Energy Efficient Cooling and Air Conditioning Tips
Air cooling and conditioning is one of the most important inventions of our time. They made summer blockbusters possible and helped boost manufacturing for wartime supplies as well as airplanes.
However cooling places a significant demand on electric systems and causes huge quantities of pollution. This special IEA Report raises awareness of the impact and suggests solutions.
Energy Efficiency
When selecting an air conditioner energy efficiency is an important aspect. Making the switch to a more efficient air cooling system will lower your expenses for energy and reduce the environmental impact. The energy efficiency of air conditioners is assessed in various ways that include SEER and EER. These ratings tell you how much a unit is able to cool with a certain amount of electricity consumed. 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” on the internet.
When looking for a brand new air conditioning system, look for one that has a high SEER 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 significantly reduce your energy consumption and expenses.
Air conditioning systems can be affected by other factors too. A high humidity indoors, a lack of maintenance and duct leaks for instance, could all make your system be more demanding and consume more energy. Regular maintenance and sealing leaks in ducts are simple ways to improve the efficiency of your system.
Commercial cooling systems are also subject to energy efficiency concerns. They typically utilize an array of packaged or split compressors and massive pipes to distribute cooling throughout the building. These systems could also incorporate steam systems that require specialized maintenance in order to prevent the pipes from getting blocked.
Many of these large systems can also be controlled with an Building Automation System, which integrates the cooling and heating systems into a single centralized system. Verde has helped clients optimize the performance of these systems through simple retrocommissioning recommendations that typically offer quick paybacks as well as incentives to implement.
Energy efficiency in cooling and air conditioning is a key component of global efforts to reduce climate change. In the end, we must ensure that manufacturers bring super-efficient cooling devices to market, and that consumers are demanding these appliances. In the meantime, there are other actions we can take to help reduce our energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.
Indoor Air Quality
A large portion of people live their lives in structures, and these structures could cause serious health risks in the event that their indoor air quality is not as good. There are many ways to improve IAQ and avoid common ailments like allergies, asthma fatigue, asthma, etc.
Particulate matter (PM) as well as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and carbon dioxide are the three main sources of pollution in modern workplaces and homes. These pollutants can be released into the atmosphere through a variety of activities like cooking, cleaning, and smoking. They can trigger allergies and respiratory issues.
High levels of humidity can also create havoc on air quality. Mold and mildew can grow in moist air, which can cause respiratory problems. To avoid these issues, it is important to monitor humidity and keep the moisture level at a lower level. This can be done by regularly cleaning and vacuuming, washing bedding, cushions and using a humidifier or dehumidifier using a humidity gauge.
Apart from the obvious health benefits, improving IAQ can increase comfort in the home. For example, a home with high air pollutants can be stale and smell unpleasant. It can also cause itchy skin, irritated eyes and a snoring feeling. These issues can be prevented by installing an air purifier, keeping the HVAC system, and making sure that windows and doors are kept open to let in air as needed.
The symptoms of poor air quality are varied and can include headaches, difficulties in concentrating, or general feeling of malaise. While these symptoms can resolve themselves after leaving a area, prolonged exposure could cause health problems that are already present and could lead to serious illness.
Ventilation is the primary factor that affects IAQ. This is influenced by the weather, occupancy rates, and the design of the structure. There are simple methods to improve IAQ. This can be done by introducing plants in the home, opening the windows and doors whenever possible, and making sure that the HVAC system is operating correctly. If you’d like to take more of a thorough approach, it is recommended that they speak with a Comfort Specialist about an assessment of indoor air quality.
Smoke Pollution
Central air conditioning systems are great at removing biological contaminants like bacteria, molds pollen, pet dander, and mold. However, they do not remove smoke particles. Wildfire smoke contains microscopic particles that can trigger symptoms like burning or itchy eye congestion, runny nose and coughing. They can also irritate your lungs and worsen lung and heart conditions that are chronic. The tiny particles of smoke can lodge deep into your lung, triggering a myriad of health effects, including aggravated asthma, bronchitis, and damage to your lung and heart.
The smoke blanketing New York City this week is the result of forest fires in Canada, and it is causing hazardous air quality conditions across much of the northern US and southern Canada. The thick smoke haze can reduce visibility and can cause breathing difficulties for those who is outdoors.
There is no way to prevent smoke from getting into your home through windows and doors, especially in older homes with a lot of drafts and cracks. However, you can make steps to limit 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%. Place wet towels in the cracks around door frames and in the corners to slow down the flow of smoky ai.
If your HVAC system is in the recirculation feature, make sure to switch it off during smoky conditions. This allows the system to eliminate the smoke outside rather than returning it to inside. If you have ducts within your building which connect to areas that could produce high concentrations of contaminants, such as parking garages with attached loading docks, be sure that those ducts are independently isolated from the rest of the duct system.
The EPA recommends that you change your HVAC filters more often when you are in a smokey environment to ensure that they are eliminating toxins from indoor air. Choose a filter that has a minimum reporting value (MERV), which is 13 or more. These filters are designed to remove smoke and gaseous air pollution.
Supercooling
In recent years, supercooling has been a popular energy-saving technique. It’s based off the idea that electricity prices are different at different times of the day. Most energy companies offer “time of use” plans with different rates for off-peak and peak times. Supercooling allows homeowners to cool their homes ahead of off-peak times, so they don’t have to run air conditioners at those expensive summer peak hours.
This method requires an automated thermostat that can be programmed. However, homeowners still need to take the time to analyze their usage patterns for electricity to determine when their air conditioner is most cost-effective. This strategy can save you up to 25 percent on your energy bills.
To supercool the home, the homeowner set their air conditioner to a lower temperature in the morning, and then keeps it at that setting for a few hours. This cools down the walls, floors furniture, fixtures and furniture of the home as well as the air inside. When energy costs are high the homeowner, he or she will turn up the temperature and then leave it running until the next time it is turned off.
This strategy works because cooling isn’t just about making the air inside the home cool. It is essential to stop heat from getting into your home through your windows, doors, and other leaky points. That’s why homeowners should double-check that their homes are properly insulated and make sure to insulate any drafty or leaky areas. They should also use window covers to block out the sunlight, particularly in areas that receive direct sunlight during the hottest times of the day. Also, they should make sure that all doors and windows are sealed tightly to prevent air from getting out during cooling cycles occur. They should also consider using smart thermostats to help them remember when to start and stop cooling. This allows homeowners to keep their energy costs low without worrying about forgetting to switch off or on.