Air-conditioning economisers
People, computers, lighting, photocopiers and other machinery increase the internal temperature of buildings. At times, the temperature can increase to the point where the outside air is actually cooler.
At these times, an economiser brings the outside air into the building. Having an economiser on an air-conditioning unit can reduce its energy use by up to 15%.[1]
Talk to an EcoSmart Electrician about whether an economiser could work for your business. As some A/C systems provide conditioned outdoor air for ventilation and some do not, when you purchase a new air conditioner, also ask them how you can best integrate ventilation with the A/C unit.
DoSomething, NSW
When the DoSomething charity moved to the Blue Mountains town of Katoomba, the winter chill made their new office extremely cold.
To keep their energy bills down, they decided to consider a Pioneer split-system reverse-cycle air conditioner because it was claimed to be very energy efficient. It uses state of the art electronics and engineering with a variable speed drive and the inverter required for heating and cooling reverse-cycle air-conditioning.
Prior to buying the split system, they had the supplier carry out a test on the system to compare alternative refrigerants. They tested the Pioneer system using R410a (a synthetic refrigerant) as compared to the same equipment using a hydrocarbon refrigerant (also referred to as a ‘natural refrigerant’).
The test showed that the system on standard R410a refrigerant cost more to run than the same machine running on natural refrigerant. The running costs were 37% less when using the natural refrigerant. In addition, the Pioneer air-conditioning unit with natural refrigerant was comparable in price to a conventional split-system air conditioner.
When it comes to replacing your air-conditioning system, talk to your suppliers to see if they can provide you with a unit that uses energy efficient natural refrigerant.
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