Energy Efficient Cooling and Air Conditioning Tips
Air conditioning and cooling are among the most significant inventions of the past century. They made summer blockbusters possible and helped boost manufacturing for wartime supplies and airplanes.
Cooling, however, places immense strain on the electricity system and creates huge quantities of pollution. This particular IEA Report raises awareness of the effects and provides solutions.
Energy Efficiency
When you are choosing the right cooling system, energy efficiency is an important factor. The upgrade to a more efficient conditioner will save on your energy costs and also reduce the environmental impact. Air conditioning units are rated using a variety of energy efficiency ratings, such as SEER, EER, and HSPF. These ratings tell you how much an air conditioner can cool with a certain amount of electricity consumed. The higher the rating, the more efficient the unit. The SEER rating of the system can be located on its yellow Energy Guide Label or by searching “SEER ratings”.
When looking for an air conditioner that is new, choose one with a high rating. This rating indicates how efficiently the unit performs during the course of a season in normal conditions. If you’re replacing an older model with a higher SEER rating, it will drastically reduce your energy use and expenses.
Other factors can affect the efficiency of energy in air conditioning systems, too. A high humidity indoors, a insufficient maintenance and duct leaks, for instance, can cause your system to perform more efficiently and consume more energy. Maintaining your system with regular maintenance and sealing leaks in ducts are easy ways to improve the efficiency of your system.
Large commercial cooling systems come with particular energy efficiency considerations also. They usually make use of a combination of split or packaged compressors that have 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 systems can also be controlled by the use of a Building Automation System, which integrates the heating and cooling systems into a single central system. Verde has been able to improve the efficiency of systems by providing retrocommissioning recommendations that provide quick paybacks.
Energy efficiency in cooling and air conditioning is a key element of global efforts to mitigate climate change. In the end, we must ensure that manufacturers introduce super-efficient cooling devices to market, and that consumers are demanding them. In the meantime we can also take other steps to reduce our energy use and greenhouse gases emissions.
Indoor Air Quality
Indoor air quality is a serious health concern for those who spend a large part of their lives inside buildings. There are fortunately a number of ways to improve IAQ, which can stop common issues like asthma as well as allergies and fatigue.
Particulate matter as well as volatile organic compounds and carbon dioxide are three of the most prevalent pollutants in modern homes and office buildings. These pollutants are released into the air due to a variety of activities, such as cooking, cleaning, or smoking cigarettes, and can cause respiratory problems as well as allergic reactions.
A high level of humidity can also create destruction on the air quality. Moist air encourages the development of mildew and mold which can cause respiratory problems. To avoid these issues it is crucial to monitor humidity and ensure that the moisture level remains at a minimum. This can be done by regularly vacuuming and dusting, washing bedding, cushions and using a dehumidifier or humidifier that is based on the humidifier or hygrometer.
In addition to the obvious health benefits of improving IAQ, it can also increase the comfort in your home. For instance, a house with a lot of air pollution can become musty and smell unpleasant. It can also trigger irritated or itchy eyes, and a swollen sensation. These issues can be avoided by installing an air purifier, keeping the HVAC system, and making sure that windows and doors are kept open to let in air as required.
Symptoms of poor air quality can be a variety of symptoms and include headaches, difficulty concentrating, and even general malaise. Although these symptoms may resolve themselves after leaving a area, prolonged exposure could cause health problems that are already present and can even result in serious illness.
The most important factor that influences IAQ is the rate that fresh air replaces stale air, a process referred to as ventilation. This can be affected by the weather, the occupancy rate of the room, and the design. There are many methods to improve IAQ. This can be done by introducing plants in the home, opening doors and windows as often as possible, and making sure that the HVAC system is operating correctly. If you want to go one step further, we suggest that you consult a Comfort Specialist regarding an indoor air quality assessment.
Smoke Pollution
Central air conditioning systems are great in removing biological contaminants like bacteria, molds pollen, pet dander, and mold. However, they do not remove smoke particles. The microscopic particles in wildfire smoke pose a risk and can easily enter your nose, eyes, and throat which can cause symptoms like burning or itchy eyes, congestion, runny nose, and coughing. They can also irritate the lungs and cause worsening of chronic lung and heart conditions. Smoke particles can cause variety health effects like bronchitis, as well as aggravation of asthma.
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 conditions throughout most of the south and north of the United States. The thick smoky fog can reduce visibility and may cause respiratory distress to anyone who is required to be outside.
Unfortunately there is no way to completely block smoke from getting into your business or home through windows and doors especially older houses with lots of drafts and cracks. You can take steps to lessen the amount of smoke that enters your home or business.
Keep all windows and doors closed when it is smoky outside. This will reduce the amount of smoke from outside air by 30 percent. If you can, place damp towels on the door frames and cracks to slow the flow of smoke into your home or business.
If your HVAC system has a recirculation mode, be sure to switch off when you are in a smokey environment. This will allow the system eliminate the smoke outside rather than returning it to inside. If you have ducts in your building connected to areas that can produce high concentrations of pollutants, like parking garages that are attached to the building and loading docks, be sure that those ducts are separate from the rest of the duct system.
The EPA suggests changing your HVAC filters more frequently during times of smoke to ensure that they are effective in removing the toxins from the air inside. Choose a filter with a minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV) of 13 or more, since these filters are specifically designed to remove the smoke and other gaseous air pollutants.
Supercooling
In recent times, supercooling has become a popular energy-saving technique. It’s based on the idea that electricity costs different amounts at different times of the day. In reality, the majority of power companies offer “time-of-use” plans that feature different rates for off-peak and peak times. Supercooling lets homeowners pre-cool their homes in off-peak times so that they don’t have to run their air conditioners during the high-cost summer peak times.
This method requires a programmable thermostat that is able to adjust itself automatically. However, even with this, homeowners should take the time to look up their electric consumption patterns and decide when it’s most cost-effective to run their air conditioner. Many people save about 25% or more off their energy bills using this method.
To make the house super cool the home, the homeowner set their AC to lower temperatures in the morning and keeps it at that temperature for a couple of hours. This cools down the floors, walls, furniture, and fixtures of the house as well as the air inside. When energy costs are high the homeowner, he or she will turn the air conditioning up, and leave it running until the next time it is shut off.
This strategy is effective because cooling doesn’t just mean making the air inside the house cooler. It’s crucial to prevent heat from entering your home through windows, doors, and other leaky points. That’s why homeowners should double-check that their home is sealed and cover any drafty or leaky areas. Also, they should use window covers to block out sun, particularly in areas that get direct sunlight during the hottest parts of the day. Also, they should make sure that all windows and doors are sealed to prevent air from getting out during cooling cycles. They should also consider using smart thermostats to help them remember when to start and stop cooling. This will allow homeowners to cut down on their energy consumption without worrying about forgetting to turn off or on the system.
