selecting an air conditioner energy efficiency is an important factor. Upgrade to a more efficient air conditioner and save money on energy bills, as well as reduce your environmental impact. The energy efficiency of air conditioners is assessed in various ways such as SEER and EER. These ratings indicate how much a unit is able to cool for a given amount of electricity consumed. The higher the rating the more efficient the unit is. The SEER rating of a system can be found on its yellow Energy Guide Label or by searching “SEER ratings”.
When looking for an air conditioner for the first time, choose one with an excellent rating. This rating shows how the unit performs under normal conditions during a given season. A higher SEER rating can lower your energy costs and consumption in the event that you replace an older model.
Air conditioning systems can be affected by other factors as well. Insufficient humidity in the indoors, lack of maintenance and leaks in ducts, for instance, can make your system be more demanding and consume more energy. Making sure you are keeping up with routine maintenance and sealing leaks in ducts are simple steps to increase your system’s energy efficiency.
Commercial cooling systems are also subject to energy efficiency concerns. They usually utilize the combination of packaged or split compressors that have huge pipes to distribute cooling throughout the building. They might also have steam systems, that require special maintenance to prevent the pipes from becoming blocked.
A lot of these huge systems can also be controlled with the use of a Building Automation System, which integrates the cooling and heating systems into one centralized system. Verde has helped clients optimize the performance of these systems by providing simple retrocommissioning suggestions that usually have quick paybacks and incentives for their implementation.
The global effort to curb the effects of climate change is heavily dependent on the efficiency of cooling and air conditioning. We must ensure that cooling equipment is super-efficient and that consumers demand these appliances. In the meantime, there are a variety of ways we can reduce our energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
Indoor Air Quality
A large portion of people live their lives in structures, and these structures could cause serious health risks when the indoor air quality is poor. There are a variety of ways to improve IAQ and avoid common ailments like allergies, asthma fatigue, allergies, etc.
Particulate matter as well as volatile organic compounds and carbon dioxide are three of the most prevalent sources of pollution in modern office and home buildings. These pollutants can be released into the atmosphere through a variety of actions such as cleaning, cooking and smoking. They can cause allergies and respiratory problems.
The presence of excessive moisture can also have a negative impact on the quality of air. Mildew and mold can thrive in humid air, and can lead to respiratory problems. To avoid these issues it is essential to keep an eye on humidity levels and keep the moisture at a low level. This can be accomplished by regularly cleaning and vacuuming, washing bedding, soft furnishings and using a dehumidifier or humidifier using a hygrometer.
In addition to the obvious health benefits of improving IAQ in your home, it can improve the comfort of your home. A home that has high levels of air pollution for instance, may smell musty. It can also trigger irritation to eyes, itchy skin and a snoring feeling. Installing an air purifier and maintaining the HVAC system can help to avoid these issues. Also, make sure that you open doors and windows for ventilation when needed.
The symptoms of poor air quality are varied and can include headaches difficulty in concentrating, and a general feeling of malaise. While these symptoms can disappear after leaving the space, prolonged exposure to air pollution can cause health problems that are already present and can even result in serious health issues.
The main factor that affects IAQ is the rate of fresh air replacing stale air, a process known as ventilation. This can be affected by the weather, room occupancy rates, as well as the design of the structure. There are a few easy methods to improve IAQ. This can be done by adding plants to the home, opening the doors and windows as often as feasible, and making sure that the HVAC system is operating properly. If you’re looking to take it a a step further, we recommend that you talk to a Comfort Specialist about an assessment of indoor air quality.
Smoke Pollution
While heat pumps and central air conditioners do a great job of filtering out most biological contaminants, like bacteria, molds, pet dander, and pollen, they are not specifically designed to remove smoke particles. Smoke from wildfires is a source of microscopic particles which can cause symptoms like burning or itchy eyes, congestion, runny nasal, and coughing. They can also cause irritation to your lungs and exacerbate the severity of heart and lung problems. The fine particles that are invisible in smoke can get stuck in your lung, triggering a myriad of health issues, including worsened asthma, bronchitis and damage to your heart and lungs.
The haze that engulfed New York City last week was caused by forest fires that are burning in Canada. It is also causing dangerous air quality conditions throughout much of the south and north of the United States. The dense smoky fog reduces visibility and may cause respiratory distress to anyone who is required to be outdoors.
Unfortunately, there is no way to completely prevent smoky air from entering your business or home through doors and windows particularly older homes with many drafts and cracks. However you can take steps to minimize the amount of smoke entering your home or business.
Keep all windows and doors closed when it’s smoky outside. This can cut down on the amount of smoke in the outside air by 30 percent. If you can, place damp towels on the door frames and cracks to slow the movement of smoky air into your home or business.
If your HVAC system features an recirculation feature, make sure that you switch it off when the air is smoking. This will allow your HVAC to exhaust the smoky indoor air instead of recirculating it. If you have ducts within your building connected to areas that may have high concentrations of contaminants, such as attached parking garages and loading docks, you should be certain to have these ducts separate from the rest of the duct system.
The EPA recommends changing your HVAC filters much more often during smokey conditions to ensure they are effectively removing the toxins from the air inside. Choose a filter that has a minimum reporting value (MERV) which is 13 or higher. These filters are designed to remove gaseous air pollution and smoke.
Supercooling
Supercooling is an energy-saving trend that’s become increasingly popular in recent years. It’s based on the notion that electricity prices are different at different times of the day. The majority of electricity companies offer “time of use” plans with different peak and offpeak rates. Supercooling lets homeowners pre-cool their homes during off-peak hours so they don’t have to run their air conditioners during the high-cost summer peak periods.
This requires an automatic thermostat that can be programmed. Even so homeowners should examine their electricity usage patterns to determine when their air conditioner is most cost-effective. This method can save you up to 25 percent off your energy bill.
To keep the home cool, the homeowner should set their AC to lower temperatures the next morning and maintain it for a few hours. This cools the floors, walls furniture, fixtures and furniture of the house as well as the air inside. When peak energy costs hit the homeowner, he or she will turn the air conditioning up, and leave it running until the next time it’s shut off.
This strategy is successful because cooling doesn’t just mean making the air in the home cooler. It’s crucial to prevent heat from entering your home through windows, doors and other leaky areas. That’s why homeowners should double-check that their homes are properly sealed and make sure to insulate any drafty or leaky areas. It is also recommended to make use of window shades to block out sun, particularly in areas that receive direct sunlight during the hottest hours of the day. Additionally it is important to ensure that all windows and doors are tightly sealed to stop air from escaping during cooling cycles. Also, they should consider using smart thermostats that can aid them in remembering to start and stop cooling at the ideal times of the day. This makes it easier for homeowners to keep their energy bills at a minimum without having to remember to turn the system off or on.
