There are many wonderful ways to start reducing your environmental impact around the house, like recycling whenever possible and buying products made from sustainable resources. But did you know that our everyday energy use also impacts the environment? Furthermore, did you know that more than half of the energy use in a typical home is for heating and air conditioning?
Because of how much energy the average heating and cooling (HVAC) system requires, one of the best ways you can help the environment is by reducing the energy your HVAC system needs to keep your home comfortable. In other words, the more efficient your system is, the more eco-friendly it is.
HOW TO MAKE YOUR HOME’S HVAC SYSTEM MORE ECO-FRIENDLY
How exactly do you make an HVAC system more efficient and eco-friendly? You make improvements, such as the following, to your home and system that reduce energy usage.
1. Improve Your Home’s Ventilation
A system that improves your home’s ventilation allows your home to achieve more even temperatures year-round, which means your HVAC system doesn’t need to run as long or as often. Improved ventilation can also improve your indoor air quality and reduce moisture-related problems (like mold and wood rot).
2. Heat or Cool Your Home With a Zoning System
It’s a classic summertime problem: to make your home’s upper stories bearable, your air conditioner ends up freezing everyone downstairs. A zoning system allows you to send air from your air conditioner or heater to specific rooms or areas in your home. This eliminates all the energy spent on heating or cooling rooms that don’t need it.
3. Seal Leaks In Your Ductwork
Energy Star reports that 20 to 30 percent of the air moving through ductwork is lost due to holes, leaks, and poorly-connected ducts. That equates to a lot of wasted energy. Once you hire a professional HVAC contractor to seal your ductwork, you might be surprised by how much you see your energy bill go down.
4. Invest In a Variable Speed System
The average HVAC system can run at one speed or two speeds. Essentially, your system is on or off—or in a two-speed system, it’s on low power, high power, or off. A variable speed HVAC system can run at numerous speeds, which makes it the most energy-efficient type of system. In a car, you wouldn’t “put the pedal to the metal” if you only needed to move your car a few feet forward. Similarly, if your home only needs a small temperature adjustment, why use full power when your unit can run at a lower speed, using less energy, and still get the job done?
5. Incorporate Solar Power
Solar power is a clean, renewable, abundant energy source. For a long time, homeowners have had solar power systems to heat their pools, and now you can even use this energy to help power your HVAC system. In Southern California, our innovators at Econo Air have designed the M Performance Solar Hybrid System, which uses highly efficient solar modules to power one of the most energy-efficient HVAC systems on the market.
Along with incorporating solar modules, this custom system comes with multiple energy-saving features, including:
- A powerful yet efficient furnace with ultra-low NOx 80 – 96% AFUE heating
- An ultra-quiet, high-performing air conditioner
- A modern ventilation system that improves indoor air quality and offers 80% savings compared to your average AC usage
- A zoning system that offers temperature control in up to 8 rooms of your home
You can learn more about how the M Performance Solar Hybrid System works here.
At Econo Air, we have spent decades custom engineering top-quality HVAC systems and delivering custom solutions to help you and your family enjoy a healthier, more comfortable home in Southern California. Please don’t hesitate to contact usto learn more about how we can help you: (714) 710-1070.