20% of American households have HVAC systems that cost each of them an additional $882 to keep cool every year on average — that’s nearly four times as much as the most energy-efficient homes. Even more surprisingly, the top 20% of homes with the most cooling account for 45% of all cooling consumption.
Improving HVAC energy-efficiency throughout these homes can reduce electricity usage by 8% and eradicate almost 52 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions every year. Fortunately, new breakthroughs in renewable energy and HVAC technology are increasing sustainability and decreasing energy usage while promoting healthy and comfortable environments.
Ice-powered air conditioning
Ice-powered air conditioning is an exciting technological development making HVAC systems more eco-friendly. For example, Ice Energy, a Santa Barbara-based company, have developed ice-powered air conditioning units that freeze water in a special container during non-peak times; this ice is then used to continually cool the building during peak times when the cost to run air conditioning is typically higher.
Replacing traditional HVAC systems with ice-powered air conditioning can slash air conditioning bills by as much as 40%.
Digital ceilings
First designed and launched by Cisco, digital ceilings slot into intelligent building networks, which facilitate connection and communication between Internet of Things devices.
Digital ceilings essentially use sensors installed in the light fixtures to improve building sustainability, efficiency, security, and occupant comfort. So, for example, in a university classroom or a business meeting room only occupied at set intervals throughout the day, a digital ceiling will be able to assess whether the room’s occupied or not, temperature, and carbon dioxide and light levels.
The system can switch off the room’s heating, cooling, and ventilation when the room’s empty and turn them back on to appropriate levels when occupied again.
Eco-friendly retrofits
Older HVAC systems are typically wasteful and expensive to run. However, replacing them can also similarly be costly and time-intensive. To solve this problem, Transformative Wave has launched Catalyst, eco-friendly retrofit technology that can be easily installed into existing rooftops. Whether it’s smart controls, automated features, different fan speeds, or demand-response ventilation, Catalyst offers a host of energy-saving features that result in between 25%-50% less energy use.
Ductless HVAC systems
Ductless systems are fairly simple yet effective and sustainable HVAC technology. Installing a ductless system eliminates the need for extensive ducts — which makes for a super easy and affordable installation process. Moreover, ductless HVAC systems have an appealing, energy-saving zoning capacity along with impressive seasonal efficiency ratings.
You can build a self-sufficient home by choosing to cool or heat the building rather using renewable resources than having to expensively cool or heat your home using conventional energy sources. Ductless HVAC systems work efficiently in any climate from mild to moderate to harsh temperature zones. Moreover, ductless systems pair well with smart AC remote controls to become even more convenient and energy-efficient.
With AC remote controls, you’re given greater control over your entire HVAC system. You’ll be able to control your home’s heating, cooling, and dehumidification remotely, as well as enjoy handy features like scheduling, geofencing, and comfort mode.
Predictive maintenance
AI and the Internet of Things are modernizing the typically expensive and time-consuming maintenance process for HVAC systems. Predictive maintenance uses smart technology to collect relevant data on air quality along with equipment status in order to predict when HVAC maintenance and care will be required.
With predictive maintenance, you’re essentially able to take care of any maintenance issues and fix any potential problems before damage has a chance to occur. If given the opportunity, HVAC system breakages can be very costly and it’s not always easy to ascertain when there’s a problem developing. Not only can predictive maintenance save you considerable financial expense, but it can also ensure grade-A air quality and improved comfort at all times.
Thermally-driven air conditioning
Although still in its early days, thermally-driven air conditioning provides an effective and energy-saving alternative to traditional cooling air conditioners. Thermally-driven air conditioning systems cleverly rely on solar power to cool buildings (rather than electricity).
Natural gas is also used if solar power is at any point unavailable. As such, thermally-driven air conditioning systems can drastically decrease your electricity bills. These systems use evaporation at low pressure to cool down the temperature and remove heat. However, a temperature of roughly 350 f is needed to enable the solar panels to generate electricity.
Movement-activated air conditioning
Movement-activated air conditioning is a cutting-edge development in the realm of sustainable heating and cooling technology. In particular, this new system was designed by engineers at MIT. Movement-activated air conditioning essentially involves installing small aluminum rods on the ceiling that are equipped with tiny sensors.
These sensors are able to detect the number of occupants in any building, along with their exact location. If any human presence is detected, the sensors in turn switch on the air conditioning. This means the AC only turns on when the room’s occupied — for example, the dining room may be cooler when the family gathers to eat while the rest of the home remains warmer or less cooled. Movement-activated air conditioning therefore avoids needless energy wastage and helps homeowners decrease utility expenses.
Conclusion
HVAC systems are essential to keep indoor air conditioned, pure, and comfortable. By updating traditional HVAC systems with sustainable new technology, you can save money, preserve natural resources, and help the environment.
