What is HVAC? Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning.

HVAC is the new frontier in Building Systems as proper management via a Building Management System will reap large energy savings per year.

Air conditioning circulates the air and makes your home more comfortable. It maintains the temperature at a suitable level, dehumidifies, and removes dust and particles from the air,

Here are some ways to increase its efficiency:

• Clean and inspect filter screens regularly. This will keep electricity consumption at its best and eliminate dust and pollen from conditioned air.
• Use light coloured curtains to reflect sun and heat outward.
• Set the air conditioning unit to re-circulate cool air instead of drawing in warmer outside air.
• Protect the outdoor cooling units from the sun. Place them on the south or shady side of your house.
• Be sure your television, radio and stereo are off when no one is watching or listening.
• Generally, you should turn your heating/cooling system off when the space in unoccupied. You can use a time-clock to turn them on prior to occupancy again if you like. Do not heat storage and unoccupied areas, like the basement or garage.
• Incorporate a Building Management System in new builds.

Go further and save more with: Building Automation Systems / Solar PV Installations / Metering Solutions.

Inverter air conditioners are the most energy efficient

Two main kinds of air conditioners are inverter and non-inverter systems.

The motor in an inverter air conditioner is self-regulating. This means the motor speed varies continually to maintain an even room temperature.

In contrast, non-inverter air conditioners have a single-speed motor that frequently turns off and then on again.

Inverter air conditioners are more expensive, but save on energy costs over time.

Split AC systems consist of an indoor and an outdoor unit. They also user inverter technology, but will save you money due to greater energy efficiency and durability.

he size, or cooling capacity, of an air conditioner is indicated by its BTU, or British Thermal Unit. This is a measurement of how much heat the unit can add or remove from the air per hour.

The most energy-efficient air conditioner for your needs will have a BTU suited to the size of the space you want to cool.

Other factors also have some effect. For instance, the best BTU for your space depends on climatic conditions.

It’s also affected by the positioning of the building, the type and quality of the insulation, the type and size of your windows and the height of your ceilings.

In general, the recommendation for air conditioners in South Africa is 500 BTU per square metre.

For example, a 20 m² room would require an air conditioner with 10 000 BTU.

Determine the air conditioner’s energy efficiency ratio:

Each air conditioner has a specific energy efficiency ratio (EER).

EER is the cooling capacity of a unit – its BTU – divided by the kilowatts per hour (kWh) it uses at full power.

Say a 10 000 BTU air conditioner were to use 1 200 kWh. It’s EER can be calculated as 10 000 / 1 200, which equals 8.3.

A recent market survey of the EER for the most efficient air conditioners all scored above 12.

The higher the EER rating, the more efficient the air conditioner – and the less it will cost you to run.

A 12 EER rating is an excellent energy-efficiency rating for an air conditioner. Some of the best devices can even reach more than 12 EER. The best mini split air conditioners have an extremely high 12+ EER rating.