Energy Efficient Cooling and Air Conditioning Tips
Air cooling and conditioning is among the most significant inventions of our time. They made summer movie blockbusters possible and helped boost manufacturing for wartime supplies and airplanes.
Cooling, however, puts enormous strain on the electricity system and generates massive amounts of pollution. This special IEA report aims to raise awareness of the effects of this demand, and provides solutions.
Energy Efficiency
When choosing a new cooling system, energy efficiency is a crucial factor. Upgrading to an efficient air conditioner will save on your energy bills and reduce environmental impact. The energy efficiency of air conditioning units is rated in several ways that include SEER and EER. These ratings indicate how much an air conditioner can cool in a given amount of power consumed. The higher the rating the more efficient the unit. The SEER rating of the system can be found on the yellow Energy Guide Label or by searching “SEER ratings”.
When looking for an air conditioner for the first time look for one that has a high rating. This rating indicates how well the unit performs during a season under normal conditions. If you’re replacing a model that’s older with a higher SEER rating, it will drastically reduce your energy consumption and costs.
Other things can influence energy efficiency in air conditioning systems too. For instance, high indoor humidity levels, lack of maintenance, and duct leaks can make your system more efficient and use more energy. Regular maintenance and sealing of leaks in the ducts are a simple way to increase the efficiency of your system.
Large commercial cooling systems have their own energy efficiency considerations also. They typically utilize a combination of split or packaged compressors and massive pipe networks to deliver cooling throughout the building. They may also have steam systems which require specialized maintenance to keep the pipes from becoming blocked.
Many of these large systems can also be controlled by an Building Automation System, which connects the cooling and heating systems into a single centralized system. Verde has helped optimize the performance of systems by providing retrocommissioning strategies that offer quick paybacks.
Energy efficiency in air conditioning and cooling is a key component of global efforts to mitigate climate change. We need to ensure that cooling appliances are extremely efficient and that consumers want them. In the meantime, there are other ways we can help cut our energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
Indoor Air Quality
Indoor air quality can be an important health issue for many people who spend a large part of their lives inside buildings. There are many ways to improve IAQ and avoid common ailments like allergies, asthma fatigue, allergies, etc.
Particulate matter, volatile organic compounds, and carbon dioxide are three of the most common sources of pollution in modern office and home buildings. These pollutants can be released into the air by a number of activities such as cleaning, cooking, and smoking. They can cause allergies and respiratory issues.
High levels of humidity can also wreak destruction on the air quality. Mold and mildew can grow in moist air, which can cause respiratory problems. To avoid these issues, it is important to keep an eye on humidity levels and ensure that the moisture level remains at a minimum. The best way to accomplish this is to regularly dust and vacuuming, cleaning bedding and furniture, and using an air dehumidifier and humidifier if necessary based on hygrometer readings.
In addition to the obvious health benefits of improving IAQ, it can also increase comfort in your home. For instance, a house with a lot of air pollution can turn musty and odor unpleasant. It can also cause irritated eyes or itchy eyes, and also a snoring sensation. 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.
Poor air quality can cause headaches, problems with concentration, and a general unwellness. These symptoms may resolve after leaving the area however prolonged exposure to poor quality air could exacerbate existing health issues or even trigger serious illnesses.
The primary factor that affects IAQ is the speed at which fresh air replaces the old air, a process referred to as ventilation. This can be affected by the weather, occupancy rates, and the design of the structure. But, a few simple steps can be taken to enhance IAQ by introducing plants into the home opening up windows and doors as much as is possible and making sure that the HVAC system is working correctly. If you’d like to take more of a thorough approach, it is suggested that they speak with 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 pollutants, including molds, bacteria, pet dander, and pollen, they are not designed to eliminate smoke particles. The microscopic particles in smoke from wildfires are extremely dangerous and easily get into your nose, eyes and throat, and cause symptoms such as burning or itchy eyes, congestion, runny nose, and coughing. They can also cause irritation to your lungs and aggravate chronic lung and heart problems. Smoke particles can cause variety of health problems such as bronchitis and aggravation of asthma.
The smoke that has blanketed New York City this week has been caused by forest fires in Canada, and it has created hazardous air quality conditions across a large portion of the northern US and southern Canada. The dense smoky fog reduces visibility, and can cause respiratory distress for anyone who has to be outside.
Unfortunately, there is no way to completely prevent smoke from entering your business or home through doors and windows particularly older homes with many cracks and drafts. 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 will reduce the amount of smoky outside air by 30%. Put wet towels in cracks of door frames and around them to reduce the flow of smoke.
If your HVAC system has a recirculation function, make sure to turn it off when the air is smokey. This allows the system to expel the smoke directly outside rather than recirculating it inside. If you have ducts in your building connected to areas that could have high concentrations of contaminants, such as attached parking garages and loading docks, make sure to have those ducts separated from the rest of the duct system.
The EPA suggests changing your HVAC filters much more often during times of smoke to ensure they’re effectively removing the toxins from the air inside. Select a filter with an efficiency reporting value (MERV) of 13 or higher, as these filters are specifically designed to remove gases and smoke contaminants.
Supercooling
Supercooling is an energy-saving trend that has gained popularity in recent years. It’s based upon the notion that electricity doesn’t cost the same amount at any given time of the day. In reality, the majority of power companies offer “time-of-use” plans that offer different off-peak and peak rates. Supercooling lets homeowners to cool their homes ahead of off-peak times, so they don’t require air conditioners during those costly summer peak hours.
This method requires an automated thermostat that can be programmed. Even so, homeowners still need to be aware of their electricity usage patterns to determine when their air conditioner is most cost-effective. Many people save about 25% or more on their energy bills by using this method.
To keep the home cool the home, the homeowner set their AC to lower temperatures in the morning and maintains it at that setting for a few hours. This cools the walls, floors, furniture, and fixtures of the home as well as the air inside. When the energy costs are at their peak 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 works because cooling isn’t only about keeping the air inside the home cool. It’s important to prevent heat from getting into your home through your windows, doors and other points that leak. It is essential that homeowners check their home’s insulation and insulate any drafty or leaky areas. Also, they should consider using window coverings to block sun light particularly those that receive bright direct sunlight in the hottest hours of the daytime. It is also important to ensure that all doors and windows are sealed tightly to prevent air from getting out during cooling cycles. Also, they should consider installing smart thermostats that will help them remember to start and stop cooling at the ideal times of the day. This allows homeowners to reduce their energy consumption without having to remember when to turn off or on the system.
