Energy Efficient Cooling and Air Conditioning Tips
Cooling and air conditioning are among the most important inventions in modern history. They made summer movie blockbusters possible and helped boost manufacturing for wartime supplies and aircrafts.
However cooling puts a huge burden on electrical systems and generates huge quantities of pollution. This particular IEA report raises awareness about the impact of this demand and provides solutions.
Energy Efficiency
When you are choosing the right cooling system energy efficiency is an important aspect. The upgrade to a more efficient cooling system will lower your energy costs and also reduce the environmental impact. Air conditioners are rated with several different energy efficiency ratings, including SEER, EER, and HSPF. These ratings show how the air conditioner is able to cool with a certain amount of electricity. The higher the rating, the more efficient the unit is. You can find the SEER rating of a system on its yellow Energy Guide label or by searching for “SEER ratings” online.
When looking for a brand new air conditioning system, search for one with a high SEER rating. This rating reveals how efficiently the unit can 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 significantly reduce your energy use and cost.
Air conditioning systems are affected by other factors too. A high humidity indoors, a insufficient maintenance and duct leaks, for instance, could all cause your system to perform more efficiently and consume more energy. Regular maintenance and sealing of ducts leaks are easy ways to increase the efficiency of your system.
Commercial cooling systems are also subject to energy efficiency concerns. They use a combination of split- or packaged compressors, as well as huge pipe networks to provide cooling throughout the building. They might also have steam systems that require special maintenance to ensure that the pipes do not become blocked.
Additionally, many of these large systems are controlled by a system called a Building Automation System (BAS) which connects all heating and cooling systems in the building into one centralized system. Verde has helped clients optimize the performance of these systems with simple retrocommissioning recommendations that typically have quick paybacks and incentives to implement.
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 devices are extremely efficient and that consumers want these appliances. In the meantime, there are other steps we can take to help cut our energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
Indoor Air Quality
Indoor air quality is an important health issue for many people who spend a large part of their time in buildings. There are fortunately numerous ways to improve IAQ that can help prevent common problems such as asthma, allergies, and fatigue.
Particulate matter as well as volatile organic compounds and carbon dioxide are three of the most frequent pollutants in modern office and home buildings. These pollutants can be released into the atmosphere through a variety of activities such as cooking, cleaning and smoking. They can cause allergies and respiratory problems.
The presence of excessive moisture can also have a negative effect on air quality. Mildew and mold can flourish in humid air, and can lead to respiratory problems. To prevent this from happening, it is important to keep an eye on humidity levels and keep the moisture at a minimum. The best way to achieve this is by regularly dusting and vacuuming, cleaning furniture and bedding and utilizing a dehumidifier or humidifier as necessary based on hygrometer readings.
In addition to the obvious health benefits of improving IAQ It can also increase the comfort in your home. A home with high levels of air pollutants 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 keep these issues from happening. Also, make sure that you open your windows and doors for ventilation whenever you need to.
The signs of poor air quality are varied and include headaches, difficulties in concentrating, or a general malaise. While these symptoms will disappear after leaving the space, prolonged exposure to air pollution can cause health problems that are already present and may lead to serious health issues.
Ventilation is the main aspect that influences IAQ. This is affected by the weather conditions, the occupancy rate of rooms, and the design. There are a few easy ways to improve IAQ. These include adding plants to the home, opening windows and doors whenever possible, and making sure that the HVAC system is working correctly. For those who would like to take more of a thorough approach, it is suggested to consult a Comfort Specialist about an assessment of indoor air quality.
Smoke Pollution
While heat pumps and central air conditioners do an excellent job of removing the majority of biological contaminants, like bacteria, molds and pet dander pollen, they are not designed to eliminate smoke particles. The tiny particles that make up wildfire smoke pose a risk, and they can easily get into your eyes, nose, and throat causing symptoms like burning or itchy eyes, congestion, a runny nose and coughing. They can also irritate the lungs and exacerbate chronic lung and heart conditions. Smoke particles can trigger a range of health issues like bronchitis, as well as aggravation of asthma.
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 across most of the south and north of the United States. The thick smoky haze decreases visibility and causes respiratory stress for anyone who is outdoors.
There is no way to keep smoke from getting into your home through windows and doors particularly in older homes that have a lot of cracks and drafts. However you can make steps to limit the amount of smoke entering your home or business.
Close all doors and windows when it’s smokey. This will reduce the amount of smoky air by 30 percent. If you can, put wet towels on the door frames and cracks in order to slow the flow of smoke into your home or business.
If your HVAC system is in the recirculation feature, make sure to turn off the recirculation mode during smoke conditions. This will allow your HVAC system to expel the smokey indoor air outside instead of the air being recirculated. If you have ducts in your building that connect to areas that can have high concentrations of pollutants, like parking garages that are attached to the building and loading docks, make certain to have these ducts separate from the rest of the duct system.
The EPA recommends that you change your HVAC filters more often in the event of smoke to ensure that they are effectively removing contaminants from indoor air. Select a filter with a minimum efficiency report value (MERV) of 13 or higher, as these filters are specially designed to eliminate gases and smoke contaminants.
Supercooling
In recent years, supercooling has been an increasingly popular method of reducing energy consumption. It’s based off the idea that electricity costs different amounts at different times of the day. The majority of energy companies offer “time of use” plans that have different peak and offpeak rates. Supercooling lets homeowners pre-cool their homes during off-peak hours so they don’t need to run their air conditioners during those high-cost summer peak times.
This requires an automatic thermostat that can be programmed. However even with this, homeowners must be aware of and study their electric consumption patterns and decide when it’s most cost-effective to run their air conditioner. This method could save you up to 25 percent on your energy bills.
To keep the home cool homeowners should set their AC to an lower temperature the following morning and then keep it there for a few hours. This cools down the floors, walls, furniture, and fixtures of the house as well as the air inside. When peak energy costs hit homeowners, they increase the temperature of the air conditioner, and leave it running until the next time it is shut off.
This method works because cooling isn’t only about making the air inside the home cool. It’s important to prevent heat from getting into your home through your windows, doors, and other leaky points. It is essential that homeowners check their home’s insulation and insulate any drafty or leaky areas. Also, they should cover windows to block the sun, particularly in areas that are exposed to direct sunlight during the hottest times of the day. Additionally it is important to ensure that all doors and windows are sealed tightly to prevent air from escape during cooling cycles. They should also think about using smart thermostats to help them remember when to start and stop cooling. This will allow homeowners to keep their energy bills at a minimum without having to remember to turn the system off or on.
