Control The High Cost Of Summer Comfort
It's summer. The mercury is rising. But the sweat really starts forming when the utility bill arrives. Energy costs are soaring!
Expensive energy means expensive air conditioning. Just in time for another hot summer. There are things you can do to control the high cost of comfort.
1. Control Your Thermostat Setting
Raising your thermostat setting a degree or two really does make a difference in your air conditioning usage. While it varies based on your air conditioner efficiency, the temperature, and humidity levels, you can generally expect a savings of 10% to 15% from raising your thermostat two degrees.
Of course, it goes without saying that you should set back your thermostat when no one's home. If you have trouble remembering to set your thermostat back, invest in a programmable thermostat and forget about it.
2. Control Your Fans
Air movement helps you feel cooler by aiding in the evaporation of perspiration. Ceiling and floor fans can give the sensation of comfort at a higher thermostat setting. But operating fans when you are not in the room uses energy for no benefit and adds heat from the fan motor. It's more important to turn fans off than lights when leaving a room.
3. Control Your Heat Sources
Lights, appliances, cooking, and consumer electronics add heat. Turn lights off when not in use and replace old incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescents. Compact fluorescents use less energy and generate less heat.
A lot of appliances continue to draw low levels of power when off or in standby mode. This costs money and adds heat. A decade ago, a Lawrence Berkeley Labs study estimated that Americans waste a $1 billion from standby energy loss alone. You may not mind the heat gain and energy loss from a DVR, set to record you favorite TV show or sports program, but there's no reason for many electronic products to remain in standby mode. Plug them into power strips that can be switched off.
Cooking is another significant heat source. Move it outdoors in the summer by using a backyard grill whenever possible. When it's not possible, try to use a toaster over rather than a full size oven.
4. Control Your Air Conditioner
One of the single most important things you can do to reduce your energy usage while improving comfort is to get annual air conditioning service. An air conditioner precision tune-up has been documented in utility research studies to save more than it costs with summer operation alone. Plus, it prevents breakdowns, restores lost capacity, extends equipment life, and keeps you in compliance with manufacturer warranty requirements.
Sooner or later, you will replace your air conditioner. The average life for an air conditioner is 15 years. For a heat pump, it's less, around 12 years. If your system is closing in on, or past the average, it might be worth considering a replacement now. Air conditioners are 30% more efficient than three years ago. Depending on the age and condition of your existing system, it's entirely possible that we can cut your air conditioning usage in half! While your neighbors are getting hammered with the highest summer utility bills in history, you'll pay less!
Plus, we can improve the air quality (great for pet owners and allergy and asthma sufferers). We can even add room by room zoning. New cars allow passengers to control air conditioning separate from the driver. Shouldn't you do the same in your home? Call us today.
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Freon®
is Going,Going, (Almost) Gone
After 2009, production of air conditioners using Freon® will cease.
Freon® is the trade name DuPontTM uses for Refrigerant 22, or R-22. For decades, R-22 has been the primary refrigerant used in residential air conditioners. R-22 is a hydrochlorofluorocarbon. If you think that's a mouthful, others agree. We abbreviate it as HCFC.
HCFCs use chlorine, which has been ruled by the Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer as a threat to the ozone layer. Thus, the primary refrigerant we've relied upon for residential air conditioning over the last 50 years is disappearing. Fortunately, there is a replacement.
R-410a has emerged as the refrigerant of choice for the future. It is not a direct substitute with R-22. The chemicals and oils are incompatible. Replacing an R-22 air conditioner with an R-410a air conditioner requires a full replacement of all components. Of course, with last year's 30% increase in minimum air conditioner efficiency, any old system requires a replacement of all components, including those found inside and outside the home.
There are 5 major differences between the new refrigerant R-410a) and the old one (R-22). They are:
1. Ozone Depletion Potential
R-410a carries zero ozone depletion potential, though it is considered a greenhouse gas by the Kyoto Protocol. It still must be handled carefully, by EPA certified technicians, like those Heritage Aire employs to ensure it is not released into the atmosphere.
2. Higher Operating Pressures
R-410a operates at pressures 50% higher than R-22. For some installers this might be problematic. It necessitates better quality, higher strength welds. Heritage Aire has been installing R-410a systems for several years now. We actively train personnel on better techniques.
3. Sturdier Construction
According to Honeywell, "air-conditioners that use R-410A are designed to be heavier-duty, with a thicker compressor shell. Usually this results in smaller, sturdier pieces of equipment that vibrate less, putting less strain on the piping connections that are the source of most leaks."
4. Availability
R-22 is being phased out and eliminated. After 2009, it can be produced in limited quantities for servicing existing equipment. A decade later, any R-22 used for servicing equipment will come from recycled stock.
5. Price
Today, R-410a costs more than R-22. That will change. As more chemical plants begin producing R-410a, its price will drop. Meanwhile, R-22 will inevitably increase in price as production ramps down.
Replace With R-410a
Even though the production of R-22 air conditioners is permissible for two more years, it makes sense to replace your old air conditioner with one using R-410a as long as you use a quality company like Heritage Aire to design and install the replacement system.
R-410a systems are easier on the environment. Their construction is sturdier. Availability of the refrigerant is increasing, not shrinking. Price of the refrigerant is falling, not rising.
Now that manufacturers have absorbed the impact of the minimum efficiency increase, it's a great time to replace your old air conditioner with a new, environmentally friendly, R-410a system. |
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How Cap & Trade Will Affect Electricity Prices
A carbon cap & trade system is coming, if not this year, then next. It's already in place in Europe and is being debated in Canada and the United States. And it will affect electricity prices.
If you're not familiar with cap & trade, it's essentially a rationing system. Limits are set on carbon dioxide emissions by power plants and industry. Emit less than your cap and you can sell the difference to one who emits more. The government will also sell permits for those who exceed the caps, which is a nice way of saying, "carbon tax."
Over time, the allowable emissions are lowered. Industry may relocate but utilities cannot. They will scramble to cut carbon emissions.
One of the easy ways for utilities to cut emissions is to reduce coal generation and increase natural gas generation. The problem is this also increases costs.
Utilities can also introduce cleaner coal technologies. This also increases costs.
The net is electricity prices are guaranteed to soar. The U.S. EPA projects electricity prices will rise 44% under cap & trade. The National Association of Manufacturers says that's optimistic and project an increase between 77% and 129%. You read it right. Electricity prices could double!
Cap & trade is coming. You will pay more, without even accounting for higher oil prices. The best way to protect yourself is by cutting your home energy use, and the low hanging fruit is replacing your old air conditioner with a modern high efficiency model.
©2009 Heritage Aire Corporation | | |
