Could ‘smart’ HVAC systems be the key to massively cutting down on our energy consumption?
Posted by: electime 15th November 2021
The acronym HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) has been widely used in the UK over the past few years. With lots of smart technologies invented for home and commercial buildings, there has led to an increased demand for these systems.
These technologies not only keep buildings nice and toasty while working but also condition the air ventilation, which removes germs in the air, resulting in a healthier workspace. Moreover, these systems are now being designed more and more with energy efficiency in mind to help reduce energy costs and the carbon footprint of the device – which HVAC experts ADK explore below.
Increase Efficiency, Reduce Footprint
Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems are far more efficient today at reducing energy consumption, compared to early systems that were wasting lots of energy. Figures in 2012 showed that UK offices and retail buildings that had air conditioning units installed accounted for 30-60% of the total UK energy consumption.
However, HVAC systems that are currently available use the latest technologies that are far more efficient and effective at decreasing the overall energy consumption that impacts the environment.
Heating and cooling efficiency is considered by experts to be the most effective way to reduce energy bills, and with different units measuring how efficient they are with the SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio), it is now easier for homeowners, businesses, retailers, and installers to measure the HVAC systems energy efficiency.
Heating
HVAC heating systems are designed to increase the internal temperature of a property through a central heating system that contains a heat pump or boiler, radiators, and thermostats. The heating system is programmed to generate a certain amount of heat in individual rooms or as a medium temperature throughout a property.
Such technologies like smart thermostats give homeowners complete control over when they want the central heating system to turn on & off remotely by an app, enabling them to use less energy consumption and keep a controlled temperature during the time they are at home.
Homeowners receive unwanted high energy bills every month due to keeping the water-based heating systems running uncontrolled throughout the day and night to keep their homes warm, which results in lots of energy waste. Switching to an HVAC heating system with a programmable thermostat tends to reduce energy consumption dramatically across businesses and homes.
Ventilation
Technologies like ventilation HVAC systems control the airflow within a building, ensuring cleaner air is circulated without fumes, harmful particles, and moisture, resulting in better oxygen levels for breathing.
These ventilation components like exhaust outlets, filters, and air returns are installed in most offices and buildings to guarantee clean airflow while people work throughout the day – reducing what we predict may become a larger issue in the next few years without proper care, which is ‘indoor pollution’. Yes, a smaller scale of pollution than the planet-wide version we often talk about, but still something that needs addressing, which newer HVAC units can help fight.
Air conditioning
HVAC air conditioning units play a vital role for restaurants, shops, offices, and supermarkets by providing warm and cool air in the environment. Many air conditioning units available aim to run more efficiently for businesses to reduce their energy consumption, while providing a stable temperature for their customers and employees.
Compared to 10-15 years ago during winter, when restaurants had to spend lots of money on energy bills to keep the space warm enough for customers to enjoy, and during summer to keep it cool enough so they could enjoy their food without sweating.
Becoming Smarter
Almost any device in your home with a microchip has probably been made ‘smart’, or there’s a team of designers somewhere working on it. It was only a matter of time that HVAC units got this boost in brainpower, which gives the user much more granular control over the environment.
Instead of binary metrics like ‘hotter’ and ‘colder’, smart HVAC units now allow for adjustments of the fan speed, humidity, lighting and more – with some models even allowing smartphone and tablet integration. Do you want all of the systems to reduce when people leave the office at 6pm? Simply program it to do so automatically, leaving no resources wasted when no one is there to benefit from them.
This all means that you can build the exact environment you want, when you want it. All while saving yourself energy and the planet carbon by simply turning down – or off completely – the elements of a HVAC system you don’t need. Given the huge timescale and decades of history that heating, ventilation and air conditioning units have, this is a fairly new but unarguably large development
Five Modern Improvements of HVAC Systems
- Improved Air Quality – Ventilating and air conditioning units ensure that clean air flows throughout buildings, reducing the number of sicknesses in a workspace and increasing productivity as clean air to the brain helps it work more efficiently.
- Controlled Temperatures – Homeowners and businesses with HVAC systems can now benefit from better temperatures, making the internal environment more comfortable during winter and summer.
- Increased Energy Efficiency – It is easier than ever to improve energy efficiency with HVAC technologies now that consumers have more control over the energy they use rather than wasting it.
- Reduced Energy Bills – Although the initial cost for some HVAC systems may be pricey for some people, overall they are guaranteed to reduce monthly or quarterly energy bills by at least 40 per cent. As the systems can potentially last a few decades with proper maintenance, businesses and homeowners will generate far greater returns on their savings.
- Reduce The Carbon Footprint – Probably, the most beneficial part of the new HVAC systems is that they are designed to help reduce carbon emissions, which are harmful to our environment, by reducing energy waste.
Final Thoughts
As more and more businesses and homeowners jump on board with wanting to reduce their energy bills, the demand to install these smarter HVAC systems will increase, and the environment will undoubtedly be impacted positively.
There is no doubt that these developments are part of the key to cutting down on our energy consumption. As the world moves towards a more sustainable place, it is important to look at what you can do in your home or business to cut down your energy consumption.
