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. GOING
GREEN
Every
time you turn on the lights, open the refrigerator, turn on
the heat, or take a ride in the car, you are using energy...
electricity, gasoline, and natural gas. One big way to help
save energy is to cut down on the use of it.
The
greenest method of cooling your home involves creative home design.
According to the Rocky Mountain Institute, about 50 percent of all
electricity used in the United States during peak summer months is
devoted to powering air conditioners. So before you start your
search for a new, more efficient unit, consider the following simple
home improvements:
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Buy
a ceiling fan or window box fan.
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Close
your blinds and windows during peak sunlight/heat hours and open
your windows at night. Circulate cooler evening air into your
house using fans.
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Plant
shade trees or trellised vines on the western and eastern sides
of your home to reduce heat absorption.
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Use
energy-efficient landscaping to help cool your home's exterior.
Dense clusters of plants and bushes close to a home's exterior
walls have a greater cooling effect.
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Install
awnings and roof overhangs.
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Add
light-colored, textured or reflective roof and wall materials.
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Choose
energy-efficient indoor lighting and appliances to reduce the
amount of indoor waste heat produced by these devices.
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Seal
and caulk walls and windows to prevent cold-air leaks.
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Add
low-emittance (low-E) glazing to windows to prevent heat
transfer.
Air
Conditioners
What
To Look For
If
your current air conditioner is more than eight years old, it's time
for a new one. Over the life of the product, the amount you'll save
in energy bills will more than likely exceed the cost of the new
unit. An added bonus: for every kilowatt hour (kWh) of electricity
you save, you prevent the release of 1.34 lbs. of carbon dioxide
(CO2) from your power plant. Over a summer season, this could result
in a CO2 reduction of several hundred pounds.
The
following are basic criteria to use when choosing a new unit:
BTUs
The
cooling capacity of an air conditioner is measured in British
thermal units per hour (Btu/hr). To find the best BTUs needed to
cool your home, contact Corley Controls. They will make sure you get
the right size model for your needs. Choosing an air conditioner
that is either too large or too small creates an unnecessary energy
drain.
SEER
(Maximum)
Central
air conditioner efficiency is rated by its Seasonal
Energy-Efficiency Ratio (SEER). The federal SEER requirement is 13
or above, and Energy Star requires SEERs of 14 or above. Click
here to learn more about SEER.
ENERGY
STAR
Energy
Star is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy helping us all save money
and protect the environment through energy efficient products and
practices. The EPA's "Energy Star" ratings indicate that
an appliance is at least 10 percent more energy-efficient than the
minimum federal standards.
Results
are already adding up. Americans, with the help of ENERGY STAR,
saved enough energy in 2007 alone to avoid greenhouse gas
emissions equivalent to those from 27 million cars — all while
saving $16 billion on their utility bills.
For
the Home
Energy
efficient choices can save families about a third on their energy
bill with similar savings of greenhouse gas emissions, without
sacrificing features, style or comfort. ENERGY STAR helps you make
the energy efficient choice.
-
If
looking for new household products, look for ones that have
earned the ENERGY STAR. They meet strict energy efficiency
guidelines set by the EPA and US Department of Energy.
-
If
looking for a new home, look for one that has earned the
ENERGY STAR.
-
If
looking to make larger improvements to your home, EPA offers
tools and resources to help you plan and undertake projects to
reduce your energy bills and improve home comfort.
Shopping
Tips
Avoid
buying a used air conditioner or attempting to fix an older model.
Unless it is a fairly new unit, the upfront savings will end up
costing you more in higher energy bills, not to mention the negative
impact on the planet in the form of increased CO2 emissions.
If
you live in a very humid climate, look for models that are good at
removing moisture. Compare the rates of various energy-efficient
models to find the best one for your needs.
Installation
When
installing a central-air unit, hire a reliable contractor. Even the
most efficient model will perform poorly if not installed correctly.
Make sure your contractor calculates your required cooling capacity,
and be sure to negotiate a maintenance plan with him/her as part of
your contract. Check with your local Better Business Bureau and
consumer-affairs office to find out if there have been any major
complaints against a particular contractor before you sign, or
consult the Air Conditioning Contractors of America (www.acca.org)
to find a North American Technician Excellence (NATE) and Energy
Star-certified contractor.
Smart
Use Tips
After
you purchase a new unit, improve its efficiency by doing the
following:
-
Install
a programmable thermostat so you can better control usage.
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Set
the temperature relative to the temperature outside, rather than
to a temperature you think feels comfortable.
-
At
night, use your air conditioner's fan-only mode
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Use
the recirculate option instead of constantly cooling hot air
from outdoors.
-
Turn
the air conditioner off when you're out and close vents in
unused rooms.
-
Check
your filter every month, especially during the summer when usage
is high. Clean reusable filters, or replace disposable ones,
every three months, or whenever they look dirty.
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Have
the contractor do regular inspections to ensure that there are
no refrigerant or duct leaks, and clean the coils and drainage
system.
Environmental
Issues
Energy
Use
Though
air-conditioning increases comfort, in burning fossil fuels such as
coal to supply electricity to homes and workplaces, power plants
discharge clouds of soot and other pollutants into the atmosphere.
Among these are mercury-a brain-damaging metal that can cause
learning disabilities-and carbon dioxide (CO2), a greenhouse gas
that is a primary culprit in global climate change. For every
kilowatt-hour of electricity used in a home or elsewhere, power
plants release an average of 1.34 pounds of CO2 into the
environment! Air conditioner use in the U.S. results in about 100
million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from power plants
every year. Electricity generation from nuclear power plants poses a
health risk to surrounding communities and generates radioactive
waste. In addition to environmental costs, more than two-thirds of
all U.S. households have air conditioners, which cost homeowners
more than $10 billion each year in combined energy bills.
HCFCs
Formerly
used as cooling agents, ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
have been replaced by hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), which
deplete 95 percent less ozone. However, booming demand for air
conditioners in hot climates such as India and China has upped the
chemical's output in developing countries 20 to 35 percent each
year, causing damage at an alarming rate and possibly setting back
ozone recovery by 25 years. In industrial countries, HCFCs are being
replaced with ozone-safe cooling agents and will be banned in the
U.S. by 2010. But HCFCs will be allowed in developing countries
through 2040, and because they're still cheaper to install than
ozone-safe chemicals, production in developing countries is expected
to increase fivefold by 2010.
Disposal
Federal
law requires that HCFCs be recovered from air conditioners and other
appliances before they are dismantled for recycling or tossed in
landfills, and the EPA is authorized to impose fines of up to
$25,000 for failure to comply with regulations. Before discarding
your old unit, search for a company that is EPA-certified to recover
HCFCs.
Personal
Health
In
the midst of sweltering heat waves, air conditioning can be a
lifesaver, protecting against heat stroke and hyperthermia. But,
without proper maintenance, air conditioners can also be a health
hazard. Dirty filters can allow allergens, pesticides and other
particulate matter to enter your home from the outside, posing
threats to indoor air quality. Exposure to those pollutants can
trigger a host of health problems, including allergies and asthma
and eye, nose and throat irritation.
In
offices and schools, those symptoms signify "sick building
syndrome," caused by improperly ventilated air conditioning
systems, and health problems don't always disappear after an
extended period away from the building. Repeated bouts of air
conditioner fever, a particularly nasty form of sick building
syndrome, can result in pulmonary fibrosis, cough, fatigue and
weight loss and sometimes require hospitalization.
Ozone
depletion caused by HCFCs in the atmosphere also poses health risks.
The UN Environment Programme estimates that exposure to the
additional UV-B radiation resulting from 10 percent loss of global
ozone could lead to 300,000 additional cases of squamous cell cancer
and basal cell cancer and 4,500-9,000 additional cases of
potentially fatal melanoma worldwide each year. Increased exposure
to UV-B rays also poses a significant threat to animal and plant
life and consequently many of the earth's food chains.
Call
(704) 598-2677 today ...
to
have one of our professional technicians show you how we can
save you up to 40 percent on your cooling costs this summer!
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.click
here to schedule an appointment 
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