Green Tips

Tips for Green Air Conditioning Use

• Increase Your Attic Insulation—Adding more insulation is one of the best investments you can make. It will provide a return on investment in a matter of a few months to a few years.


• Install Radiant Heat Barriers—Radiant heat barriers are a thin layer of metal insulation (usually tin foil with a paper backing or a metalized mylar sheeting), which can reduce radiant heat transfer into your attic by as much as 95 percent.


• Install Ceiling Fans—The breeze created by a good ceiling fan can eliminate the need to run your AC on cooler days, and will allow you to set the thermostat a few degrees higher on days when your air conditioning is in operation. Ceiling fans also help distribute warm air in the winter, helping to reduce energy costs year round.


• Seal and Insulate Ductwork—Poorly sealed ductwork can drastically reduce the cooling efficiency of your air conditioning system, as can ductwork that runs through un-insulated spaces like attics, garages, and crawl spaces.


• Install Programmable Thermostats—Multiple zone, programmable thermostats help reduce energy consumption since you won't have to remember to turn the AC up or down. In addition, every degree higher you set your AC will reduce your home cooling costs by 3 to 5 percent.

Duct Work information

Most AC and heating systems require some form of duct work to channel or direct the air to places in the dwelling where the conditioned air is needed. There are many types of duct work available and often times the duct work can make a big difference in your utility bills. For that reason, it is important that the duct work is installed correctly by qualified installation technicians. A poor installation job will result in poor performance, bad air flow, leaky duct work systems, and higher than usual utility bills. Another important factor in the installation process is to make sure the duct work is sized properly. Oversizing systems cost more and does not maintain the desired air flow and undersized duct work causes the system to strain mechancially and can be noisy. It is important that you have qualified people design and install your system from start to finish so that you get the best and highest performing duct work system money can buy. It is also critical that the air conditioning duct work system be designed for the air conditioning load.

General AC Tips

Perform regular maintenance on your air conditioning unit. Replace the filter monthly during the cooling season and have a professional service your system at the beginning of each cooling season.

A cooling system is one of the biggest energy guzzlers in your home (second only to your heating system, depending on where you live). If you have an old air conditioning system with a SEER rating of less than 8, it may be worthwhile to consider replacing it with a more energy efficient system. You should be able to recoup the cost in just a few years.

When you're shopping for a central air conditioning system, make sure the SEER number (seasonal energy efficiency ratio) is 13 or better (14 in warmer climates). A less efficient system will cost you more to run. Look for an EER (energy efficiency ratio) of 11 or higher for room air conditioners. A high efficiency unit costs more, but if you live in a hot climate, it will pay for itself in a few years by reducing electricity bills.

Refrigerant Charge

Having the correct amount of refrigerant in heat pump, air conditioners and other types of space conditioning systems is very important to their operation. Research has shown that typical undercharged refirgerant levels in HVAC systems can produce efficiency losses of 30%. Under low charge conditions, the equipment continues to run but at reduced capacity, run times are longer, extra energy consumption. This loss in performance is particularly egregious where customers may have paid a premium for a high efficiency heat pump or air conditioner, yet the efficiency benefit is not deliverd due to improper refrigerant charge.


Check the refrigerant charge. The circulating fluid in your air conditioner is a special refrigerant gas that is put in when the system is installed. If the system is overcharged or undercharged with refrigerant, it will not work properly. You may need a service contractor to check the fluid and adjust it appropriately.

Heating your home

Maximizing the efficiency of your heating system is one method of ensuring of reducing the costs of your heating bill and cutting down on the environmental impact of heating your home.

However, there is another method which is just as effective at reducing costs and increasing warmth around the house.

Heating your home is as much about stopping heat from escaping as it is about maximizing the output of your radiators and heaters. By reducing heat escape, you use less energy in heating the rooms.

The number one place to start with insulation of a home is the loft. This is not because insulation is unsightly, it’s because heat rises. Preventing the rising heat from escaping through the roof, is one way of ensuring your home stays warmer for less energy.
Letterbox Draught Excluder

Letterbox Draught Excluder

Loft insulation is neither expensive or difficult and is perhaps the most important eco friendly product.

For a few hundred pounds you can pay somebody to do it for you and by having a properly insulated loft it will pay for itself in smaller heating bills.

But there are other places heat escapes too. Badly fitting doors are a prime cause and in older homes this is more difficult to prevent. Problems often occur because door frames and walls slightly drop over the years and doors themselves expand and contract in the summer and winter. But draught excluders are easily fitted around frames and can prevent any heat from escaping and the cold air from coming in.

Doors have other areas that let draughts in too. Letter boxes are very rarely air tight and not only does the heat gush out but the cold air comes through. Draught excluders for letter boxes are rare but they are available. Letter box draught excluders are definitely worth considering in older homes with single doors.

Also a common area for draughts in older homes is the chimney. Originally designed for smoke to escape the provide an chute for all the hot air to rush out. If the fireplace is not in use a chimney balloon will expand in the chimney to prevent any hot air escaping and cold air coming in.

AC Energy Savings/ Tips

More Efficient Air Conditioning:
One of the most inexpensive and effective ways to reduce your air conditioning costs is to adjust your thermostat setting. The savings can be significant when you set your thermostat at 78 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. For each degree you raise your thermostat setting, you reduce seasonal cooling costs by 6 to 8 percent.

• Setting the temperature a little higher of around 78-80 degrees Fahrenheit , will you save 6 to 8 percent of your cooling costs for each degree above 78, and most people will be comfortable.
• Use a ceiling fan or portable fan to supplement your air conditioning. A fan can make you feel three to four degrees cooler (and only costs a half-cent per hour to operate) so you can set your thermostat a few degrees higher and save on cooling costs. Use in occupied rooms since fans cool people, not rooms.
• Turn off the air conditioning or set the thermostat up a few degrees when you leave home.
• Be sure your air conditioner is not blocked. A free flowing air conditioner operates most efficiently Be sure the return air grill inside your house is not blocked by furniture or other items. Filters should be checked monthly.
• When air conditioning is on, keep doors and windows closed Turn off kitchen or bathroom exhaust fans when your air conditioning is operating.
• Caulk and weather-strip leaky windows and doors.
• Shade your home from direct sunlight. Use shades, drapes, awnings, trees and shrubs to block the hot sun from heating up your home.
• If you suspect your air conditioning system is not cooling properly, have it checked promptly. A unit that is having operational problems can cause extremely high bills.
• If your air conditioning equipment is older and less efficient, compensate by being extra careful about temperature settings, hours of operation and filter condition.

The Power of Gratitude - TRCB

The Power of Gratitude - TRCB

Save Energy with This Old Fashioned Device

It may not seem like a big energy user, but consider whether you really need to be using electricity to open the occasional can. Unless you have arthritis or are disabled, you can probably get by easily with a hand-crank model, and therefore reduce your environmental impact.
Electric can openers require more resources to build, and take up more space in landfills than old-fashioned models. Typical 175-watt brands use .01 to .18 kWh per month, for an energy cost of about one cent. That doesn't sound like much, but if every person in America used one, that would be 36 to 648 million kWh of power, costing us $36 million.
Ironically, most people have to own both types of can openers anyway, because they need to be able to open cans during emergencies, when the power might be out, or just want something to take on picnics or out camping. Modern hand-crank openers are often ergonomically designed for comfort and efficiency, and are often just as fast as electrics, so they are a smart choice.

By Brian Clark Howard