Energy Efficient Cooling and Air Conditioning Tips
Air conditioning and cooling are one of the most important inventions of the past century. They were instrumental in making wartime and summer blockbusters and other supplies possible.
Cooling, however, places an enormous strain on the power system and creates huge amounts of pollution. This particular IEA report raises awareness about the effects of this demand and offers solutions.
Energy Efficiency
Efficiency in energy is one of the most important aspects when selecting a new cooling system. Making the switch to a more efficient air cooling system will lower your expenses for energy and reduce environmental impacts. The energy efficiency of air conditioners is rated in several ways such as SEER and EER. These ratings show how much a unit is able to cool in 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.
If you are in the market for a new air conditioner pick one with an A+ rating. This rating reveals how efficiently the unit can perform during the course of a season in normal conditions. A higher SEER rating will reduce your energy consumption and costs in the event that you replace an older model.
Air conditioning systems can be affected by other factors as well. High indoor humidity, the absence of maintenance and leaks in ducts, for instance, could all cause your system to work harder and consume additional energy. Maintaining your system with regular maintenance and sealing leaks from ducts are simple steps to increase your system’s energy efficiency.
Commercial cooling systems are also subject to energy efficiency concerns. These systems use a combination split- or packaged compressors, as well as huge pipe networks to distribute cooling throughout the building. They may also incorporate steam systems that require special maintenance to prevent the pipes from becoming blocked.
A lot of these huge systems can also be controlled with a Building Automation System, which connects the cooling and heating systems into one centralized system. Verde has helped optimize the performance of these systems by providing retrocommissioning recommendations that provide quick paybacks.
Energy efficiency in air conditioning and cooling is a key element of global efforts to mitigate climate change. We need to ensure that cooling equipment is efficient and that consumers are demanding them. In the meantime, there are other steps we can take to help cut our energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
Indoor Air Quality
A lot of people spend the majority of their lives in buildings, and these structures could pose significant health threats when the indoor air quality is poor. There are a variety of ways to improve IAQ and avoid common ailments like asthma, allergies fatigue, allergies, etc.
Particulate matter (PM) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and carbon dioxide are the three main sources for pollution in modern workplaces and homes. These pollutants are released into the air due to many different activities, like cooking, cleaning, or smoking cigarettes, and can cause respiratory problems as well as allergic reactions.
The high levels of humidity can also cause destruction on the air quality. Mold and mildew can grow in moist air, which can cause respiratory problems. Monitoring humidity and keeping the humidity low is essential to avoid these issues. The best way to accomplish this is to regularly dust and vacuuming, cleaning furniture and bedding and using an air dehumidifier and humidifier if needed based on the readings of a hygrometer.
In addition to the obvious health benefits of improving IAQ in your home, it can increase the comfort in your home. For instance, a home with a lot of air pollution can turn musty and odor unpleasant. It can also trigger itchy skin, irritated eyes and a feeling of suffocation. Installing an air purifier and keeping the HVAC system can help to prevent these issues. Also, make sure that you open your windows and doors for ventilation when needed.
Poor air quality can lead to headaches, concentration problems, and a general unwellness. These symptoms may improve after leaving the area, but prolonged exposure to poor quality air can worsen existing health conditions or even trigger serious illness.
Ventilation is the most important factor that affects IAQ. This can be affected by the weather, the room occupancy rate, and the design. But, a few simple steps can be taken to improve IAQ, including introducing plants into the house opening up windows and doors whenever possible and ensuring that the HVAC system is working correctly. If you’re looking to go one step further, we recommend that you speak with a Comfort Specialist regarding an assessment of indoor air quality.
Smoke Pollution
Central air conditioning systems are excellent at removing biological pollutants such as bacteria, molds pollen, pet dander, and mold. However they cannot remove smoke particles. The tiny particles that make up smoke from wildfires are extremely dangerous and easily get into your eyes, nose and throat, which can cause symptoms like burning or itchy eyes congestion, a runny nose and coughing. They can also irritate the lungs and cause worsening of heart and lung conditions that are chronic. The invisible fine particles in smoke can clog your lung, triggering a myriad of health effects such as worsened asthma, bronchitis and damage to your lung and heart.
The smoke blanketing New York City this week is the result of forest fires in Canada, and it is causing hazardous air quality conditions throughout 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 block smoke from entering your home or business through windows and doors, especially older homes with many cracks and drafts. You can take steps to lessen the amount of smoke that enters your home or business.
Close all windows and doors when it’s smoky. This will reduce the amount of smoky air by 30 percent. Place damp towels in the cracks around door frames and in the corners to stop the flow of smoky air.
If your HVAC system is in a recirculation mode, be sure to turn off the recirculation mode during smoke conditions. This will allow your HVAC to expel the smokey indoor air outside, rather than the air being recirculated. If your building has ducts that connect 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 recommends that you change your HVAC filters more often during smokey conditions in order to ensure that they are removing toxins from indoor air. Choose a filter with a minimum efficiency report value (MERV) of 13 or greater, as these filters are designed to eliminate gases and smoke pollutants.
Supercooling
In recent years, supercooling has become an energy-saving method that is popular. It’s based on the notion that electricity costs different amounts at different times of the day. The majority of power companies offer “time of use” plans that have different rates for off-peak and peak times. Supercooling allows homeowners to pre-cool their homes in off-peak hours so they don’t have to run their air conditioners during the high-cost summer peak hours.
This method requires an automated thermostat that can be programmed. Even so, homeowners still need to examine their usage patterns for electricity to determine the time when their air conditioner is most cost-effective. Many people save about 25% or more off their energy bills by using this method.
To cool the house homeowners should set their air conditioner at lower temperatures the next morning and then keep it there for a few more hours. This cools down the floors, walls furniture, fixtures and furniture of the house as well as the air inside. When peak energy costs hit homeowners, they turn up the temperature and then leave it running until the next time it’s turned off.
This strategy is successful since cooling doesn’t just refer to making the air inside the home cooler. It is essential to stop heat from getting into your home through your windows, doors and other leaky areas. This is why homeowners must ensure that their homes are properly insulated and make sure to insulate any drafty or leaky areas. They should also use window covers to block out the sun, particularly in areas that get direct sunlight during the hottest parts of the day. Also it is important to ensure that all windows and doors are sealed tightly to prevent air from escape during cooling cycles. Also, they should consider using smart thermostats to aid them in remembering 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 when to turn off or on the system.