Energy Efficient Cooling and Air Conditioning Tips
Cooling and air conditioning are one of the most important inventions in the past century. They helped make summer blockbusters and wartime planes and supplies possible.
However, cooling puts a large burden on electrical systems and creates massive quantities of pollution. This particular IEA Report aims to raise awareness of the impact and suggests solutions.
Energy Efficiency
When choosing the right cooling system energy efficiency is a crucial factor. Upgrade to a more efficient air conditioner and reduce your energy costs and reduce your environmental impact. The energy efficiency of air conditioners is assessed in various ways, including SEER and EER. These ratings indicate 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 locate a 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 that is new look for one that has a high rating. This rating indicates how efficiently the unit will perform during the course of a season in normal conditions. If you’re replacing an older model, a higher SEER rating will greatly reduce your energy use and cost.
Air conditioning systems can be affected by other causes as well. A high humidity indoors, a insufficient maintenance and duct leaks for example, can all make your system be more demanding and consume more energy. Regular maintenance and sealing leaks in ducts are simple ways to increase the energy efficiency of your system.
Commercial cooling systems are also susceptible to concerns about energy efficiency. These systems use a combination packaged or split-compressors and huge pipeline networks to supply cooling throughout the building. They may also have steam systems that require special maintenance to ensure that the pipes do not become blocked.
A lot of these huge systems can also be controlled by the use of a Building Automation System, which integrates the cooling and heating systems into one centralized system. Verde has helped optimize the efficiency of the systems by offering retrocommissioning recommendations that provide rapid paybacks.
Energy efficiency in cooling and air conditioning is a key element of global efforts to mitigate climate change. We must ensure that cooling devices are super-efficient and that consumers demand them. In the meantime we can take additional steps to reduce our energy use and greenhouse gases emissions.
Indoor Air Quality
Many people spend much of their lives in buildings and these structures can be a major health risk when their indoor air quality is poor. There are numerous ways to improve IAQ and avoid common ailments such as asthma, allergies fatigue, allergies, etc.
Particulate matter, volatile organic compounds, and carbon dioxide are three of the most common sources of pollution in modern homes and office buildings. These pollutants can be released into the air by a number of activities such as cooking, cleaning, and smoking. They can cause allergies and respiratory issues.
The high levels of humidity can also wreak havoc on air quality. Mildew and mold can thrive in humid air, which can lead to respiratory problems. Monitoring humidity and keeping the moisture low is essential to avoid these issues. The best way to accomplish this is to regularly dust and vacuuming, cleaning bedding and soft furnishings and using 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 pollutants for instance, may smell musty. It can also trigger irritated or itchy eyes, and a swollen sensation. Installing an air purifier and maintaining the HVAC system can help keep these issues from happening. Also, ensure that you open your windows and doors for ventilation whenever you need to.
Poor air quality can cause headaches, concentration problems, and a general unwellness. Although these symptoms may be relieved after leaving a space, prolonged exposure to air pollution can exacerbate existing health conditions and may lead to serious health issues.
Ventilation is the main aspect that influences IAQ. This can be affected by the weather conditions, the occupancy rate of the room and the design. There are many methods to improve IAQ. These include introducing plants in the home, opening the doors and windows whenever possible, and making sure that the HVAC system is operating effectively. For those who would prefer more of a thorough approach, it is recommended to consult a Comfort Specialist regarding an assessment of indoor air quality.
Smoke Pollution
While heat pumps and central air conditioners do an excellent job of filtering out most biological pollutants, including molds, bacteria, pet dander, and pollen, they’re not designed to remove smoke particles. The tiny particles of wildfire smoke pose a risk and can easily enter 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 the lungs and exacerbate heart and lung conditions that are chronic. Smoke particles can cause range of health issues, including bronchitis and aggravated asthma.
The smoke blanketing New York City this week has been caused by forest fires in Canada, and it is causing dangerous air quality conditions across much of the northern US and southern Canada. The thick smoke haze can reduce visibility and causes breathing problems for those who must be outdoors.
There is no way to stop smoke from entering your home through windows and doors, especially in older homes that have a lot of cracks and drafts. You can take steps to reduce the amount of smoke entering your building.
Close all doors and windows when it’s smokey. This can cut the amount of smoky air by 30 percent. Place damp towels in the cracks of door frames and around them to reduce the flow of smoky air.
If your HVAC system features a recirculation function, make sure that you turn it off when the air is smoking. This will allow the system to expel the smoke directly outside instead of returning it to inside. If you have ducts in your building connected to areas that can have high concentrations of pollutants, like attached parking garages and loading docks, be sure that those ducts are independently isolated from the rest of the duct system.
The EPA suggests that you change your HVAC filters more often during smokey conditions in order to ensure that they are removing pollutants from the air in your home. Choose a filter with a minimum efficiency report 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 off 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 off-peak and peak rates. Supercooling lets homeowners pre-cool their homes in off-peak hours so they don’t have to use their air conditioners during the high-cost summer peak hours.
This method requires an automated thermostat that can be programmed. However even with this, homeowners should be sure to examine their electricity usage patterns and determine the most cost-effective time to run their air cooling system. A lot of people save 25% or more on their energy bills using this method.
To keep the home cool, the homeowner should set their air conditioner at an lower temperature the following morning and keep it there for a few more hours. This cools the walls, floors, furnishings and fixtures, as well as the inside air. When the energy costs are at their peak homeowners, they turn up the temperature and leave it on until the next time it’s shut off.
This strategy is effective because cooling doesn’t just mean making the air in the home cooler. It’s also about stopping heat from entering the home through doors, windows and other leak points. It’s important that homeowners double-check their home’s insulation and insulate any leaky or drafty areas. Also, they should make use of window shades to block out sun, especially in areas that get direct sunlight during the hottest parts of the day. Additionally it is important to ensure that all doors and windows are sealed to prevent air from escaping during cooling cycles. Finally, they should consider using smart thermostats that can help them remember to start and stop cooling at the ideal times of the day. This allows homeowners to reduce their energy bills without having to remember when to switch on or off the system.
