Energy Efficient Cooling and Air Conditioning Tips
Air conditioning and cooling are among the most important inventions in the past century. They made blockbuster summer movies possible and also helped boost production for wartime supplies as well as airplanes.
However, cooling puts a large burden on electrical systems and generates huge quantities of pollution. This particular IEA Report aims to raise awareness of the effects and suggests solutions.
Energy Efficiency
When choosing the right cooling system energy efficiency is a key aspect. Upgrade to an energy-efficient air conditioner and reduce your energy costs, as well as reduce your environmental impact. Air conditioners are rated according to a variety of energy efficiency ratings, such as SEER, EER, and HSPF. These ratings show how much a unit can cool with a certain amount of electricity consumed. The higher the rating, the more efficient the unit is. You can find a SEER rating of a system on its yellow Energy Guide label or by searching for “SEER ratings” online.
If you are looking for an air conditioner for the first time pick one with an A+ rating. This rating shows how the unit performs under normal conditions during a particular season. A higher SEER rating can lower your energy consumption and costs if you are replacing an older model.
Other factors can affect the efficiency of air conditioning systems, too. Insufficient humidity in the indoors, insufficient maintenance and duct leaks for instance, could all make your system perform more efficiently and consume more energy. Regular maintenance and sealing of leaks in ducts are simple ways to increase the efficiency of your system.
Large commercial cooling systems come with their own energy efficiency considerations as well. They usually make use of the combination of split or packaged compressors and massive pipe networks to distribute cooling throughout the building. They may also have steam systems which require specialized maintenance to ensure that the pipes do not become blocked.
A lot of these huge systems can also be controlled with the use of a Building Automation System, which connects the cooling and heating systems into one centralized system. Verde has been able to improve the performance of systems by providing retrocommissioning suggestions that have rapid paybacks.
Energy efficiency in cooling and air conditioning is a key component 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 other steps to cut down on our energy consumption and greenhouse gases emissions.
Indoor Air Quality
Indoor air quality is an important health issue for many people who spend a substantial portion of their lives in buildings. Fortunately, there are many ways to improve IAQ, which can stop common issues like asthma as well as allergies and fatigue.
Particulate matter, volatile organic compounds, and carbon dioxide are three of the most frequent sources of pollution in modern homes and office buildings. These pollutants can be released into the air through a variety of activities such as cooking, cleaning and smoking. They can trigger respiratory issues and allergies.
The high levels of humidity can also cause destruction on the air quality. Mildew and mold can flourish in humid air, and can lead to respiratory problems. Monitoring humidity and keeping the humidity at a minimum is crucial to avoid these issues. This can be accomplished by regularly cleaning and vacuuming, washing bedding, cushions and using a humidifier or dehumidifier using a humidity gauge.
Apart from the obvious health benefits as well as the obvious health benefits, improving IAQ can enhance the comfort in a home. A home that has high levels of air pollutants such as radon, for instance, can smell musty. It can also trigger itchy skin, irritated eyes and a feeling of suffocation. Installing an air purifier as well as maintaining the HVAC system can help to keep these issues from happening. Also, make sure that you open windows and doors for ventilation whenever you need to.
Symptoms of poor air quality can be varied and include headaches, difficulty in concentrating, and general feeling of malaise. These symptoms may resolve when you leave the room, but prolonged exposure to poor air quality can worsen existing health conditions or cause serious illness.
Ventilation is the most important aspect that influences IAQ. This is affected by the weather, occupancy rate of rooms, and the design. There are a few easy ways to improve IAQ. These include introducing plants in the home, opening the doors and windows whenever possible, and ensuring that the HVAC system is working correctly. If you’d prefer to take a more thorough approach, it is recommended that they speak with a Comfort Specialist regarding an indoor air quality assessment.
Smoke Pollution
Heat pumps and central air conditioning systems are great at filtering out biological pollutants like bacteria, molds, pet dander and pollen. However, they do not remove smoke particles. Wildfire smoke contains microscopic particles that can trigger symptoms such as burning or itchy eye congestion, runny nose and coughing. They can also cause irritation to your lungs and cause worsening of chronic lung and heart problems. Smoke particles can trigger a variety of health problems like bronchitis, as well as aggravation of asthma.
The smoke that has blanketed New York City this week was caused by forest fires in Canada and is causing dangerous air quality conditions across a large portion of the northern US and southern Canada. The thick smoky haze decreases visibility and can cause breathing problems for those who is outdoors.
There is no way to stop smoke from getting into your home through windows and doors especially in older houses with many cracks and drafts. However, you can take steps to reduce the amount of smoke that enters your home or business.
Close all windows and doors when it’s smokey. This can cut the amount of smoke by 30 percent. If you can, put wet towels around the door frames and cracks to stop the flow of smoke into your home or office.
If your HVAC system is in a recirculation mode, be sure to turn off the recirculation mode during smoke conditions. This allows the system to eliminate the smoke outside instead of returning it to inside. If your building has ducts that connect to areas where contaminants are likely to be high, for instance loading docks and parking garages, you should ensure that the ducts are separated from the rest.
The EPA suggests that you change your HVAC filters more frequently when you are in a smokey environment to ensure that they are eliminating toxins from indoor air. Select a filter with an efficiency reporting value (MERV) of 13 or more, since these filters are designed to eliminate smoke and other gaseous air pollutants.
Supercooling
Supercooling is a green trend that has gained popularity in recent years. It’s based on the idea that electricity costs different amounts at different times of the day. In fact, most electricity companies offer “time-of-use” plans that offer different peak and off-peak rates. Supercooling allows homeowners to pre-cool their homes at off-peak times so that they don’t have to use their air conditioners during those high-cost summer peak hours.
This method requires an automatic thermostat that can be programmed. However homeowners must examine their electricity usage patterns to determine when their air conditioner will be most cost-effective. This method could save you up to 25 percent on your energy bills.
To make the house super cool, the homeowner sets their air conditioner to a lower temperature in the morning and keeps it at that setting for a couple of hours. This cools the walls as well as floors, furniture and fixtures as well as the inside air. When the energy costs are at their peak, the homeowner will turn up the temperature and leave it on until the next time it’s shut off.
This strategy works because cooling isn’t just about making the air inside the home cool. It’s important to prevent heat from getting into your home through your windows, doors, and other leaky points. It is crucial that homeowners double-check their home’s insulation and insulate any leaky or drafty areas. Also, they should consider using window coverings to block the sun’s rays, especially those that get direct sunlight that is bright during the hottest hours of the day. It is also important to make sure that all doors and windows are tightly sealed to prevent air from getting out during cooling cycles. Additionally, they should think about using smart thermostats that can aid them in remembering to start and stop cooling at the best times of the day. This will allow homeowners to cut down on their energy consumption without worrying about forgetting to turn off or on the system.