Energy Efficient Cooling and Air Conditioning Tips
Air conditioning and cooling are among the most significant inventions of the history of modern times. They helped make summer blockbusters, wartime planes and other supplies possible.
Cooling, however, places immense strain on the electricity system and creates huge quantities of pollution. This particular 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 when selecting a new cooling system. Upgrade to a more efficient air conditioner and save money on energy bills and also reduce the environmental impact. The energy efficiency of air conditioning units is rated in several ways, including SEER and EER. These ratings show how much an air conditioner can cool with a certain amount of electricity consumed. The higher the score, the more efficient the unit. The SEER rating of a unit can be located on its yellow Energy Guide Label or by searching “SEER ratings”.
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 an older model, a higher SEER rating will drastically reduce your energy consumption and costs.
Air conditioning systems are affected by other factors too. For instance, high indoor humidity levels as well as a lack of maintenance and duct leaks can all make your system work harder and consume more energy. Making sure you are keeping up with routine maintenance and sealing leaks in ducts are easy steps to improve the efficiency of your system.
Large commercial cooling systems come with particular energy efficiency considerations as well. These systems often make use of an array of split or packaged compressors with huge pipe networks to distribute cooling throughout the building. They might also have steam systems which require specialized maintenance in order to keep the pipes from becoming blocked.
Many of these large systems can also be controlled by an Building Automation System, which connects the cooling and heating systems into one centralized system. Verde has helped optimize the performance of these systems by providing retrocommissioning suggestions that have quick paybacks.
Energy efficiency in cooling and air conditioning is a major component of global efforts to combat climate change. In the end, we must ensure that manufacturers bring super-efficient cooling devices to market, and consumers want these appliances. In the meantime, there are a variety of ways we can 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 pose significant health threats if the indoor air quality is not as good. There are a variety of ways to improve IAQ and avoid common ailments such as asthma, allergies, fatigue, etc.
Particulate matter as well as volatile organic compounds and carbon dioxide are three of the most frequent pollutants in modern homes and office buildings. These pollutants are released into the air due to a variety of activities, including cooking, cleaning, and smoking cigarettes, and can lead to respiratory issues and allergic reactions.
High levels of humidity can also create destruction on the air quality. Moist air encourages the growth of mold and mildew, which can trigger respiratory issues. To prevent this from happening, it is important to monitor humidity and keep the moisture level at a minimum. The best way to accomplish this is by regularly dusting and vacuuming, cleaning furniture and bedding, and using an air dehumidifier and humidifier if required based on readings from hygrometers.
Apart from the obvious health benefits as well as the obvious health benefits, 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 prevent these issues. Also, make sure that you open windows and doors for ventilation whenever you need to.
The symptoms of poor air quality can be a variety of symptoms and can include headaches, difficulties in concentrating, or general feeling of malaise. While these symptoms can disappear after leaving the space, prolonged exposure to air pollution can exacerbate existing health conditions and can even result in serious health issues.
Ventilation is the primary factor that impacts IAQ. This can be affected by the weather, occupancy rates, and also the design of the building. However, simple steps can be taken to improve IAQ by introducing plants into the house, opening windows and doors whenever possible and making sure that the HVAC system is functioning properly. If you’re looking to go further, we suggest that you talk to a Comfort Specialist about an indoor air quality assessment.
Smoke Pollution
While central air conditioners do a great job of removing the majority of biological contaminants, like molds, bacteria, pet dander, and pollen, they are not designed to remove smoke particles. The tiny particles of wildfire smoke are very dangerous and easily get into your nose, eyes, and throat causing symptoms like burning or itchy eyes, congestion, a runny nose and coughing. They can also cause irritation to your lungs and aggravate chronic heart and lung conditions. The invisible fine particles in smoke can get stuck in your lungs, triggering a variety of health issues, including worsened asthma, bronchitis and damage to your lung and heart.
The smoke that blanketed New York City last week was caused by forest fires burning in Canada. It is also causing dangerous air quality conditions throughout much of the south and north of the United States. The dense smoky haze reduces visibility and can cause breathing difficulties for those who is outdoors.
Unfortunately there is no way to completely prevent smoke from getting into your business or home through windows and doors especially older houses with lots of drafts and cracks. However, you can take steps to reduce the amount of smoke that enters your home or business.
Keep all doors and windows shut when it’s smokey outside. This will reduce the amount of smoky air by 30 percent. If possible, place wet towels on the door frames and cracks in order to slow the movement of smoky air into your home or business.
If your HVAC system features an recirculation feature, make sure you switch it off when the air is smokey. This allows your HVAC system to expel the smokey indoor air to the outside instead of returning it. If you have ducts in your building connected to areas that may generate high levels of contaminants, such as parking garages with attached loading docks, be sure to have those ducts separate from the rest of the duct system.
The EPA recommends changing 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 more, since these filters are specially designed to remove smoke and other gaseous air pollutants.
Supercooling
In recent years, supercooling has become a popular energy-saving technique. It’s based on the notion that electricity costs different amounts at different times of the day. In fact, most energy companies offer “time-of-use” plans that feature different peak and off-peak rates. Supercooling lets homeowners cool their homes ahead of off-peak hours, so they don’t require air conditioners during the expensive summer peak hours.
This method requires a thermostat that can adjust automatically. Even so, homeowners still need to be aware of their patterns of usage of electricity to determine when their air conditioner will be most cost-effective. A lot of people save 25% or more off their energy bills using this method.
To keep the home cool, the homeowner sets their air conditioner to lower temperatures in the morning and keeps it at the same setting for a few hours. This cools the walls, floors furniture, fixtures and furniture of the home as well as the air inside. Then, when peak energy-cost hours arrive the homeowner, he or she turns the air conditioning up and leaves it running until it’s off for several hours.
This strategy is successful since cooling doesn’t just refer to making the air inside the home cooler. It’s also about stopping heat from entering the home through windows, doors and other leak points. That’s why homeowners should double-check that their home is properly sealed and insulate any leaky or drafty areas. It is also recommended to use window covers to block the sun, particularly in areas that are exposed to direct sunlight during the hottest times of the day. Additionally it is important to ensure that all doors and windows are sealed to prevent air from escaping during cooling cycles. Additionally, they should think about using smart thermostats to aid them in remembering to start and stop cooling at the most optimal times of the day. This helps homeowners cut their energy bills without worrying about forgetting when to turn off or on the system.
