Tag: <span>energy saving</span>

[ad_1]

Energy efficient house designs can be generated using thermal performance assessment techniques. Building thermal performance is the assessment or rating of a building’s ability to create internal conditions that are comfortable for the occupants, with a minimum of mechanical input. Mechanical input refers to the consumption of energy by heating or cooling appliances. Energy efficiency refers to the effectiveness of a building’s ability to influence, control and facilitate user control over the movement of heat energy within a building and between the building and its surroundings.

The most important attribute of a building in relation to its energy efficiency is the building envelope, which refers to the exterior fabric of the building. The movement of heat energy within a building has a less important affect. Residential thermal performance refers to the energy efficiency of a residential building (generally single dwelling houses and multi-dwelling apartments).

A number of factors affect the energy efficiency of house designs, including:

* climate and wind

* location, landform, vegetation and environment

* building orientation, form and design

* materials used and how they are employed

* occupancy and occupant behaviour

An energy efficient house stays naturally cool in summer and warm in winter. The house will be even more comfortable if the occupants perform simple operations and management tasks. This allows the occupants to maintain comfortable conditions in their home, without the excessive use of heaters and air conditioners. Accordingly, this reduces the mechanical input required and reduces the energy consumption of the building. Reducing energy consumption means less burning of fossil fuels, less carbon emissions and less general pollution generated by the building. That is, high residential thermal performance gives the occupants the opportunity to have a healthier and more comfortable home that costs less to heat and cool and also reduces the impact of energy consumption on our environment.

The Star rating system in Australia rates the thermal performance of a building on a scale of 1 to 10. A 10 Star house would be one in which no energy is required to be consumed in order to maintain comfortable conditions for the occupants. Theoretically a 10 Star house is possible, however in practice a 9 Star house is typically the best rating that can be achieved.

Such a high thermal performance house is commonly referred to as an energy efficient house. If the owners or designers of the home also include other environmentally aware features such as waste water treatment, environmentally friendly and low life cycle cost building materials, rain water gathering and treatment, solar and/or wind generation devices, etc, one might refer to it as a sustainable house.

[ad_2]

Source by Mike Ateed

[ad_1]

These days, it seems everyone is on a tight budget. One of the best and simplest ways to cut costs is to conserve energy. The simplest tasks will conserve energy and put money back into your pockets, during these hard economic times.

Conserving energy in your home can be very beneficial. You’ll begin saving money, reducing high monthly utility bills, and reducing the need for fossil fuels, all the while preserving the environment for future generations.

You can instantly conserve energy and save money by making a few simple choices that will help reduce your monthly electric and fuel bills without sacrificing your comfort.

Here are a few ways to help you conserve energy in your home:

Heating

Like the human body, a heating system needs to be properly maintained. So, a monthly check should be performed on the filters in your heating system. Properly maintaining the heating system in your home will reduce fuel consumption and save you money.

During the winter months, reduce the thermostat in your home to a comfortable temperature between 68 and 70 degrees. When you go to sleep, lower your thermostat by about 5-10 degrees. In doing so, you’re saving energy and you’re also helping improve your health and appearance-experts say.

Cooling

During the hot summer months, it is best to keep your air conditioner running efficiently-you don’t want it to run out of juice! For the best results, check the filters on your air conditioner each month, and replace filters if and when they become dirty.

Consider installing and setting an automatic timer for the temperature of the room. This way it’ll be higher during the hours you are away from home and cooler before you return home.

Also, consider purchasing and installing ceiling fans throughout your home. This will help circulate the air in your home, and reduce the amount of time you use the air conditioner. Research has shown that ceiling fans use far less electricity than the standard air conditioner.

Insulate

Many people often overlook the benefits of insulating the walls, floors and ceilings to reduce heat loss. By simply insulating your home, you will significantly save energy and cut your monthly heating and cooling costs.

This simple task can be achieved by placing a plastic film cover over windows, also known as weather stripping and caulking. These sealants will help prevent cold drafts from entering your home through the windows and doors in the cold winter months and reduce cold air from escaping during the hot summer months– thus conserving the energy used for heating and cooling.

Besides, when your windows are weather-stripped, you won’t be overworking your heating or cooling systems due to escaping air.

Appliances

It is very important to unplug all unused electronics in your home, especially in the kitchen. Several small unplugged kitchen appliances can quickly add up to the same amount of used energy as a running refrigerator. Some items such as the DVD player and microwave actually continue using energy even when they’re “off.” These are otherwise known as phantom appliances. Any appliance that generates heat, a sound, a time, or light while off, is a phantom appliance!

Also consider replacing your old appliances for new energy efficient appliances. Other small tasks such as washing a large load of laundry in cold water, instead of warm or hot water can also be a wise way to use appliances to save electricity.

Light Bulbs

Something as small as changing the light bulbs in your home can conserve energy and save you money. Research has shown that compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs can last up to 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs, and use approximately 75% less energy.

Those same studies conducted in 2010 showed fluorescent light bulbs can save the homeowner more than $40 in electricity costs during the light bulb’s lifetime. CFLs, as they are known, can cut cooling costs in your home, as they tend to produce 75% percent less heat than standard incandescent bulbs.

[ad_2]

Source by Donna Kshir

[ad_1]

Few people realize how much wasted energy use at home impacts the environment, and makes us more dependent on foreign oil. Nor do they understand that they can quickly reduce their energy costs substantially by a variety of cost-effective conservation efforts.

Obama Gets It

President-elect Barack Obama has announced that energy conservation is a strategic new way to help reduce energy costs for low income households. He has promised to provide conservation contractors for 1 million poorer households to reduce energy consumption and cut energy costs. This would represent a historic shift in emphasis for the government, reducing people’s energy bills instead of helping to pay them. At the same time, it will create tens of thousands of jobs for contractors to assist with conservation upgrades for these homes. This will be part of the new presidents plan to create new jobs, reduce consumer energy costs and at the same time make us less depended on foreign energy sources.

Global Climate Change

The scientific community agrees that increasing CO2 levels are contributing to global climate change. But not all of this CO2 comes from industry and transportation as many people assume. Households are responsible for one-fifth of the energy consumed in the United States. A little more than half of the energy used in our homes is in the form of electricity. The remainder comes from natural gas, coal and oil. All of this CO2 takes its toll on our environment. For example, the average home produces more than twice as much greenhouse gas pollution as the average car. If you add together the emissions produced by power plants that generate electricity, plus those from oil, and gas-fired appliances, the average house is responsible for the release of 22,000 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) each year. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), this compares to poorly with a typical car’s 10,000 pounds of CO2 annually.

Conservation and Energy Use

In many homes, we don’t even benefit from a lot of the energy we end up paying for. Unneeded lights, old appliances, poorly maintained Heating and AC systems, drafty doors and windows and under-insulated attics, walls, floors, and basements all take a bite out of the energy bill in almost every home. Studies have also shown that two families living in IDENTICAL homes can have energy bills that vary by as much as 100 percent — this means that an occupants energy efficiency habits and appliances can double (or halve) your energy bills.

Many people are reluctant to improve the energy efficiency of their home when they might be moving out in just a few years, or they think the costs will be too high for conservation efforts. But the published research is clear that investments in energy efficiency are often relatively inexpensive, extremely cost effective and also lead to higher home resale values.

A study published in The Appraisal Journal found that the market value of a home increases by $10 – $25 for every $1 decrease in annual fuel bills. The study was conducted by ICF Consulting with funding from the Environmental Protection Agency. The research was conducted at a sample of over 16,000 housing units all across the nation.

What You Can Do Right Now

Schedule an energy efficiency inspector audit of your home. My client’s report an annual net energy savings of $300 after implementing the cost-effective efficiency recommendations from my audits. I offer my audits at no cost if I am conducting a new purchase home inspection. Also, many utility companies sponsor free, or reduced cost energy efficiency inspections. In addition, utilities typically have a web based self-audit that the homeowner can complete to develop their own energy efficiency plan. Most utilities also offer rebates on the purchase of new EnergyStar rated efficient appliances and other conservation materials and services. Contact your local utility provider for more information. In California, visit the Energycheck website for a qualified energy efficiency inspector in California. energycheckup.com/content/findinspector.asp/.

A fast and cost effective way to reduce electrical costs is to replace current incandescent light bulbs with the new generation of CFL energy saving bulbs. Local utilities often provide incentives to retailers (including Cost-Co) to sell these bulbs at very low costs. I recently found these bulbs for sale at various retailers in California for less than $1 per bulb. Using these CFL bulbs can reduce your electrical use and bill up to 20% alone. There has been some misinformation about CFL bulbs emitting mercury during operation. These mercury hazard claims are false. However, if a CFL bulb breaks, (since it has a very small amount of mercury), it should be placed in a plastic bag, and discarded at the proper facility where you would for paints or batteries. CFL technology has been greatly enhanced: they turn on faster and last longer. However, they still have not been perfected for dimmer light controls.

So be smart by making your home more energy efficient, at the same time you will: save money, help the environment, and the economy, as well as reducing our dependents on foreign oil.

[ad_2]

Source by Steve Zivolich

[ad_1]

Air tightness is an increasingly important part of the ‘whole house’ approach to building dwellings. Airtight houses are more energy efficient and more comfortable for families to live in than conventional homes.

Air Tightness

It is important for homes to achieve a high level of air tightness in order to maintain energy efficiency and provide comfort for occupants. Successful airtight building stems from an attention to detail at both the design and construction stages of the project. If warm air is allowed to leak out of a building, the benefits of improved insulation and other energy efficiency measures will be lost.

Air Leakage Testing

Testing for air tightness in dwellings is an important part of UK building regulation compliance. Close attention must be paid to the reduction of air leakage throughout the building design and construction phases. It is much simpler to design and build an airtight dwelling than to carry-out remedial measures in a draughty home.

Air Infiltration

Air infiltration occurs when air leaks through cracks and gaps in the building fabric. The amount of infiltration is influenced by the type of construction and by the speed and direction of the wind. Wind blowing against the building causes pressure differences between the inside and the outside. Air is drawn into the dwelling through holes on the windward face and leaves the dwelling on the leeward side.

Air Buoyancy

Warm air inside the dwelling is more buoyant than the colder air outside. Buoyant air rises by convection and, in doing so, draws-in cool air from outside. As buoyant air rises, it increases the pressure inside the dwelling which pushes warm air out of holes in the building envelope

Air Leakage Paths

Air can leak through the ceiling below a roof void, particularly around the loft hatch cover and around its frame. It can escape through open joints in the brickwork and concrete blocks that make up the external walls. Draughts commonly occur at window and door locations, particularly between the frames and the brickwork. They can also occur between the frames and the doors or opening sashes. In the case of suspended floors, air leakage can occur where timber joists are built-into masonry walls. Air can pass through cracks between floorboards and through gaps at the junction between the floor and surrounding walls. Generally, significant problems can arise from the gaps left around electricity and plumbing services penetrations in walls, floors and ceilings.

Air Barrier Construction

‘Air barrier’ is a term used to describe a specific layer created within the thermal envelope that separates heated and unheated spaces. The air barrier will effectively restrict the passage of air between the internal and external environments. At an early stage, the designer should identify the exact position of the air barrier and mark it on a drawing. Its exact position will depend very much on the design of the building and the materials used in the construction.

Air Testing Procedure

When the building work is complete, an air test will usually be carried out by a specialist company. A temporary airtight screen is fitted into an external door opening of the dwelling. Water traps are filled, trickle vents closed and extract vents sealed. An electric fan is then mounted in the airtight screen and operated to blow air into or out of the dwelling to create a pressure difference between inside and outside. The air tightness of the dwelling is calculated by measuring the rate of airflow through the fan, while a range of pressure differences are maintained between the inside and outside of the dwelling.

Air Test Failure

In the event of an air barrier failing an air leakage test, smoke testing and thermal imaging can determine the main areas of leakage. Failure of the air barrier at the air testing stage can be very costly in both time and money.

Team Effort

Air tightness is the concern of all members of the design and construction teams. Communication between all workers is vital to make sure that practical working details are produced and that the air barrier is constructed with the utmost care.

Controlled Ventilation

When constructing an airtight dwelling, it is important to provide adequate controlled ventilation to ensure occupant comfort and safety.

[ad_2]

Source by David Stoppard

[ad_1]

Thule Air Force Base sits on the west coast of Greenland overlooking an iceberg-studded Baffin Bay.

It gets cold there, 700 miles north of the Arctic Circle. So cold in fact that the U.S. Air Force decided it could save money by upgrading the facility’s heating system.

The Arctic has been used to test new construction methods for many years. For instance, oil field construction in Alaska proved a laboratory for coming up with creative engineering techniques and procedures as companies worked to limit their footprint during exploration and construction. Often, those practices resulted in improved, money-saving techniques. That concept of energy efficiency is now catching on all over the globe.

At Thule, the duties fell to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers New York District, which manages construction-related activities ranging from dormitories to runways. The base has a 10,000-foot runway, gets about 3,000 international flights a year and supports the North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Air Force Space Command.

According to Corps officials, installing a new, more energy-efficient heating system for the base could save about $3 million a year in fuel costs. The Corps said it recently completely two new boilers at the installation and both are now being monitored.

“Three more boilers will be built this coming summer when the weather is more suited to construction,” officials said in a post on the agency’s website. “The boilers are replacing a boiler system that was originally installed in the 1980s.”

The post includes a photo of a crew investigating the underside of the one of the base buildings. The building is elevated, sitting on fat posts. The intent is common in the Arctic where the ground is permanently frozen. Standard construction methods there don’t work. An in-ground foundation would melt the permafrost, eventually causing the building to settle, crack and possibly fall apart.

While the Arctic offers a great laboratory, there has been a vast learning curve for those building in its extreme conditions. The North offers a harsh unforgiving environment that’s very difficult to navigate. Much of the installations now up on the North Slope for instance are made up of modules and buildings fabricated in the Lower 48 states and barged up to the Arctic Ocean in the ice-free months of summer.

Many of the structures are huge. As a reporter for the Alaska Journal of Commerce in the 1980s, I got to see the off-loading of some of these self-contained facilities slowly tractored to their final resting places. They also were installed onto posts.

In my relatively short tenure as a 49th state reporter (a decade if you count my part-timing in college), I was able to gauge the improvement of construction methods as time passed. Mostly what I saw were thicker walls walls and better insulation practices that developed over time. No doubt many of those facilities I watched get installed are now undergoing either energy efficiency upgrades or being mothballed for new and improved versions.

All in all, the Great White North (Bob and Doug McKenzie reference) is a great place to test net-zero construction methods. If it works there, it’ll work anywhere.

[ad_2]

Source by Mike Nemeth

[ad_1]

Outdoor lights are great for not only highlighting the home’s landscape and architecture, but can give an extra measure of security and makes it easier to navigate paths at night. There are plenty of different styles of lights so it makes sense to carefully consider the options. Here are six useful tips for selecting the right outdoor lights:

Lighting plan

Start the process by creating a lighting plan. This can help to identify the areas at the front, sides and back of the property that can benefit from nighttime illumination. It is possible to walk around the property in the evening with a flashlight to determine how the extra light will impact the landscape and exterior features of the home. Also, make sure to find the isolated and dark areas that could have an impact on safety.

Layer the light

The outdoor lights can vary from accent, task and ambient. It is best to use the right type of lighting to match the specific application. The accent is a decorative type of light, such as the table lamp and can complement the task and ambient lighting to create the stylish look. The task light is used for a specific application such as lighting up the area around an outdoor grill. Ambient light is the preferred choice for creating the general illumination.

Energy saving

Energy saving fixtures are appreciated by those that wish to save money and conserve energy. A reliable choice for this is the energy-efficient LED bulbs that emit a similar quality of light as the incandescent bulbs, but have the benefit of using nearly 75% less energy. On average, an LED light has the potential to last up to 40,000 hours, which can amount to nearly 10 years of regular nightly use.

Solid construction

The preferred light fixtures for the outdoor environment are constructed in weather-resistant materials. A preferred material is able to handle all climates, while also being UV resistant and non-corrosive.

Controlling the light

There are several options to control the lights, such as the timers, motion sensors and dimmers. The timers and motion sensors are great for saving energy because they only activate when lighting is needed. Also, there are the photocells that run on solar energy, and don’t cost anything to use beyond the initial purchase price.

Protect the night sky

A further consideration with the choice of light includes being a good neighbor and placing the lights in areas that aren’t likely to impact the property next door.

[ad_2]

Source by Leo Eigenberg

[ad_1]

Over the past decade, lighting technology has grown by leaps and bounds. LED bulbs, low cost automated switches and low energy safety lighting have made both savings and security available to every business owner and home owner. This means that upgrading lighting is literally a “bright” idea for business developers and persons renting commercial or other business space. It’s an easy way of making the business location more energy efficient, more secure, and in turn save the renter a lot of money on their utility and insurance bills.

Step 1: LED BULBS

LED (Light Emitting Diode) technology has been at the forefront of the lighting industry. In addition to being long lasting, LED bulbs only require a fraction of the energy of their incandescent and fluorescent counterparts.

Consider:

* The person paying the utility bill (typically the renter) replaces the existing bulbs with LED bulbs. The savings adds up pretty quickly.

* Changing from fluorescent to LED bulbs, the energy savings is still 80% of the energy cost for using fluorescent bulbs. (LED lights require less energy to operate; hence the cost savings.)

* LED bulbs generate half the heat that incandescent and fluorescent bulbs produce. Given the number of bulbs in the average commercial space, replacing existing bulbs with LED bulbs will save money by reducing AC energy usage.

Because the savings is constant per bulb, a small business and a large business both save 80% (fluorescent to LED) or 90% (incandescent to LED) on energy costs for lighting. LED lights come in a variety of shapes, sheens, and widths to match nearly any light fixture. Retrofit bulbs, and u-shaped, and circline tubes are among the many options available. In most cases, the savings pays for the LED bulbs in three years.

Step 2: AUTOMATED SWITCHES

Low cost automated switches turn lights on when a room is occupied and off when the room is empty. While most commercial spaces need to be continuously lit, some commercial spaces are used only intermittently, like bathrooms and storage rooms. These intermittently used spaces only need lighting a fraction of the business day.

As with LED bulbs, most automated switches can be easily installed by the building owner or renter. Given the average usage for restrooms in commercial spaces, automated switches can pay for themselves in three years even when they control LED bulbs.

Step 3: SAFETY LIGHTING

Many businesses turn off lights at night, leaving their space dark and vulnerable. Some businesses leave their lights on to discourage vandalism and theft. Another alternative is to install low energy safety lighting.

In recent years, several companies have developed low energy LED lighting built into outlet cover plates and switch plates. Coming in both standard outlet and Decora outlet styles, these outlet plates have photosensor controlled LED bulbs that use less than 1 watt per hour saving 90% compared to a standard commercial space LED bulb.

Replacing existing outlet plates with safety light plates is simple for any building owner or renter. The cost of replacing the majority of outlet plates with these safety light plates is quickly recuperated in three years compared to after hours lighting.

Businesspersons who use rented space should also keep the old bulbs, original switches and outlet plates when they upgrade to LED, switches and safety lighting. Why? The LEDs will last 50,000 operating hours on average. For most businesses, that translates to 1,500 operating days or nearly five years! When moving to a new location, they should switch the bulbs, switches and outlet plates, putting the old bulbs, switches and plates back and taking their LEDs, automated switches and safety lighting with them to install in the next location.

Summary

The morale of the story: Replace LED light bulbs, install automated switches and safety lighting whenever you have the opportunity, and become more energy conscious of other potential cost savings. Your efforts will also lead to a greener tomorrow.

[ad_2]

Source by William Carson, Jr

[ad_1]

Did you know that there are some simple ways in which you can save on your electricity bills substantially? Well, it is those that we are now going to explore. But before embarking on that journey, it is worth taking note of two things. The first of those is the fact that the sums of money you stand to save in this way may not look large in the short run, but cumulatively, they can turn out to be rather huge amounts of money. And the issue of money aside, you also need to keep it in mind that by saving on your electricity usage, you are playing you small part toward the conservation of the environment. And this is important, taking into consideration the kind of environmental crisis the world finds itself in.

Here then, are the six ways through which you can get to save on your electricity bills:

1. Go for power efficient appliances: you should make power efficiency one of your major considerations when looking to purchase appliances. Don’t just go for electric appliances that look most beautiful (but which are merciless power guzzlers). There is nothing wrong with appliance beauty per se, but it should not be the only consideration when making up your mind whether or not to buy an appliance. There are other considerations that need to be made, and one of those is the energy efficiency of the appliances. You may also have to make some courageous choices here – like the choice of ceiling fans over air conditioning systems.

2. Switch off appliances you are not using: it is irrational to keep on electric appliances you are not using (and this includes lighting bulbs). Yet, surprisingly, many of us have this habit of keeping the appliances always buzzing, even when they are not in use, thence costing us dearly – and needlessly – in terms of power usage.

3. Keep your electric appliances well serviced: when electric appliances go for long without being serviced, they become energy inefficient and prone to break downs. Avoid both situations by ensuring that the appliances are properly and regularly serviced as per the instructions on their packaging

4. Make your electric bill payments in good time: otherwise you stand to suffer the penalties that most power companies impose on those who make a habit of delaying in their bill repayment. These are unnecessary penalties, which you need not suffer, if only you can organize yourself just a little bit better. Nowadays, most power companies have systems where power users can make their bill payments online or through their phones, and there is absolutely no reason as to why anyone should suffer such penalties late payment penalties in this day and age.

5. Use energy saving features on your appliances: here we talking about things like the ‘sleep’ features on computers. The amounts of money you stand to save, in the long run, through consistent use of such features is simply amazing.

6. Go fluorescent: fluorescent bulbs are arguably the most energy efficient of all bulbs. Yet they don’t cost substantially more than the other types of bulbs. Through their consistent use, you can find yourself having saved considerable sums of money you could have otherwise given out to the electricity generation company.

[ad_2]

Source by Graham H Smith

[ad_1]

Heating Systems in Building

Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) technology helps in controlling the indoor environmental conditions of residential and commercial structures to provide thermal comfort and improve air quality. The use of an energy-efficient HVAC unit not only has a major impact on cost savings in the long run but also improves the health and productivity of the household.

Different factors help to improve the energy efficiency of an HVAC unit, including the type of system you have to how the system is maintained. Here are a few optimisation tips on having a considerable impact on energy efficiency savings with the HVAC systems of a building.

Keep a Check on Heat Losses from the building

Depending on the difference between the inside and outside temperatures, heating or cooling equipment, when in constant operation, maintains the inside temperature at a comfortable level. This they do by adding or removing the exact heat amount necessary to achieve the required temperature.

Steps towards Minimizing these Losses:

• Ensure better insulation of walls and roof to keep a check on heat radiation through conduction and dissipation
• Make your doors and windows with heat-insulated materials
• Ensure proper treatment of cold bridges (door and window frames, pillars or beams, etc.)
• When cooling is needed, use sun-screening devices to check solar radiation

It is wiser to adopt these actions when designing a new building and thus less expensive than if done on existing buildings.

Do Not Use Heating and Air Conditioning Simultaneously

For better energy efficiency, implement control systems with default settings that are perfect for the building, which do not operate heating and cooling systems simultaneously and can completely close part of the distribution circuit. Hence, one can use time switches to switch on and off HVAC systems at certain times of the day, such as before and after the start of a shift, programming in for public holidays, all of which go into reducing annual running time. Intelligent time switches are available that work out the optimal operating period and reduce the operating time significantly.

Avoid Improper Use of Heating Systems with the Following Tips

In the case of structures with commercial, administrative or industrial activities, the temperature should not cross 20°C to 22°C inside the rooms. Hospitals and health centres have higher temperature settings and gymnasiums and sports centres have possible colder ambient temperatures.

Keep a check on the opening of windows (both in cold and hot weather) or have your heating or cooling systems dependent on closed windows.

Optimise the Heating Systems to Make it Economical

There are two types of heat generators – individual systems and centralised systems.

Individual Systems: In this type, electric radiators such as convector, radiant or blower are used to separately heat each area of the building (rooms, office, etc.). Despite converting all the energy into heating the spaces (100% efficiency), the heating system is not that economical. To make it economical, there has to be control of the system to switch off the heating units when the space is no longer used.

Centralised Systems: There are two units in centralised systems – a heat generator (boiler) and a distribution system. The purchased heat from a supplier is delivered using hot water pipes and billing is done using thermal metering. Or else, a boiler present in the building is used to generate thermal energy. Greater efficiency is achieved using a recently designed boiler that is adjusted by trained personnel. Regular checking of the CO2 level and the temperature of the exhaust fumes help in measuring the efficiency level, irrespective of the kind of fuel used.

Heat Pumps

Depending on the source of heat, heat pumps are used either alone or along with a boiler. If the heat source is the surrounding air, then it is not possible to use the pump below a specific temperature due to the formation of icing. The widely used heat pumps are the “Air-Water” or “Air-Air” type during mid-season and the boiler in the coldest periods. The subterranean water may also be used as a source of heat, if available. In this case, the “Water-Water” heat pumps are used with a wider range of use as they are not dependent on the outside temperature.

Solar Heating

There are two difficulties to using solar heating – first, it requires the right orientation of the solar panels for maximum exposure, and next, heat availability is subject to weather conditions. Hence, solar heating is best used as a supplement to heating systems.

Optimisation of Heating Circuits

A centralised heating system uses water pipes or air ducts to distribute thermal energy all through the various spaces of a building. To improve energy efficiency, it is important to reduce heat loss occurring along the pipes. This is achieved by insulating the water pipes or air flues, mainly in the unheated spaces (boiler rooms, ducting, service areas). Energy can also be saved by the introduction of zoned heating in which multiple thermostats control the different zones.

Optimisation of Heating Control

The heating control system must be so designed as to ensure the occupant’s comfort while cutting down energy consumption to a minimum. During normal operation, all of the spaces within a building must be kept at a comfortable temperature. However, when the building is not in use (nights, holidays, weekends), the temperature can be lowered by a few degrees.

Factors Needing Programming for Better Optimisation

Heating has to be turned on a few hours before the arrival of the occupants, and it may similarly be turned off just before they leave. It is worth the effort to fine-tune these periods to save on energy over time.

Wherever possible, regulating the temperature of various spaces of a building will help to prevent the heating of rooms that are either used occasionally or remain unused.

Adjust the temperature setting for each room, which would help in improving the user comfort significantly. Finally, keeping tabs on the external climate (temperature, sunlight, wind) would help in estimating the loss of heat from the building.

[ad_2]

Source by Subhashish Bose

[ad_1]

Anyone building a home should give serious consideration to building an Energy Star home. There are several reasons why this financially benefits the homeowner.

– Compared with standard homes, Energy Star qualified homes use substantially less energy for heating, cooling, and water heating-delivering $400 to $600 in annual savings. Over the average 7 to 8 years you may live in your home, this adds up to thousands of dollars saved on utility bills.

– Additional savings on maintenance can also be substantial since better quality appliances & equipment is installed.

– Financing your home purchase using an energy efficient mortgage can also lead to savings.

– Some utilities offer a reduction in electricity rates for homes that qualify as Energy Star.

Building an Energy Star home increases its initial cost about 4-8% (depending on materials/equipment installed) compared to a comparable home which adds some to your mortgage payment, however the reduced utility bills usually will offset any increase in your mortgage payment, therefore your total cost of home ownership does not increase. And as energy costs rise, your savings increase and Energy Star homes also have higher resale values.

So the real question is: Can you afford NOT to build an Energy Star home?

Other benefits of an Energy Star home include:

– Increase comfort/temperatures in your home

– Reduced emissions for the environment

– Efficient construction techniques and high-performance, better quality products

– Improved indoor air quality

Features of Energy Star qualified new homes are:

Energy-Efficient Heating and Cooling Equipment – More efficient and properly sized heating and cooling systems use less energy, which reduces utility bills. These systems also turn on and off less frequently, removing more humidity and providing better comfort.

Effective Insulation – Properly installed insulation that meets or exceeds national code requirements helps achieve even temperatures throughout the house while using less energy. The result is lower utility costs and a quieter, more comfortable home.

Tight Construction and Tight Ducts – Attention to detail by sealing all holes, cracks, and seams in ducts and construction assemblies helps eliminate drafts, moisture, dust, pests, and pollen. This improves comfort and the quality of indoor air, while lowering maintenance costs.

Efficient Products – Energy Star qualified homes may also be equipped with Energy Star qualified products – lighting fixtures, compact fluorescent bulbs, ventilation fans, and appliances, such as refrigerators, dishwashers, and washing machines.

High-Performance Windows – Advanced window coatings help keep heat in during winter and out during summer. They also block damaging ultraviolet sunlight that can discolor carpets and furniture.

Third-Party Verification – Utilizing independent Home Energy Raters, Energy builder partners choose the most appropriate energy-saving features for their homes. Additionally, raters conduct onsite testing and inspections to verify the energy efficiency measures, as well as insulation, air tightness, and duct sealing details.

[ad_2]

Source by Mac Barlow