A Cool Blast from the Future: New Energy Saving A/C Technologies
Every school child knows how important it is to “Go Green,” reduce your carbon footprint
and save money. After all, we live in difficult economic times. Alarm bells about ecological
catastrophes, like global warning, are constantly going off all around us. Nevertheless, A/C
technologies have lagged behind our expectations.
The typical refrigerant-based A/Cs create significant carbon footprints, cost a lot of money to
operate during the summer months, and don’t exactly qualify as “energy efficient.” Fortunately,
the nation’s best A/C engineers are working on solutions to the problem. A few innovations from
the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) may spell awesome
news for both consumers and the environment.
Evaporative coolers – the promise versus the reality
In dry climates, an A/C technology called evaporating cooling can lower the temp in your
home or office significantly. Unfortunately, if the temperature is hot, or if it gets significantly
humid outside, this method fails to absorb enough water to create the cooling that you want.
Technically, A/C researchers say that the technology can cool things down near to what’s known
as the wet-bulb temperature: “the lowest temperature to which air can be cooled by evaporating
without changing the pressure.” Given this limitation, refrigerant based coolers are typically
preferred over evaporative coolers in many climates.
One exception might be something called the Colorado Cooler, which uses technology to prevent
moisture from contaminating the supply air. This means that Colorado Coolers can reach the wet
bulb temperature. This gives you a little extra cooling “oomph” — maybe enough, if the day is
not particularly hot.
Paradigm shift in A/C technology?
The NREL has evolved a new, ultra sophisticated A/C technology known as DEVap, which uses membranes, liquid desiccants, and innovative air flow and evaporating cooling processes to deliver super cool A/C action that’s both cost effective and environmentally savvy. Analysts believe that DEVap may help consumers save as much as 90% on their energy bills over even the highest end refrigeration A/C coolers.
Applying theory to reality
If you live in the East Bay area, connect with the heating/air specialists at B.A. Morrison to
discuss innovative and purposeful A/C solutions for your home or business. Connect with us at
510-538-9187, or read more about our company and its capabilities at www.bamorrison.com.
