Energy Efficient Cooling and Air Conditioning Tips
Air conditioning and cooling are among the most important inventions of modern history. They helped make summer blockbusters and wartime planes and supplies possible.
Cooling, however, puts an enormous strain on the power system and produces huge amounts of pollution. This particular IEA Report aims to raise awareness of the issue and offers solutions.
Energy Efficiency
When selecting an air conditioner, energy efficiency is a key aspect. Upgrade to an energy-efficient air conditioner and you’ll save money on energy bills and also reduce the environmental impact. The energy efficiency of air conditioning units is evaluated in a variety of ways that include SEER and EER. These ratings show how the air conditioner is able to cool using a specific amount of electricity. 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.
When you are looking for a new air conditioning system, search for one that has a high SEER rating. This rating shows how well the unit performs under normal conditions during a particular season. A higher SEER rating could reduce your energy costs and consumption if you are replacing an older model.
Other factors can affect the efficiency of energy in air conditioning systems, too. High indoor humidity, the absence of maintenance and leaks in ducts, for instance, could all make your system be more demanding and consume more energy. Regular maintenance and sealing of ducts leaks are easy ways to increase the energy efficiency of your system.
Large commercial cooling systems come with their own energy efficiency considerations, too. They typically utilize an array of split or packaged compressors and massive pipes to distribute cooling throughout the building. They might also have steam systems that require special maintenance to keep the pipes from becoming blocked.
In addition to that, many of these huge systems are controlled by a system known as a Building Automation System (BAS), which integrates all cooling and heating systems within the building into one centralized system. Verde has helped clients improve the performance of these systems by providing simple retrocommissioning suggestions that usually have quick paybacks and incentives for their implementation.
Energy efficiency in air conditioning and cooling is a major component of global efforts to reduce climate change. In the end, we must ensure that manufacturers bring super-efficient cooling equipment to market, and that consumers are demanding them. In the meantime, there are other actions we can take to help reduce our energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.
Indoor Air Quality
Many people spend much of their lives in buildings and these structures can be a major health risk when the indoor air quality isn’t good enough. There are fortunately a number of ways to improve IAQ and stop common issues like asthma, allergies, and fatigue.
Particulate matter as well as volatile organic compounds and carbon dioxide are three of the most common sources of pollution in modern homes and office buildings. These pollutants are released into the air through a variety of activities, such as cooking, cleaning, and smoking cigarettes, and can lead to respiratory issues and allergic reactions.
High levels of moisture can have a negative impact on the quality of air. Moisture can encourage the growth of mildew and mold, which can trigger respiratory problems. Monitoring humidity and keeping the moisture low is key to preventing these problems. The best way to accomplish this is to regularly dust and vacuuming, cleaning bedding and furniture and using the dehumidifier or humidifier when necessary based on hygrometer readings.
In addition to the obvious health benefits in improving IAQ can enhance the comfort in homes. A home with high levels of air pollution, for example, can smell musty. It can also trigger irritation to eyes, itchy skin and a snoring feeling. Installing an air purifier as well as maintaining the HVAC system can help to keep these issues from happening. Also, ensure that you open windows and doors for ventilation when needed.
Poor air quality can lead to headaches, difficulty concentrating and general unwellness. These symptoms may resolve when you leave the room however, prolonged exposure to poor air quality could exacerbate existing health issues or even trigger serious health issues.
Ventilation is the main aspect that influences IAQ. This can be affected by the weather, the occupancy rate of rooms, and the design. There are simple ways to improve IAQ. This can be done by adding plants to the home, opening doors and windows as often as possible, and ensuring that the HVAC system works correctly. If you’re looking to go further, we recommend that you 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 filtering out the majority of biological pollutants, such as bacteria, molds and pet dander pollen, they’re not designed to remove smoke particles. Smoke from wildfires is a source of microscopic particles that can trigger symptoms such as burning or itchy eye congestion, runny nose and coughing. They can also irritate the lungs and cause worsening of the severity of heart and lung problems. The fine particles that are invisible in smoke can lodge deep into your lung, triggering a range of health effects, including worsened asthma, bronchitis and damage to your heart and lungs.
The haze that engulfed New York City last week was caused by forest fires raging in Canada. It can also cause dangerous air quality issues across large parts of the north and south of the United States. The dense smoky haze reduces visibility and can cause respiratory stress for anyone who has to be outdoors.
Unfortunately there is no way to completely stop smoky air from entering your home or business through doors and windows particularly older homes with many drafts and cracks. However, you can make steps to limit the amount of smoke entering your building.
Keep all doors and windows closed when it’s smoky outside. This can reduce the amount of smoky outside air by 30%. If you can, put wet towels on the door frames and cracks to stop the flow of smoke into your home or business.
If your HVAC system has the recirculation feature, make sure to switch off when you are in a smokey environment. This allows the system to exhaust the smoky air directly outside instead of recirculating it inside. If you have ducts in your building that connect to areas that could generate high levels of contaminants, such as parking garages that are attached to the building and loading docks, you should be sure to have those ducts separate from the rest of the duct system.
The EPA suggests that you change your HVAC filters more frequently in the event of smoke to ensure that they are effectively removing contaminants from indoor air. Choose a filter that has a minimum reporting value (MERV), which is 13 or higher. These filters are designed to eliminate smoke and gaseous air pollution.
Supercooling
Supercooling is an energy-saving trend that has become more popular in recent years. It’s based upon the notion that electricity costs don’t vary by amount at any given time of the day. The majority of power companies offer “time of use” plans with different peak and offpeak rates. Supercooling lets homeowners to cool their homes ahead of off-peak times, so they don’t need to run air conditioners during those costly summer peak hours.
This method requires an automated thermostat that can be programmed. However, homeowners still need to be aware of their electricity usage patterns to determine when their air conditioner is most cost-effective. This method can save you up to 25 percent off your energy bill.
To cool the house homeowners should set their AC to lower temperatures the next morning and then keep it there for a few more hours. This cools the walls furniture, floors, flooring and fixtures, as well as the inside air. Then, when the peak energy-cost hours arrive, the homeowner turns the air conditioning on and then leaves it running until it’s off for several hours again.
This method is effective because cooling isn’t just about keeping the air inside the house cool. It’s crucial to prevent heat from getting into your home through doors, windows and other leaky areas. That’s why homeowners should double-check that their home is properly constructed and insulated, and also insulate any leaky or drafty areas. They should also use window shades to block the sun’s rays particularly in areas that get bright direct sunlight during the hottest parts of the day. Additionally, they should make sure that all doors and windows are tightly sealed to stop air from escaping during cooling cycles. They should also consider installing smart thermostats to help them remember when to start and stop cooling. This helps homeowners cut their energy costs without worrying about forgetting to turn off or on the system.
