Energy Efficient Cooling and Air Conditioning Tips
Air conditioning and cooling are among the most important inventions of the past century. They made summer blockbusters possible and also helped boost production for wartime supplies and aircrafts.
Cooling, however puts enormous strain on the electricity system and generates massive amounts of pollution. This particular IEA Report aims to raise awareness of the effects and provides solutions.
Energy Efficiency
When selecting the right cooling system, energy efficiency is an important aspect. Making the switch to a more efficient air cooling system will lower your energy bills and reduce environmental impacts. Air conditioners are rated using a variety of energy efficiency ratings, including SEER, EER, and HSPF. These ratings show how much an air conditioner can cool using a specific amount of electricity. 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 you are looking for a new air conditioning system, look for one that has a high SEER rating. This rating reveals how efficiently the unit performs in normal conditions. A higher SEER rating could lower your energy costs and consumption if you are replacing an older model.
Other factors can impact the efficiency of air conditioning systems too. For example high levels of indoor humidity and a lack of maintenance and duct leaks could all make your system more efficient and use more energy. Maintaining your system with regular maintenance and sealing leaks from ducts are simple steps to increase the efficiency of your system.
Commercial cooling systems are also subject to energy efficiency concerns. They usually utilize an array of packaged or split compressors that have huge pipe networks to deliver cooling throughout the building. They might also have steam systems, which require specialized maintenance in order to prevent the pipes from becoming blocked.
Many of these large systems can also be controlled with a Building Automation System, which integrates the heating and cooling systems into one centralized system. Verde has helped optimize the efficiency of the systems by offering retrocommissioning recommendations that provide rapid paybacks.
Energy efficiency in air conditioning and cooling is a key component of global efforts to combat climate change. In the end, we have to ensure that manufacturers introduce super-efficient cooling equipment to market, and that consumers want these appliances. In the meantime, we can take other steps to reduce our energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
Indoor Air Quality
Indoor air quality is a serious health concern for many people who spend a large part of their time in buildings. Fortunately, there are a number of ways to improve IAQ and be a solution to common ailments like asthma or allergies, as well as fatigue.
Particulate matter (PM), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and carbon dioxide are the three main sources for pollution in modern homes and offices. These pollutants are released into the air due to various activities, like cooking, cleaning, or smoking, and they could lead to respiratory issues and allergic reactions.
The high levels of humidity can also cause havoc on air quality. The humid air encourages the growth of mold and mildew that can trigger respiratory issues. Monitoring humidity and keeping the moisture level low is key to preventing these issues. This can be accomplished by regularly vacuuming and dusting, washing bedding, soft furnishings and making use of a humidifier or dehumidifier that is based on the humidifier or hygrometer.
In addition to the obvious health benefits of improving IAQ in your home, it can improve the comfort of your home. A home with high levels of air pollutants such as radon, for instance, can smell musty. It can also cause irritation or itchy eyes and also a snoring sensation. Installing an air purifier as well as maintaining the HVAC system can help avoid these issues. Also, ensure that you open doors and windows for ventilation when needed.
The symptoms of poor air quality are varied and include headaches, difficulty concentrating, and even general malaise. Although these symptoms may resolve themselves after leaving a space, prolonged exposure to air pollution can worsen existing health issues and may lead to serious health issues.
Ventilation is the most important factor that affects IAQ. This can be influenced by the weather, room occupancy rates, and also the design of the structure. There are many ways to improve IAQ. These include introducing plants in the home, opening the windows and doors whenever possible, and making sure that the HVAC system is operating properly. For those who would prefer to take more of a thorough approach, it is suggested to consult a Comfort Specialist about an indoor air quality assessment.
Smoke Pollution
Heat pumps and central air conditioning systems are great in 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 cause symptoms such as burning or itchy eyes, congestion, runny nasal and coughing. They can also cause irritation to your lungs and exacerbate the severity of heart and lung problems. The invisible fine particles in smoke can clog your lungs, triggering a variety of health effects such as aggravated asthma, bronchitis, and damage to your lung and heart.
The smoke blanketing New York City this week was caused by forest fires in Canada, and it is causing dangerous air quality conditions across much of the northern US and southern Canada. The thick smoky fog can reduce visibility, and can cause respiratory distress for anyone who has to be outside.
Unfortunately there is no way to completely stop smoke from entering your business or home through doors and windows especially older houses with a lot of drafts and cracks. However, you can make steps to limit the amount of smoke that enters your building.
Keep all doors and windows shut when it’s smokey outside. This will reduce the amount of smoky outside air by 30 percent. Place wet towels in the cracks of door frames and around them to stop the flow of smoky ai.
If your HVAC system is in the recirculation feature, make sure to switch off when you are in a smokey environment. This will allow your HVAC to expel the smokey indoor air, rather than returning it. If your building has ducts connecting to areas where contamination is likely to be high, for instance parking garages or loading docks, you should ensure that these ducts are isolated from the rest of.
The EPA suggests changing your HVAC filters much more often during times of smoke to ensure they’re effectively removing the toxins from the air inside. Select a filter with an efficiency reporting value (MERV) of 13 or higher, as these filters are specially designed to remove smoke and other gaseous air pollutants.
Supercooling
Supercooling is an energy-saving trend that’s become increasingly popular in recent years. It’s based on the idea that electricity isn’t priced the same amount at any given time of the day. In fact, many electricity companies offer “time-of-use” plans that provide different peak and off-peak rates. Supercooling allows homeowners to pre-cool their homes during off-peak times so that they don’t have to run their air conditioners during high-cost summer peak times.
This method requires an automated thermostat that can be programmed. Even so homeowners must be aware of their usage patterns for electricity to determine when their air conditioner will be the most efficient. This method could save you as much as 25% on your energy bills.
To supercool the home homeowners should set their AC at a lower temperature the next morning and keep it there for a few hours. This cools the home’s walls, floors, furnishings and fixtures as well as the inside air. When peak energy-cost hours hit the homeowner, he or she turns the air conditioning up and leaves it running until it shuts off for a few hours.
This strategy works because cooling isn’t only about keeping the air inside the home cool. It is essential to stop heat from getting into your home through windows, doors and other leaky areas. It is crucial that homeowners double-check the insulation of their home and cover any drafty or leaky areas. Also, they should consider using window coverings to block sun light particularly those that receive bright direct sunlight during the hottest times of the daytime. Additionally, they should make sure that all doors and windows are sealed tightly to prevent air from escape during cooling cycles. They should also think about using smart thermostats to help them remember when to begin and stop cooling. This allows homeowners to reduce their energy costs without worrying about forgetting when to turn on or off the system.