Our current heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) application is a critical concern for our environment. HVAC systems are one of the largest contributors to pollution and greenhouse gases, consuming exceptionally high levels of electricity and fossil fuels. One can see indications of the extent of the strain that HVAC systems place on our energy resources in the rolling blackouts and blackouts in the state of California in the early 2000s, which were caused primarily by demand electricity from air conditioning units. Additionally, central heating accounts for 69% of natural gas use in the United States. Fortunately, there are, however, several excitingly innovative, energy efficient, and environmentally friendly HVAC options available to consumers looking to lower their energy bill and help save our natural resources.
One of the functions of air conditioning units is to filter water vapor from indoor air. Before discharging the water vapor, the most efficient air conditioning units use liquid water as a refrigerant to keep the unit at a safe operating temperature. In some high-efficiency, environmentally friendly air conditioning units, instead of disposing of the refrigerant after use, the unit is equipped to condense this moisture and redirect it back into the system as chilled water so it can be reused, creating a water vapor-refrigerant cycle. .
Systems with programmable thermostats have been available for quite some time. These thermostats are becoming more sophisticated with more features and options to fit a variety of lifestyles and air handling needs. The advantage of these systems is that you can set your thermostat to heat, condition or ventilate the air as needed. Treating air on demand is one of the easiest ways to dramatically reduce your energy bills. In fact, this savings potential was in large part the initial reason for developing programmable thermostats; the low environmental impact is just a fairly recent (albeit genuine) hype point.
Another form of necessity-only air treatment is OPC (off-peak) cooling systems, which use refrigerant-filled coils to cool water well below freezing during off-peak hours. low demand, to store this ice in this condition and then use the ice to remove thermal energy from the hot indoor air during the day.
To get heat from outside air, many air conditioning units are capable of reversing the air conditioning process. This form of heating is achieved through a heat pump. These types of air conditioning units are often called reverse cycle air conditioners. Reverse cycle air conditioning systems tend to be more economical and practical, and when used during the winter months for heating, these systems are much more energy efficient and environmentally sustainable than standard HVAC systems.
Freon is the most common refrigerant used in HVAC systems. Freon was developed by DuPont and is scientifically known as a chlorofluorocarbon (CFC), with a subclass known as a hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC). CFCs and HCFCs have been unequivocally shown to contribute directly to ozone depletion. Simpler compounds with similar thermodynamic properties that do not contribute to ozone depletion have been developed as environmentally safe alternatives to CFCs. Both the Montreal Protocol and the Kyoto Protocol have established guidelines against the use of CFCs. The European Union has already begun a CFC phase-out, and after extreme resistance, the United States signed an agreement to phase out CFCs by 2020. This agreement means that CFC-free HVAC systems will likely become a code standard in a near future. and buildings with HVAC systems containing CFCs will no longer pass building inspection.
With all the developments in HVAC systems that save money and protect the environment, and the changing regulations and building codes that these innovations have spawned, it’s probably time you evaluated your HVAC system and consider making some upgrades. When you see an HVAC specialist, ask about the efficiency ratings of different systems, some HVAC systems have seasonal efficiency ratings as high as 12 and general efficiency ratings as high as 11, which could save at least a quarter of the cost of its total annual energy. bills. Monetarily, that’s like skipping energy bills for three months out of the year.