Energy Efficient Cooling and Air Conditioning Tips
Air cooling and conditioning is one of the most important inventions of the modern age. They helped make summer blockbusters and wartime planes and other supplies possible.
However cooling puts a huge burden on electrical systems and creates massive amounts of pollution. This particular IEA report raises awareness about the impact of this demand and provides solutions.
Energy Efficiency
Efficiency in energy is one of the most important aspects when selecting a new cooling system. Upgrade to a more efficient air conditioner and you will reduce your energy costs, as well as reduce the environmental impact. Air conditioners are rated with several different energy efficiency ratings, including SEER, EER, and HSPF. These ratings indicate how much an air conditioner can cool using a certain amount of electricity. The higher the rating the more efficient the unit is. The SEER rating of the system can be found on its yellow Energy Guide Label or by searching “SEER ratings”.
If you are in the market for an air conditioner that is new look for one that has an excellent rating. This rating reveals how efficiently the unit can perform in normal conditions. If you’re replacing a model that’s older with a higher SEER rating will drastically reduce your energy use and costs.
Other things can influence the efficiency of energy in air conditioning systems, too. High indoor humidity, insufficient maintenance and duct leaks, for instance, could all cause your system to be more demanding and consume more energy. Making sure you are keeping up with routine maintenance and sealing leaks from ducts are easy ways to improve your system’s energy efficiency.
Commercial cooling systems are also subject to energy efficiency concerns. They typically make use of an array of split or packaged compressors with huge pipe networks to deliver cooling throughout the building. These systems could also incorporate steam systems that require special maintenance in order to prevent the pipes from becoming blocked.
Many of these large systems can also be controlled with an Building Automation System, which connects the cooling and heating systems into a single central system. Verde has helped optimize the efficiency of systems by providing retrocommissioning suggestions that have quick paybacks.
The global effort to curb the impact of climate change is largely dependent on the efficiency of energy used in cooling and air conditioning. We need to ensure that cooling equipment is efficient and that consumers are demanding these appliances. In the meantime we can take additional steps to reduce our energy use and greenhouse gases emissions.
Indoor Air Quality
A lot of people spend the majority of their lives in buildings and these structures can cause serious health risks when the indoor air quality is poor. There are fortunately numerous ways to improve IAQ and prevent common problems such as asthma, allergies, and fatigue.
Particulate matter as well as volatile organic compounds and carbon dioxide are three of the most prevalent sources of pollution in modern office and home buildings. These pollutants are released into the air through various activities, like cooking, cleaning, or smoking cigarettes, and can cause respiratory problems as well as allergic reactions.
The presence of excessive moisture can have a negative impact on the quality of air. Moist air encourages the growth of mildew and mold, which can trigger respiratory problems. To prevent this from happening it is essential to keep an eye on humidity levels and ensure that the moisture level remains at a minimum. The best method to do this is to regularly dust and vacuuming, washing bedding and furniture and using the dehumidifier or humidifier when required based on readings from hygrometers.
In addition to the obvious health benefits in improving IAQ can improve the comfort of the home. A home with high levels of air pollution for instance, may smell musty. It can also cause itchy skin, irritated eyes, and a stuffy feeling. Installing an air purifier and maintaining the HVAC system can help prevent these issues. Also, make sure that you open windows and doors for ventilation when needed.
Poor air quality can cause headaches, difficulty concentrating, and a general malaise. While these symptoms can disappear after leaving the area, prolonged exposure could cause health problems that are already present and can even result in serious illness.
The most important factor that influences IAQ is the rate at which fresh air replaces the old air, a process that is known as ventilation. This can be influenced by the weather, occupancy rates, as well as the design of the structure. But, a few simple steps can be taken to improve IAQ, including introducing plants into the home and opening doors and windows whenever possible and making sure that the HVAC system is functioning effectively. If you’re looking to go one step further, we recommend that you talk to a Comfort Specialist regarding an assessment of indoor air quality.
Smoke Pollution
While central air conditioners do a great job of filtering out most biological pollutants, such as bacteria, molds and pet dander pollen, they’re not designed to remove smoke particles. The microscopic particles in smoke from wildfires are extremely dangerous and easily get into 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. The tiny particles of smoke can get stuck in your lungs, triggering a variety of health issues, including worsened asthma, bronchitis and damage to your heart and lungs.
The smoke that has blanketed New York City this week has been caused by forest fires in Canada and is causing hazardous air quality conditions across a large portion of the northern US and southern Canada. The thick smoky fog can reduce visibility and may cause respiratory distress to anyone who is required to be outdoors.
There is no way to keep smoke from getting into your home through windows and doors, especially in older homes that have a lot of cracks and drafts. However, you can take steps to minimize the amount of smoke that enters your home or business.
Close all doors and windows when it’s smoky. This will reduce the amount of smoke in the outside air by 30%. If you can, place damp towels around the door frames and cracks to slow the flow of smoke into your business or home.
If your HVAC system features the ability to recirculate air, be sure that you switch it off when the air is smokey. This will allow the system to exhaust the smoky air directly outside instead of the air being recirculated inside. If your structure has ducts that connect to areas where contamination is likely to be high, such as parking garages or loading docks it is important to ensure that these ducts are isolated from the rest.
The EPA suggests that you change your HVAC filters more frequently during smokey conditions in order to ensure that they are eliminating contaminants from indoor air. Select a filter with the minimum reporting value (MERV), which is 13 or greater. These filters are designed to eliminate smoke and gaseous air pollution.
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. Most power companies offer “time of use” plans that have different off-peak and peak rates. Supercooling lets homeowners pre-cool their homes at off-peak hours so they don’t need to run their air conditioners during high-cost summer peak times.
This method requires a thermostat that can adjust automatically. However, even with this, homeowners should be sure to look up their electric consumption patterns and decide when it’s most cost-effective to run their air conditioning. This could save you up to 25 percent on your energy bills.
To keep the home cool, the homeowner sets their AC to a lower temperature in the morning and maintains it at that temperature for a few hours. This cools down the floors, walls furniture, fixtures, and furniture of the house as well as the air inside. Then, when peak energy-cost times arrive, the homeowner turns the air conditioning on and runs it until it is turned off for several hours again.
This method works because cooling isn’t only about making the air inside the home cool. It’s also about stopping heat from entering the house through doors, windows and other leak points. It is crucial that homeowners double-check their homes’ insulation and seal any drafty or leaky areas. It is also recommended to use blinds to block out sun, especially those that get direct sunlight that is bright during the hottest parts of the day. Also they should ensure that all windows and doors are sealed tightly to prevent air from getting out during cooling cycles. Finally, they should consider installing smart thermostats that will aid them in remembering to start and stop cooling at the most optimal times of the day. This allows homeowners to keep their energy costs low and not worry about forgetting to turn off the system or on.