HVAC: Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning

While it is a term commonly used by contractors and home improvement hobbyist, not everyone knows what HVAC means.  HVAC is actually an acronym that stands for "heating, ventilating, and air conditioning."  (Yes - it is also an acronym for "high-voltage alternating current" but thats another article.)Sometimes referred to as "climate control," an HVAC system is integral in office buildings and commercial buildings.  HVAC systems are extremely common in US homes and that trend is only rising.  Depending upon where you live in the US you may "not be able to live without" your AC.So what does an HVAC system do? An HVAC system is designed with the two following major goals: 

• Providing and maintaining "thermal comfort"
• Maintaining acceptable indoor air quality

These goals are often compromised relative to the underlying manufacturer goal of maintaining reasonable installation, operation, and maintenance costs. Many people don't realize that depending where they live either their cooling system or their heating system (both parts of their HVAC) will be the biggest energy guzzler in their homes.  To reduce to energy use and thus operational expense of either device energy efficiency is the key.  Many recent technological advances have allowed to improve the efficiency of HVAC systems.Energy Efficiency and HeatingThanks to technologies like water heating, geothermal heating and zoned heating - heating systems are in general becoming much more energy efficient.  In some cases today's forced air systems can even double for air conditioning systems.Energy Efficiency and CoolingThanks to SEER it's now becoming easier and easier to purchase efficient cooling systems as well.  In the USA it's rare to see systems rated below SEER 9 because of the benefits of energy efficiency.  Major energy savings can be obtained from more energy efficient systems. Here is an example:

• Upgrading from SEER 9 to SEER 13, the power consumption is reduced by 30% (equal to 1 - 9/13).  It is claimed that this can result in an energy savings valued at up to US $300 per year depending on the usage rate and the cost of electricity.

Replacing an existing HVAC system can be a very costly proposition.  So many companies are now working on technologies to improve the efficiency of existing HVAC systems.An example of this type of add-on technology is: Cool-N-Save(tm).   The Cool-N-Save(tm) is an "Air Conditioner Pre-Cooling System" that works in concert with your existing HVAC system.  The Cool-N-Save(tm) system uses purified water vapor to create a "chill zone" surrounding your AC unit.  This "chill zone" can reduce the ambient temperature by as much as 30 degrees.   By reducing the ambient temperature around your air conditioner, the Cool-N-Save(tm) device reduces the power your AC unit draws.  This in turn reduces your monthly electric bill.The Cool-N-Save(tm) gives consumers a simple and cost effective alternative to replacing your entire HVAC or AC system.   According to an independent study performed by Tulane University the Cool-N-Save(tm) system can improve the efficiency of your AC by up to 30%.As more and more companies focus on ways to improve efficiency in existing technologies more and more devices like Cool-N-Save(tm) will become available and affordable for the average consumer.