Energy Efficient Cooling and Air Conditioning Tips
Air cooling and conditioning is one of the most significant inventions of modern history. They made summer movie blockbusters possible and also helped boost production for wartime supplies and airplanes.
However cooling places a significant strain on electricity systems and creates massive amounts of pollution. This particular IEA report aims to raise awareness of the impact of this demand, and provides solutions.
Energy Efficiency
Energy efficiency is one of the most important factors to consider when choosing a new cooling system. Upgrading to an efficient air conditioner will help you save on expenses for energy and reduce the environmental impact. Air conditioners are rated with several different energy efficiency ratings, such as 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 find the SEER rating of a system on its yellow Energy Guide label or by searching for “SEER ratings” on the internet.
If you are in the market for an air conditioner that is new pick one with an excellent rating. This rating shows how well the unit performs under normal conditions in a given season. If you’re replacing a model that’s older with a higher SEER rating will significantly reduce your energy consumption and costs.
Air conditioning systems can be affected by other factors too. A high humidity indoors, a insufficient maintenance and leaks in ducts, for example, can all make your system perform more efficiently and consume more energy. Regular maintenance and sealing of leaks in the ducts are a simple way to improve the efficiency of your system.
Large commercial cooling systems have their own energy efficiency considerations also. They typically make use of the combination of split or packaged compressors with huge pipes to distribute cooling throughout the building. These systems could also incorporate steam systems that require special maintenance to keep the pipes from getting blocked.
Additionally to that, many of these huge systems are controlled by something called a Building Automation System (BAS), which integrates all cooling and heating systems within the building into a single system. Verde has assisted clients in optimizing the performance of these systems with simple retrocommissioning recommendations that typically have quick paybacks and incentives for their implementation.
The global effort to curb the effects of climate change is heavily dependent on the efficiency of energy used in cooling and air conditioning. In the end, we must ensure that manufacturers bring super-efficient cooling devices to market, and that consumers want them. In the meantime we can take additional steps to reduce our energy consumption and greenhouse gases emissions.
Indoor Air Quality
Indoor air quality is a major health risk for those who spend a substantial portion of their lives in buildings. There are numerous ways to improve IAQ and avoid common ailments like asthma, allergies fatigue, asthma, etc.
Particulate matter (PM), volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and carbon dioxide are the three most frequent sources for pollution in modern homes and offices. 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.
A high level of moisture may also have a negative effect on air quality. The humid air encourages the growth of mildew and mold which can cause respiratory issues. To prevent these issues it is crucial to keep an eye on humidity levels and keep the moisture at a low level. This can be achieved by regularly cleaning and vacuuming, washing bedding, soft furnishings and using a humidifier or dehumidifier using a humidity gauge.
In addition to the obvious health benefits of improving IAQ, it can also increase the comfort in your home. For instance, a home with high air pollutants can turn musty and odor unpleasant. It can also cause irritation to the eyes, itchy skin and a snoring feeling. Installing an air purifier and keeping 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.
Poor air quality can cause headaches, difficulty concentrating, and a general unwellness. The symptoms can resolve when you leave the room however, prolonged exposure to poor quality air can worsen existing health conditions or even trigger serious illness.
The most important factor that influences IAQ is the speed of fresh air replacing old air, a process that is known as ventilation. This is affected by the weather, occupancy rate of the room and the design. There are a few easy methods to improve IAQ. This can be done by introducing plants in the home, opening the windows and doors whenever possible, and ensuring that the HVAC system is operating correctly. If you’re looking to go one step further, we suggest that you speak with a Comfort Specialist regarding an indoor air quality assessment.
Smoke Pollution
Heat pumps and central air conditioning systems are excellent in removing biological pollutants like molds, bacteria pollen, pet dander and mold. However, they do not remove smoke particles. The microscopic particles in wildfire smoke are very dangerous, and they can easily get into your eyes, nose and throat, which can cause symptoms like burning eyes or itchy eyes, congestion, runny nose, and coughing. They can also cause irritation to your lungs and cause worsening of lung and heart conditions that are chronic. Smoke particles can trigger a range of health issues such as bronchitis and aggravation of asthma.
The smoke blanketing New York City this week was caused by forest fires in Canada, and it is causing hazardous air quality conditions throughout much of the northern US and southern Canada. The thick smoky haze decreases visibility and causes breathing problems for those who must be outdoors.
Unfortunately there is no way to completely prevent smoky air from entering your home or business through doors and windows particularly older homes with lots of drafts and cracks. However, you can make steps to limit the amount of smoke entering your home or business.
Close all doors and windows when it’s smokey. This can cut the amount of smoke by 30 percent. If you can, place damp towels around the door frames and cracks to stop the flow of smoke into your business or home.
If your HVAC system has the recirculation feature, make sure to turn it off during smoky conditions. This will allow the system to expel the smoke directly outside instead of the air being recirculated inside. If your building has ducts connecting to areas where contaminants are likely to be high, such as parking garages or loading docks You should make sure that the ducts are separated from the rest of.
The EPA suggests that you change your HVAC filters more often during smokey conditions in order to ensure that they are removing contaminants from indoor air. Select a filter with the minimum reporting value (MERV) that is 13 or more. These filters are designed to remove gaseous air pollution and smoke.
Supercooling
In recent years, supercooling has been an increasingly popular method of reducing energy consumption. It’s based on the idea that electricity doesn’t cost the same amount at any time of the day. In fact, many energy companies offer “time-of-use” plans that offer different rates for off-peak and peak times. Supercooling lets homeowners pre-cool their homes during off-peak hours, so they don’t have to use their air conditioners during the high-cost summer peak times.
This requires a thermostat that can be adjusted automatically. However even with this, homeowners should be sure to study their electric consumption patterns and decide when it’s most cost-effective to run their air conditioning. Many homeowners save around 25% or more off their energy bills by using 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 more hours. This cools the home’s walls as well as floors, furniture and fixtures as well as the inside air. When the energy costs are at their peak the homeowner, he or she will turn the air conditioning up and then leave it running until the next time it is turned off.
This strategy is effective because cooling doesn’t just mean making the air inside the home cooler. It is essential to stop heat from getting into your home through windows, doors and other leaky areas. It’s important that homeowners double-check their home’s insulation and insulate any drafty or leaky areas. Also, they should consider using blinds to block out sun particularly in areas that get bright direct sunlight during the hottest hours of the day. Additionally, they should make sure that all windows and doors are tightly sealed to stop air from escaping during cooling cycles. They should also think about using smart thermostats to help them remember when to begin and stop cooling. This helps homeowners cut their energy consumption without worrying about forgetting when to turn on or off the system.