Energy Efficient Cooling and Air Conditioning Tips
Cooling and air conditioning are among the most important inventions of the past century. They helped make wartime and summer blockbusters and other supplies possible.
However cooling puts a huge demand on electric systems and causes huge amounts of pollution. This particular IEA Report aims to raise awareness of the impact and provides solutions.
Energy Efficiency
Energy efficiency is among the most important aspects when choosing a new cooling system. Upgrade to a more efficient air conditioner and reduce your energy costs and also reduce the environmental impact. The energy efficiency of air conditioners is evaluated in a variety of ways, including SEER and EER. These ratings indicate how much a unit can cool for a given amount of power consumed. The higher the rating is, the more efficient the unit is. You can find the SEER rating on the yellow Energy Guide label or by searching for “SEER ratings” online.
When looking for a new air conditioner, choose one with a high rating. This rating reveals how the unit performs under normal conditions during a particular season. If you’re replacing an older model, a higher SEER rating will greatly reduce your energy use and expenses.
Air conditioning systems are affected by other elements as well. 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. Regular maintenance and sealing of leaks in the ducts are a simple way to increase the energy efficiency of your system.
Commercial cooling systems are also subject to energy efficiency issues. They use a combination of packaged or split-compressors and huge pipe networks to provide cooling throughout the building. These systems may also include steam systems that require specific maintenance to prevent the pipes from becoming blocked.
Additionally to that, many of these huge systems are controlled by what’s known as a Building Automation System (BAS) that integrates all cooling and heating systems in the building into one central system. Verde has helped clients optimize the performance of these systems with simple retrocommissioning guidelines that typically have quick paybacks and incentives for implementation.
Energy efficiency in air conditioning and cooling is a key component of global efforts to combat climate change. In the end, we must ensure that manufacturers bring highly efficient cooling appliances to market, and consumers demand these appliances. In the meantime we can also take other measures to cut down on our energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
Indoor Air Quality
Many people spend much of their lives in buildings, and these structures could be a major health risk when the indoor air quality is not as good. There are fortunately numerous ways to improve IAQ, which can be a solution to common ailments like asthma or allergies, as well as fatigue.
Particulate matter as well as volatile organic compounds and carbon dioxide are three of the most prevalent sources of pollution in modern homes and office buildings. These pollutants can be released into the atmosphere through a variety of actions such as cleaning, cooking, and smoking. They can cause allergies and respiratory problems.
A high level of moisture may have a negative impact on air quality. The humid air encourages the growth of mildew and mold, which can trigger respiratory issues. To prevent this from happening it is crucial to monitor humidity and keep the moisture at a minimum. The best method to do this is by regularly dusting and vacuuming, cleaning bedding and furniture and using a dehumidifier or humidifier as 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. For example, a home that is contaminated by air pollutants could be stale and smell unpleasant. It can also trigger itchy skin, irritated eyes, and a stuffy feeling. Installing an air purifier and keeping the HVAC system can help to keep these issues from happening. Also, ensure that you open windows and doors for ventilation whenever you need to.
Symptoms of poor air quality can be varied and can include headaches, difficulties in concentrating, or general feeling of malaise. These symptoms may resolve after leaving the area however prolonged exposure to poor air quality could exacerbate existing health issues or even cause serious health issues.
Ventilation is the main factor that impacts IAQ. This is influenced by the weather, occupancy rates, as well as the design of the structure. There are many ways to improve IAQ. This can be done by installing plants in the home, opening windows and doors whenever possible, and making sure that the HVAC system is operating effectively. If you’re looking to take it a a step further, we suggest you speak with a Comfort Specialist about an indoor air assessment.
Smoke Pollution
Heat pumps and central air conditioning systems are excellent in removing biological pollutants such as molds, bacteria pollen, pet dander and mold. However, they do not remove smoke particles. Smoke from wildfires is a source of microscopic particles which can cause symptoms like burning or itchy eye congestion, runny nose, and coughing. They can also cause irritation to your lungs and worsen lung and heart conditions that are chronic. Smoke particles can cause variety health effects such as bronchitis and aggravation of asthma.
The smoke that has blanketed New York City this week was caused by forest fires in Canada, and it is causing dangerous air quality conditions throughout much of the northern US and southern Canada. The dense smoky fog reduces visibility and can cause respiratory stress for anyone who has to be outdoors.
There is no way to keep smoke from entering your home through your windows and doors, especially in older homes that have a lot of cracks and drafts. You can take steps to lessen the amount of smoke entering your building.
Close all doors and windows when it’s smokey. This will reduce the amount of smoke in the outside air by 30 percent. Place damp towels in the cracks around door frames and in the corners to slow down the flow of smoke.
If your HVAC system is in an recirculation mode, make sure to switch it off during smoky conditions. This will allow the system exhaust the smoky air directly outside, rather than recirculating it inside. If you have ducts within your building that connect to areas that could generate high levels of pollutants, like attached parking garages and loading docks, be sure to have those ducts separate from the rest of the duct system.
The EPA recommends that you change your HVAC filters more frequently in the event of smoke to ensure that they are removing contaminants from indoor air. Select a filter that has a minimum efficiency report value (MERV) of 13 or more, since these filters are specially designed to eliminate the smoke and other gaseous air contaminants.
Supercooling
In recent years, supercooling has been an energy-saving method that is popular. It’s based upon the notion that electricity doesn’t cost the same amount at all times of the day. In reality, the majority of energy companies offer “time-of-use” plans that provide different peak and off-peak rates. Supercooling allows homeowners to cool their homes ahead of off-peak times, so they don’t require air conditioners during those costly summer peak hours.
This method requires a programmable thermostat that is able to adjust itself automatically. Even with this, homeowners still need to examine their patterns of usage of electricity to determine when their air conditioner is the most efficient. Many people save about 25% or more off their energy bills through this method.
To supercool the home, the homeowner should set their AC at lower temperatures the next morning and then keep it there for a few hours. This cools the floors, walls furniture, fixtures and furniture of the home as well as the air inside. Then, when the peak energy-cost times arrive, the homeowner turns the air conditioning up and then leaves it running until it is turned off for several hours.
This method works because cooling isn’t only about making the air inside the home cool. It’s important to prevent heat from entering your home through your windows, doors and other points that leak. This is why homeowners must ensure that their homes are properly insulated and insulate any leaky or drafty areas. Also, they should make use of window shades to block out the sunlight, particularly in areas that get direct sunlight during the hottest hours of the day. They should also ensure that all doors and windows are tightly sealed to prevent air from escaping when cooling cycles are in progress. Additionally, they should think about installing smart thermostats that will help them remember to start and stop cooling at the most optimal times of the day. This will allow homeowners to cut down on their energy bills without worrying about forgetting to switch on or off the system.
