Energy Efficient Cooling and Air Conditioning Tips
Air cooling and conditioning is one of the most significant inventions of the modern age. They were instrumental in making summer blockbusters and wartime planes and other equipment possible.
Cooling, however, puts enormous strain on the electricity system and creates huge amounts of pollution. This special IEA report aims to raise awareness of the impact of this demand, and offers solutions.
Energy Efficiency
Energy efficiency is among the most important aspects when selecting a new cooling system. Upgrade to an energy-efficient air conditioner and save money on energy bills and reduce your environmental impact. Air conditioners are rated according to a variety of energy efficiency ratings, such as SEER, EER, and HSPF. These ratings indicate 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 find a SEER rating of a system on its yellow Energy Guide label or by searching for “SEER ratings” online.
When you are looking for a new air conditioning system, look for one with a good SEER rating. This rating indicates how the unit performs under normal conditions during a particular season. If you’re replacing a model that’s older, a higher SEER rating will drastically reduce your energy consumption and costs.
Air conditioning systems are affected by other elements too. For instance high levels of indoor humidity, lack of maintenance, and duct leaks could all make your system more efficient and use more energy. Regular maintenance and sealing leaks in the ducts are a simple way to increase the energy efficiency of your system.
Commercial cooling systems are also subject to energy efficiency issues. These systems often use a combination of packaged or split compressors and massive pipes to distribute cooling throughout the building. These systems could also incorporate steam systems that require specialized maintenance to keep the pipes from getting blocked.
Many of these systems can also be controlled with the use of a Building Automation System, which integrates the heating and cooling systems into one centralized system. Verde has assisted in optimizing the performance of the systems by offering retrocommissioning strategies that offer quick paybacks.
The global effort to reduce the impact of climate change is largely dependent on the efficiency of cooling and air conditioning. Ultimately, we need to ensure that manufacturers introduce super-efficient cooling appliances to market, and that consumers demand them. In the meantime, there are a variety of actions we can take to help reduce our energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.
Indoor Air Quality
A lot of people spend the majority of their lives in buildings and these structures could pose significant health threats if the indoor air quality is not as good. There are numerous ways to improve IAQ and avoid common ailments like allergies, asthma, fatigue, etc.
Particulate matter (PM), volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and carbon dioxide are the three most common pollutants in modern workplaces and homes. These pollutants can be released into the air by a number of activities such as cooking, cleaning, and smoking. They can cause allergies and respiratory problems.
The high levels of humidity can also create destruction on the air quality. Mildew and mold can thrive in moist air, which can lead to respiratory issues. Monitoring humidity and keeping the moisture low is key to preventing these issues. The best method to do this is by regularly dusting and vacuuming, washing furniture and bedding and utilizing the dehumidifier or humidifier when needed based on the readings of a hygrometer.
In addition to the obvious health benefits of improving IAQ, it can also increase comfort in your home. For instance, a house that is contaminated by air pollutants could be stale and smell unpleasant. It can also cause irritation to eyes, itchy skin, and a stuffy feeling. These issues can be prevented by installing an air purifier, ensuring the health of the HVAC system, and ensuring that windows and doors are kept open to let in air as required.
The signs of poor air quality can be a variety of symptoms and can include headaches difficulty in concentrating, and a general feeling of malaise. While these symptoms can resolve themselves after leaving a space, prolonged exposure can cause health problems that are already present and could lead to serious illness.
Ventilation is the primary aspect that influences IAQ. This can be affected by the weather conditions, the occupancy rate of the room, and the design. But, a few simple steps can be taken to enhance IAQ by introducing plants into the home and opening doors and windows whenever possible and making sure that the HVAC system is operating properly. If you’re looking to go one step further, we suggest that you speak with a Comfort Specialist about an indoor air quality assessment.
Smoke Pollution
While heat pumps and central air conditioners do a fantastic job of filtering out most biological contaminants, like bacteria, molds and pet dander pollen, they are not specifically designed to remove smoke particles. Smoke from wildfires contains microscopic particles which can cause symptoms like burning or itchy eye, congestion, runny nasal and coughing. They can also cause irritation to your lungs and cause worsening of chronic heart and lung conditions. The fine particles that are invisible in smoke can get stuck in your lungs, triggering a variety of health effects such as worsened asthma, bronchitis and damage to your heart and lungs.
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 throughout much of the north and south of the United States. The thick smoky fog can reduce visibility and may cause respiratory stress for anyone who has to be outside.
There is no way to stop smoke from entering your home through your windows and doors particularly in older homes that have a lot of cracks and drafts. However, you can take steps to minimize the amount of smoke that enters your building.
Close all doors and windows when it’s smokey. This will reduce the amount of smoke by 30 percent. Place damp towels in the cracks around door frames and in the corners to slow down the flow of smoke.
If your HVAC system is in the recirculation feature, make sure to switch it off during smoky conditions. This allows the system to eliminate the smoke outside, rather than returning it to inside. If you have ducts within your building connected to areas that may generate high levels of pollutants, like parking garages that are attached to the building and loading docks, be certain to have these ducts independently isolated from the rest of the duct system.
The EPA recommends changing your HVAC filters more often during smokey conditions to ensure they are effectively eliminating the toxins from the air inside. Choose a filter with a minimum efficiency report value (MERV) of 13 or greater, as these filters are specifically designed to remove the smoke and other gaseous air contaminants.
Supercooling
In recent years, supercooling has been a popular energy-saving technique. It’s based upon the notion that electricity costs don’t vary by amount at any given time of the day. Most electricity companies offer “time of use” plans that offer different peak and offpeak rates. Supercooling lets homeowners pre-cool their homes in off-peak hours, so they don’t have to run their air conditioners during the high-cost summer peak hours.
This requires a thermostat that can adjust automatically. However, even with this, homeowners need to be aware of and study their electric usage patterns and determine the best time to run their air conditioning. This could save you as much as 25% on your energy bills.
To keep the home cool homeowners, they set their air conditioner to lower temperatures in the morning and maintains it at that temperature for a couple of hours. This cools the floors, walls furniture, fixtures and furniture of the home 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 is turned off.
This strategy is effective because cooling doesn’t just mean making the air in the home cooler. It’s also about stopping heat from entering the home through doors, windows and other leak points. It’s important that homeowners double-check their home’s insulation and insulate any leaky or drafty areas. It is also recommended to use window covers to block out sun, particularly in areas that get direct sunlight during the hottest parts of the day. They should also ensure that all windows and doors are tightly sealed to prevent air from getting out during cooling cycles are in progress. They should also think about using smart thermostats to help them remember when to start and stop cooling. This helps homeowners cut their energy bills without having to remember when to turn off or on the system.