Energy Efficient Cooling and Air Conditioning Tips
Air conditioning and cooling are one of the most important inventions in the past century. They helped make summer blockbusters, wartime planes and supplies possible.
Cooling, however, puts enormous strain on the electricity system and creates huge quantities of pollution. This particular IEA Report aims to raise awareness of the impact and suggests solutions.
Energy Efficiency
When you are choosing an air conditioner energy efficiency is an important factor. Upgrade to an energy-efficient air conditioner and reduce your energy costs and also reduce your environmental impact. Air conditioners are rated according to a variety of energy efficiency ratings, including SEER, EER, and HSPF. These ratings show how much an air conditioner can cool with a certain amount of electricity. The higher the rating the more efficient the unit is. 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 an A+ rating. This rating indicates how efficiently the unit can perform during a season under normal conditions. If you’re replacing a model that’s older, a higher SEER rating will greatly reduce your energy consumption and cost.
Other things can influence the efficiency of air conditioning systems, too. For example high levels of humidity in the indoor, lack of maintenance, and duct leaks can all make your system more efficient and consume more energy. Making sure you are keeping up with routine maintenance and sealing duct leaks are simple steps to increase the efficiency of your system.
Commercial cooling systems are also subject to energy efficiency concerns. These systems use a combination split- or packaged compressors, as well as huge pipe networks to distribute cooling throughout the building. These systems could also incorporate steam systems that require specific maintenance in order to prevent the pipes from getting blocked.
Many of these large systems can also be controlled by the use of a Building Automation System, which connects the cooling and heating systems into one centralized system. Verde has helped clients improve the performance of these systems with simple retrocommissioning recommendations that typically have quick paybacks and incentives for 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 introduce super-efficient cooling appliances to market, and consumers want these appliances. In the meantime we can also take other measures to cut down on our energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
Indoor Air Quality
Many people spend much of their lives in structures, and these structures could cause serious health risks when their indoor air quality is poor. Fortunately, there are a number of ways to improve IAQ, which can prevent common problems such as asthma or allergies, as well as fatigue.
Particulate matter (PM), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and carbon dioxide are the three main sources for pollution in modern homes and offices. These pollutants can be released into the atmosphere through a variety of actions such as cleaning, cooking and smoking. They can trigger respiratory issues and allergies.
The presence of excessive moisture can have a negative impact on air quality. The humid air encourages the growth of mildew and mold that can trigger respiratory problems. To avoid these issues it is essential to keep an eye on humidity levels and ensure that the moisture level remains at a low level. This can be accomplished by regularly cleaning and vacuuming, washing bedding, furniture and using a humidifier or dehumidifier based on the humidity gauge.
In addition to the obvious health benefits of improving IAQ, it can also improve the comfort of your home. For instance, a home with a lot of air pollution can turn musty and odor unpleasant. It can also cause irritation or itchy eyes and a swollen sensation. This can be addressed by installing an air purifier, maintaining the HVAC system, and ensuring that doors and windows are open for ventilation as required.
Poor air quality can lead to headaches, difficulty concentrating and general malaise. While these symptoms can be relieved after leaving a area, prolonged exposure could exacerbate existing health conditions and can even result in serious health issues.
Ventilation is the most important aspect that influences IAQ. This can be influenced by the weather, room occupancy rates, and also the design of the structure. There are many methods to improve IAQ. This includes adding plants to the home, opening doors and windows as often as possible, and making sure that the HVAC system works properly. If you’d prefer more of a thorough approach, it is recommended that they speak with a Comfort Specialist about an indoor air quality assessment.
Smoke Pollution
Heat pumps and central air conditioning systems are great at removing biological pollutants like molds, bacteria pollen, pet dander and mold. However they are not able to remove smoke particles. The tiny particles of wildfire smoke are very dangerous, and they can easily get into your eyes, nose, and throat and cause symptoms such as burning or itchy eyes congestion, runny nose, and coughing. They can also cause irritation to the lungs and exacerbate chronic lung and heart conditions. Smoke particles can trigger a range of health issues, including bronchitis and aggravated asthma.
The smoke blanketing New York City this week was caused by forest fires in Canada and has created hazardous air quality conditions across a large portion of the northern US and southern Canada. The thick fog of smoke reduces visibility and can cause respiratory distress for anyone who has to be outside.
There is no way to stop smoke from getting into your home through windows and doors especially in older houses with many cracks and drafts. You can take steps to reduce the amount of smoke entering your home or business.
Close all windows and doors when it’s smoky. This can cut the amount of smoky air by 30 percent. Place damp towels in the cracks and around door frames to slow down the flow of smoky ai.
If your HVAC system is in the recirculation feature, make sure to switch off when you are in a smokey environment. This will allow your HVAC to exhaust the smoky indoor air outside, rather than the air being recirculated. If you have ducts in your building that connect to areas that may have high concentrations of contaminants, such as parking garages that are attached to the building and loading docks, make sure that those ducts are separate from the rest of the duct system.
The EPA recommends that you change your HVAC filters more frequently when you are in a smokey environment to ensure that they are eliminating contaminants from indoor air. Select a filter with an efficiency reporting value (MERV) of 13 or greater, as these filters are specifically designed to remove smoke and other gaseous air pollutants.
Supercooling
In recent years, supercooling has become a popular energy-saving technique. It’s based on the idea that electricity costs don’t vary by amount at any time of the day. In reality, the majority of electricity companies offer “time-of-use” plans that feature different peak and off-peak rates. Supercooling allows homeowners to pre-cool their homes during off-peak times so that they don’t need to run their air conditioners during the high-cost summer peak periods.
This method requires an automated thermostat that can be programmed. However even with this, homeowners should be sure to examine their electricity consumption patterns and decide the best time to run their air conditioner. A lot of people save 25% or more on their energy bills through this method.
To supercool the home, the homeowner should set their AC to an lower temperature the following morning and maintain it for a few more hours. This cools down the walls, floors, furniture, and fixtures of the house as well as the air inside. Then, when peak energy-cost hours hit the homeowner cranks the air conditioning on and runs it until it is turned off for several hours.
This strategy is successful because it doesn’t only mean making the air inside the home cooler. It’s also about preventing heat from entering the house through windows, doors and other leak points. This is why homeowners must ensure that their home is constructed and insulated, and also make sure to insulate any drafty or leaky areas. Also, they should make use of window shades to block the sunlight, particularly in areas that get direct sunlight during the hottest hours of the day. Also, they should make sure that all windows and doors are tightly sealed to prevent air from getting out during cooling cycles. Finally, they should consider installing smart thermostats that will assist them in ensuring that they start and stop cooling at the best times of the day. This will allow homeowners to cut down on their energy bills without having to remember when to turn off or on the system.