Energy Efficient Cooling and Air Conditioning Tips
Air cooling and conditioning is one of the most important inventions of modern history. They helped make wartime and summer blockbusters and other equipment possible.
However cooling places a significant strain on electricity systems and creates massive amounts of pollution. This special IEA report aims to raise awareness of the impact of this demand and offers solutions.
Energy Efficiency
When selecting an air conditioner energy efficiency is an important factor. Upgrade to an energy-efficient air conditioner and you’ll reduce your energy costs, as well as reduce the environmental impact. The energy efficiency of air conditioners is rated in several ways such as SEER and EER. These ratings show how much an air conditioner can cool for a given amount of energy consumed. 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.
If you are in the market for an air conditioner for the first time pick one with a high rating. This rating indicates how the unit performs in normal conditions in a given season. If you’re replacing an older model, a higher SEER rating will significantly reduce your energy use and costs.
Other things can influence the efficiency of energy in air conditioning systems too. For instance, high indoor humidity levels as well as a lack of maintenance and duct leaks could all make your system work harder and consume more energy. Making sure you are keeping up with routine maintenance and sealing leaks from ducts are easy steps to improve your system’s energy efficiency.
Large commercial cooling systems come with their own energy efficiency considerations, too. They typically utilize a combination of split or packaged compressors with huge pipes to distribute cooling throughout the building. These systems may also include steam systems that require special maintenance in order to prevent the pipes from becoming 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 a single centralized system. Verde has assisted clients in optimizing the performance of these systems through simple retrocommissioning suggestions that usually have quick paybacks and incentives to implement.
Energy efficiency in air conditioning and cooling is a major component of global efforts to mitigate climate change. We must ensure that cooling equipment is efficient and that consumers are demanding them. In the meantime, there are other steps we can take to help reduce our energy use 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 lives inside buildings. There are a variety of ways to improve IAQ and prevent common issues like allergies, asthma fatigue, allergies, etc.
Particulate matter (PM), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and carbon dioxide are the three most common sources of pollution in modern offices and homes. These pollutants are released into the air by many different activities, like cooking, cleaning, and smoking cigarettes, and can cause respiratory problems and allergic reactions.
High levels of moisture can also have a negative effect on the quality of air. Mildew and mold can thrive in humid air, and can lead to respiratory problems. Monitoring humidity and keeping the moisture level low is essential to avoid these issues. The best method to do this is to regularly dust and vacuuming, cleaning bedding and soft furnishings and utilizing the dehumidifier or humidifier when required based on readings from hygrometers.
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 pollution, for example, can smell musty. It can also cause itchy skin, irritated eyes and a snoring feeling. Installing an air purifier as well as maintaining the HVAC system can help to prevent these issues. Also, ensure that you open your windows and doors for ventilation when needed.
Poor air quality can cause headaches, difficulty concentrating and general malaise. The symptoms can resolve after leaving the space however, prolonged exposure to poor air quality can aggravate existing health issues or even cause serious illnesses.
The main factor that affects IAQ is the speed of fresh air replacing old air, a process known as ventilation. This is affected by the weather, the occupancy rate of the room and the design. However, simple steps can be taken to improve IAQ by introducing plants into the house opening up windows and doors as much as is possible and ensuring that the HVAC system is functioning correctly. If you’d prefer an even more comprehensive approach, it is suggested to speak with a Comfort Specialist about an assessment of indoor air quality.
Smoke Pollution
While central air conditioners do a great job of filtering out most biological pollutants, including molds, bacteria and pet dander pollen, they’re not specifically designed to remove smoke particles. Wildfire smoke contains microscopic particles that can cause symptoms such as burning or itchy eyes, congestion, runny nasal and coughing. They can also cause irritation to your lungs and aggravate lung and heart conditions that are chronic. The fine particles that are invisible in smoke can get stuck in your lung, triggering a myriad of health issues, including an increase in asthma, bronchitis, and damage to your lung and heart.
The haze that covered New York City last week was caused by forest fires that are burning in Canada. It can also cause dangerous air quality issues across large parts of the north and south of the United States. The thick smoke haze can reduce visibility and creates respiratory stress for anyone who is outdoors.
Unfortunately there is no way to completely stop smoke from entering your home or business through windows and doors especially older houses with a lot of drafts and cracks. You can make steps to decrease the amount of smoke that enters your building.
Keep all doors and windows closed when it’s smoky outside. This can reduce the amount of smoke from outside air by 30%. Place wet towels in the cracks and around door frames to stop the flow of smoky air.
If your HVAC system has a recirculation function, make sure you turn it off when the air is smokey. This allows the system to exhaust the smoky air directly outside rather than recirculating it inside. If you have ducts in your building that connect to areas that may generate high levels of pollutants, like attached parking garages and loading docks, make sure to have those ducts independently isolated from the rest of the duct system.
The EPA suggests changing your HVAC filters more frequently during smokey conditions to ensure that they are effective in removing the toxins from the air inside. Select a filter that has an efficiency reporting value (MERV) of 13 or greater, as these filters are specifically designed to eliminate the smoke and other gaseous air contaminants.
Supercooling
In recent years, supercooling has been an increasingly popular method of reducing energy consumption. It’s based upon the notion that electricity doesn’t cost the same amount at any given time of the day. The majority of power companies offer “time of use” plans with different off-peak and peak rates. Supercooling lets homeowners pre-cool their homes in off-peak times so that they don’t have to use their air conditioners during the high-cost summer peak periods.
This requires a thermostat with programmable settings that can adjust automatically. Even so homeowners must examine their patterns of usage of electricity to determine when their air conditioner will be most cost-effective. This method could save you as much as 25 percent on your energy bills.
To supercool, the homeowner sets their AC to a lower temperature in the morning, and then keeps it at the same setting for a few hours. The home’s walls are cooled by the cooling, floors, furnishings and fixtures, as well as the inside air. When peak energy costs hit the homeowner, he or she will turn the air conditioning up and leave it on until the next time it is shut off.
This strategy is successful because cooling doesn’t just mean making the air in the house cooler. It is essential to stop heat from getting into your home through windows, doors and other leaky areas. This is why homeowners should ensure that their home is properly sealed and insulate any leaky or drafty areas. It is also recommended to use window covers to block out the sun, especially in areas that are exposed to direct sunlight during the hottest times of the day. It is also important to make sure that all windows and doors are sealed tightly 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 will allow homeowners to cut down on their energy bills without having to remember when to switch on or off the system.
