Tag Archives: HVAC

Summer Heat Pushes Power Demand To New Heights

It’s been a cooler than average summer up here in New England, but high temps elsewhere have pushed electric power consumption to record-setting levels. At the end of July, an Arizona heat wave sent electricity demand to a new record high. And on Tuesday, Orlando Utilities Commission set a new record for peak power demand, edging out the previous record set in 2007.

Although both utilities were able to manage the increased demand without a hitch, this is one record—like the record for biggest box office bomb—that no one wants to hold. (That dubious distinction is currently held by 47 Ronin, with a loss of ~$150 million. Ouch!)

So why isn’t a new peak great news? Just like a Hollywood flop, it can be costly. When power consumption rises to record high levels, utilities need to allocate new resources to meet the demand. Usually, that means increased expenses for consumers in the form of building new power plants or increasing new power purchases.

Fortunately, utilities are getting smarter about the way they manage demand for electricity. Through so-called “demand response” programs, they’re giving consumers incentives to use a little less power, which helps keep costs down. Sometimes information itself is enough of an incentive. For example, Orlando Utilities Commission is recommending that homeowners set their thermostat at 78 degrees or higher, about the same temperature of a typical Florida summer morning. By putting out these alerts, utilities are keeping customers comfortable—and avoiding blackouts.

With proper information and planning, utilities have shown they can manage peak demand without breaking a sweat. Or, as Ted Geisler, Arizona Public Service director of power operations, described it during the July heat wave, “We’ve been planning all year for a day just like today.”

Image credit: Chuck Coker/Flickr. CC license.

Should I Run My Air Conditioning All Summer Long?

Lots of homeowners worry about running their air conditioner too long. They want to save energy, or they don’t want to cool rooms that don’t need it. So they only turn on the A/C when it’s really warm out.

That seems like common sense, but there are actually different schools of thought on this issue. In fact, some people worry about running the A/C too little. Why’s that?

For one, when your house is very warm, it takes a lot of energy for your air conditioner to cool it down. The surfaces of your home all store heat—from your roof, to your walls, to your windows. And the greater the temperature differential between indoors and outdoors, the longer the air conditioner has to run to reach the target temperature. So it’s reasonable to think that if you leave the A/C running at a consistent temperature, your system won’t have to work as hard to keep you cool.

That may be true in the short term, but it can create unexpected consequences in the long term.

One big issue is “short cycling.” If your home is always close to your target temperature, your A/C only needs to run for a few minutes to cool it to the proper level. That shorter cycle may be long enough to reach your target temperature, but it’s often not long enough to dehumidify the air. Too much humidity can make your home feel warmer than it actually is, so you may end up running to the thermostat to turn it down even lower.

Also, short cycling isn’t the most efficient way to run your air conditioner. Think of the impact on your gas milage when you drive your car in stop-and-go traffic versus cruising along on the highway. For maximum efficiency, you want your A/C to cruise, not crawl. It can also be noisy. Many homeowners find it irritating it is to hear their system constantly turning on and off.

So, should you run your A/C at the same temperature, all summer long?

We recommend the “cruise control” option. Run your A/C when you need it, and let your programmable thermostat handle it when you don’t. Ultimately, you will save energy—and money—by running your system fewer hours per year.

Image credit: Jeremy Levine/Flickr. CC license.

How To Stay Comfortable (And Inspired) In Your Home Office

Working from home is big, and it’s growing.

Between 2005 and 2012, the number of U.S. workers who telecommute increased by 80 percent. And Global Workplace Analytics reports that 4.6 percent of the U.S. workforce—more than 6 million people, including telecommuters and self-employed workers—consider home to be their primary workplace. That means U.S. homeowners are dedicating more square footage than ever to home offices.

Here are a few tips on how to stay comfortable (and inspired) in your home office.

Pick A Room With A (Well Lit) View

Few of us plan our homes around our offices. Instead, we usually pick a spot with some extra space, like a spare bedroom, or an unused portion of the attic or basement. But there’s good reason to put a bit of planning into the room we choose for an office. Pay particular attention to natural lighting. It makes a big impact.

A 2013 study published in the journal SLEEP concluded that there is a strong relationship between workplace daylight exposure and office workers’ sleep, activity and quality of life. Workers with windows in the workplace slept an average of 46 minutes more per night and reported higher scores on quality of life measures related to physical problems and vitality, as compared to workers without windows.

More Separation, Less Anxiety

Beyond lighting, simply the physical separation of work and leisure space can lead to a happier, more restful life outside the office. When a home office is too close to where we sleep, for example, the temptation to work late hours can be detrimental to our health. A recent study conducted in Sweden indicated that regular, late-night computer use was associated with sleep disorders, stress and depressive symptoms in both men and women.

Some telecommuters who want to separate work and play go as far as constructing their own tiny office in the backyard. (Check out this great post on Lifehacker for an example.) But even if your office just down the hallway, it’s best to keep work and relaxation separate.

Set The Climate For Productivity

Temperature also has a big impact on productivity. So is it better to be warmer or cooler?

Cornell University researchers conducted a study by adjusting the thermostat of an insurance office. When temperatures were set at 68 degrees, employees committed 44% more errors and were less than half as productive as when the office was set to stay at 77 degrees. The theory goes: When our body’s temperature drops, we use our energy to stay warm. That means we have less energy available for concentration, inspiration, and insight.

ecovent can help you dial in the perfect temperature for your workspace, without the need to heat or cool your other rooms. Sign up for our newsletter to be the first to know when it goes on sale.

Image credit: Jeremy Levine/Flickr