HVAC, humidity controls, and other climate control systems are necessary for nearly all homes. For example, an Energy Star product is designed to efficiently heat or cool a 2,000-square-foot space with or without ductwork.
An HVAC system can either be energy efficient or not, meaning the equipment, software, or resources it uses can either require less energy to work well or not. An Energy Star label is one of the most common symbols used to represent whether a system is energy efficient or not.
- What do these labels mean?
- Why should you look for them?
- Are there ways to determine an HVAC system without an Energy Star label is still energy efficient and suitable for your needs?
The answers to these questions depend on how energy efficient and green your needs are.
Energy Consumption
Energy can not be created or destroyed but can be converted from one form to another. This is what the First Law of Thermodynamics states. Pause to think about where the energy comes from powering lights, alarm clocks, coffee pots, vacuum cleaners, toaster ovens, and so forth.
Domestic and electric are the two types of energy consumption.
- Domestic consumption is the energy used in household appliances.
- Electric consumption is the energy used by electricity.
We must do our own best to reduce energy consumption. Energy efficiency is an important way of doing our part. The more energy efficient we are, the less money we spend! Plus, it improves the economy by creating jobs, spurs innovation, and saves the country billions of dollars. In addition, with energy efficiency, we conserve our limited natural resources and reduce pollution.
For homeowners, it’s a great way to keep the cold air from the air conditioner escaping into the heat of the summer; or keep the heat inside during the cold winter.
Highly-Efficient HVAC
Highly-efficient HVAC units can reduce your energy bill by 40%. “High-efficiency” means the ability to do something without wasting energy, time, or materials.
All energy-efficient HVAC units are sold with an energy guide label nowadays. HVAC units have come a long way with many advancements, such as all the new safety features on the units.
There are many different HVAC units available for you to choose from.
Some offer features like:
- dual compressors
- speed blower
- controls to control humidity
When you buy a unit, you’ll need to decide how big of the one you’ll need and how many controls you’ll actually use. For example, an oversized air conditioner unit won’t dispute air evenly and will not save energy or money.
Measurable Energy Output
Air conditioner units have a Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio, known as a SEER rating. SEER is the measurement of how much energy and how much money is spent to run the HVAC air conditioner. One watt of energy produces an average of thirteen British Thermal Units (BTU rating) of cooling. There’s a SEER minimum to which manufacturers today must abide, and that’s thirteen BTUs.
Pros And Cons
High-efficiency HVAC equipment saves money with your local utility company and helps the environment. The upfront cost seems high, but not when weighing the cost of energy savings over a lifetime by upgrading your unit. Plus, when you buy an energy-efficient HVAC unit, you qualify for a federal tax credit, and you get instant rebates.
Upgrading your unit to save you money and help save on energy should be a no-brainer; we all need to do our part. Since installation is tough, trust the pros at The Cooling Company to install a unit for you.
How to Achieve More Energy Efficient HVAC
There are several ways to achieve more energy-efficient HVAC.
Here are some examples:
- Use programmable thermostats to control when your heating and cooling systems turn on and off. This will help you save money on utility bills and reduce your carbon footprint.
- Install solar panels on your roof so that you can generate some of your own electricity. You’ll reduce your overall energy use, and you may even be able to sell extra power back to the grid!
- Install double-pane windows in your home so that fewer heat escapes in winter and less cool air escapes the home during summer.
What Makes an HVAC System Energy Efficient?
When looking for an HVAC system, it’s important to consider energy efficiency. Energy-efficient HVAC systems use less energy and therefore cost less to run.
It makes an HVAC system energy efficient to heat or cools the air without using much electricity. Some systems require more electricity than others to heat or cool a space. When you buy an HVAC system, you want one that will use as little electricity as possible while providing adequate heating and cooling.
Another way that an HVAC system can be energy efficient is by not requiring much maintenance over time. A good way to tell if an HVAC system will require lots of maintenance down the road is by looking at its warranty. If it has a long warranty, then there’s a good chance it won’t need repairs for quite some time after installation.
The Best Option for the Most Energy Efficient HVAC?
Choosing the most energy-efficient HVAC is not always as simple as it may seem. There are many factors to consider. Each is important in determining how much energy your new HVAC will use.
Before you begin your search, you should know a few things about how an HVAC works and what makes it ” energy efficient.”
First, you need to understand there are two types of HVACs:
- air conditioners
- heat pumps
An air conditioner cools a room by removing heat from the inside and transferring that heat outside. A heat pump does the opposite. It heats a room by transferring heat from outside air into the space being heated.
Next, you need to know the different ways to measure energy efficiency. The most common way is with a star rating system, SEER. The higher the number of stars on an air conditioner or heat pump, the most efficient the air conditioner is. For example, if you choose an air conditioner with a SEER rating of 12 or higher, it means that every dollar spent on electricity annually will save you 12 cents.
Compared to using an older model rated at 10 SEER or less, you can see the savings over time.
The Most Energy Efficient HVAC Systems
The most energy-efficient HVAC systems are those that are the most connected to your home’s overall energy efficiency. They have smart capabilities like being able to detect when you’re home or away and adjust their settings accordingly. They also have smart controls that let you use your phone or tablet to adjust your home’s temperature, even if you’re out of town.
It’s a good idea to get an HVAC system that will be energy efficient and to have it installed by a professional. They will make sure you choose one that meets all of your needs.
Lennox is a great product when compared to others. Lennox is a leader in the HVAC industry and has been for more than 80 years. They offer a wide variety of products, including furnaces, air conditioners, heat pumps, and more. Lennox’s products are available through their network of independent dealers, so you can find one in your area.
All of their products have been designed to be energy efficient. This is great news for anyone looking to save money on their monthly electric bill or reduce their long-term carbon footprint.
If you’re looking to improve the efficiency of your heating or cooling system, you’ll want to consider Lennox. Their products are designed with energy efficiency and are guaranteed to save money on your monthly utility bills.
How Do I Know if I Have an Energy Efficient HVAC?
It’s easy to know if you have an energy-efficient HVAC system; just look at your electricity bill! If you’ve noticed a significant drop in your monthly electricity bill, you’ve got an efficient HVAC!
If you want an energy-efficient HVAC, it’s important to know what to look for. You can tell if your current HVAC is efficient by checking the SEER rating outside the unit. The higher the number, the more energy efficient it is. For example, a 20 SEER system will use 20% less energy than a 13 SEER system.
If you want to find out more about how much energy your current HVAC uses, contact a local contractor who can help you figure out what size and type of system you need.
What Is Considered an Energy Efficient HVAC?
The first step in choosing an energy-efficient HVAC system is understanding what constitutes an energy-efficient system. The best ways to compare systems are by their Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) and Heating Seasonal Performance Factor (HSPF) ratings. Both are on the unit’s rating label. When researching a newer system, make sure you know what these two measures mean.
- The SEER rating refers to how efficient a system is at cooling your home. The higher the number, the more efficient it is.
- The HSPF rating indicates how well your heating and cooling system will perform over the course of one year. HSPF is calculated by taking the total heating required during the heating season in British Thermal Units (BTU rating), and dividing it by the total electricity consumed during the same period.
An energy-efficient HVAC is one that uses less energy than a conventional HVAC. The EPA defines an energy-efficient HVAC as at least 30% more energy efficient than a standard model. It uses no more than 2,000 BTUs per hour to operate while still providing the same temperature, humidity, and air quality as a conventional model.
These few degrees Fahrenheit in temperature change will significantly reduce the difference between indoor and outdoor temperatures.
By having an energy-efficient HVAC system, you will save money on your utility bills and do your part to reduce greenhouse gas emissions contributing to climate change and global warming.
How to Read an Air Conditioner’s EnergyGuide Label
Reading an air conditioner’s EnergyGuide label is easy! First, you’ll want to look on the back of your air conditioner and find the EnergyGuide label. It will be near the unit’s serial number and may have been covered by some packaging. Next, look at the label to see what cooling system your air conditioner uses: air-cooled or evaporative. This will help you determine how much energy your unit uses.
If you have a heat pump, check out its efficiency and cooling efficiency ratings. These numbers may differ depending on whether your unit is used in heating or cooling mode. Also, remember some units may be more efficient than others even if they don’t meet the minimum requirements for EnergyGuide labeling. This is because manufacturers can choose their testing methodologies for determining efficiency ratings. Those methods can vary widely.
Now, look at the “cooling” section of the label. You’ll see a bold number representing how much energy it will use per hour.
Next, look at the “efficiency” section of the label. You’ll see a number in bold that represents how efficient this model is compared to similar models. The higher this number is, the more efficient it is; it will cost you less money in the long run!
Finally, look at the “heating” section of the label if you plan on using your air conditioner for heating and cooling purposes. You’ll see a number in bold that represents how much energy it will use per hour when used for heating purposes only.
Annual Operating Cost: This number tells you how much your unit costs to run each year based on a national average of electricity prices (at 11 cents per kilowatt hour). According to the U.S. Department of Energy, if you live where electricity is cheaper, this number will be lower for you and, in many cases, lower than your current bill!
Estimated Yearly Energy Cost:
This number shows how much it would cost for your unit to operate for an entire year at an average electric rate in your area (11 cents per kilowatt hour).
In addition, you can find information about how quickly heat will be distributed throughout your home and how much space can be heated with each unit of energy usage.
To read an EnergyGuide label tonnage rating, simply look at the topmost number. This tells you how many tons of cooling your AC can provide. The higher this number, the more cooling power your unit has. For example, if your AC is rated at 4 tons, it can cool spaces up to 1,000 square feet in size. This helps you determine the right unit size to cool your entire house.
The next number is the SEER rating. This stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio and tells you how efficiently your AC converts electricity into cooling power. The higher this number is, the more efficient your unit will be over time!
The bottom two numbers represent annual operating costs:
- one per hour
- one per day
The EnergyGuide label on the back of your air conditioner is arguably one of the most important parts of your equipment. It helps you save money and energy by letting you know how much it costs to operate, how much power it uses, and what kind of energy efficiency rating it has.
We Can Help You Achieve More Energy-Efficient HVAC
The Cooling Company is here to help you choose the most energy efficient HVAC system for your home or commercial buildings. We offer services that allow you to select a system that meets your needs and helps you save money on energy costs.
