Energy Efficient Cooling and Air Conditioning Tips
Air conditioning and cooling are one of the most significant inventions of the history of modern times. They made blockbuster summer movies possible and helped boost production for wartime supplies and aircrafts.
However, cooling puts a large burden on electrical systems and creates massive amounts of pollution. This special IEA report raises awareness about the negative impact of this demand, and offers solutions.
Energy Efficiency
Energy efficiency is one of the most important factors to consider when choosing a new cooling system. Upgrade to an energy-efficient air conditioner and you will reduce your energy costs and also reduce your environmental impact. Air conditioning units are rated using 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. The SEER rating of a unit can be found on the yellow Energy Guide Label or by searching “SEER ratings”.
If you are looking for an air conditioner for the first time look for one that has an excellent rating. This rating shows how the unit performs under normal conditions during a particular season. If you’re replacing an older model, a higher SEER rating will significantly reduce your energy use and costs.
Other factors can impact the efficiency of energy in air conditioning systems, too. A high humidity indoors, a the absence of maintenance and leaks in ducts, for instance, can cause your system to be more demanding and consume more energy. Maintaining your system with regular maintenance and sealing duct leaks are simple steps to increase your system’s energy efficiency.
Large commercial cooling systems come with particular energy efficiency considerations also. These systems often utilize a combination of packaged or split compressors that have huge pipes to distribute cooling throughout the building. They might also have steam systems that require special maintenance to ensure that the pipes do not become blocked.
In addition, many of these large systems are controlled by what’s known as a Building Automation System (BAS), which integrates all cooling and heating systems within the building into one centralized system. Verde has helped optimize the efficiency of the systems by offering retrocommissioning recommendations that provide quick paybacks.
The global effort to combat the effects of climate change is heavily dependent on energy efficiency in cooling and air-conditioning. In the end, we must ensure that manufacturers bring super-efficient cooling appliances to market, 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
Many people spend much of their lives in structures, and these structures could cause serious health risks in the event that the indoor air quality isn’t good enough. There are a variety of ways to improve IAQ and avoid common ailments such as asthma, allergies, fatigue, etc.
Particulate matter (PM) as well as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and carbon dioxide are the three main sources for pollution in modern homes and offices. These pollutants are released into the air through a variety of activities, including cooking, cleaning, and smoking, and they could cause respiratory problems as well as allergic reactions.
A high level of humidity can also cause havoc on the quality of air. The humid air encourages the growth of mold and mildew, which can trigger respiratory problems. Monitoring humidity and keeping the moisture level at a minimum is crucial to avoid these issues. This can be achieved by regularly vacuuming and dusting, washing bedding, furniture and using a dehumidifier or humidifier that is based on the humidity gauge.
In addition to the obvious health benefits in improving IAQ can enhance the comfort in the home. A home with high levels of air pollution such as radon, for instance, can smell musty. It can also cause irritation or itchy eyes as well as a stuffy sensation. Installing an air purifier as well as maintaining the HVAC system can help to avoid these issues. Also, make sure that you open windows and doors to let air flow in when needed.
Poor air quality can cause headaches, difficulty concentrating, and a general malaise. While these symptoms can resolve themselves after leaving a space, prolonged exposure can exacerbate existing health conditions and may lead to serious health issues.
The primary factor that affects IAQ is the rate that fresh air replaces stale air, a process that is known as ventilation. This is influenced by the weather, occupancy rates, and also the design of the structure. However, simple steps can be taken to enhance IAQ by adding plants to the home and opening doors and windows as much as possible, and ensuring that the HVAC system is operating properly. For those who would like to take a more thorough approach, it is recommended that they speak with a Comfort Specialist regarding an assessment of indoor air quality.
Smoke Pollution
While heat pumps and central air conditioners do a fantastic job of filtering out the majority of biological pollutants, including bacteria, molds and pet dander pollen, they are not designed to remove smoke particles. The microscopic particles in wildfire smoke pose a risk and easily enter your eyes, nose and throat, causing symptoms like burning or itchy eyes, congestion, runny nose, and coughing. They can also irritate your lungs and cause worsening of chronic lung and heart problems. Smoke particles can cause a variety health effects, including bronchitis and aggravated 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 issues across much of the south and north of the United States. The dense smoky fog reduces visibility and can cause respiratory stress for anyone who has to be outside.
Unfortunately there is no way to completely block smoke from entering your home or business through windows and doors especially older houses with lots of drafts and cracks. You can take steps to lessen the amount of smoke entering your building.
Close all windows and doors when it’s smoky. This will reduce the amount of smoky air by 30 percent. Put wet towels in cracks and around door frames to reduce the flow of smoky air.
If your HVAC system is in an recirculation mode, make sure to switch off the recirculation mode during smoke conditions. This will allow your HVAC to exhaust the smoky indoor air to the outside instead of recirculating it. If you have ducts in your building connected to areas that can generate high levels of contaminants, such as parking garages that are attached to the building and loading docks, you should be certain to have these ducts independently isolated from the rest of the duct system.
The EPA recommends that you change your HVAC filters more often in the event of smoke to ensure that they are eliminating pollutants from the air in your home. Choose a filter with a minimum efficiency report value (MERV) of 13 or greater, as these filters are designed to eliminate the smoke and other gaseous air pollutants.
Supercooling
In recent years, supercooling has been an energy-saving method that is popular. It’s based on the notion that electricity costs don’t vary by amount at all times of the day. In fact, most power companies offer “time-of-use” plans that provide different off-peak and peak rates. Supercooling lets homeowners to cool their homes in advance during off-peak hours, so they don’t have to run air conditioners at those expensive summer peak hours.
This requires a thermostat that can adjust automatically. However even with this, homeowners must take the time to study their electric usage patterns and determine the most cost-effective time to run their air conditioner. Many homeowners save around 25% or more on their energy bills through this method.
To supercool the home, the homeowner should set their air conditioner at a lower temperature the next morning and keep it there for a few more hours. This cools the floors, walls furniture, fixtures, and furniture of the house as well as the air inside. Then, when the peak energy-cost hours hit, the homeowner turns the air conditioning on and then leaves it running until it shuts off for a few hours again.
This method is efficient because cooling doesn’t just mean making the air in the house cooler. It’s also about preventing heat from entering the house through doors, windows and other leak points. It is crucial that homeowners double-check the insulation of their home and cover any leaky or drafty areas. They should also use window shades to block out sun particularly those that receive direct sunlight that is bright during the hottest hours of the day. Also, they should make sure that all windows and doors are sealed tightly to stop air from escape during cooling cycles are in progress. Additionally, they should think about using smart thermostats to aid them in remembering to start and stop cooling at the best times of the day. This makes it easier for homeowners to keep their energy costs low and not worry about forgetting to turn the system off or on.