GBA: The Magic Of Cold
Green Building Advisor describes how an air conditioner uses electricity to make cold air.
|
|
HVAC School: HVAC/R Refrigerant Cycle Basics
HVAC School provides a basic overview of the refrigeration circuit and how it works. It is designed to assist a new technician or HVAC/R apprentice in understanding the fundamentals.
|
|
US DOE: History Of Air Conditioning
US Department of Energy online History of Air Conditioning highlights several key developments in the history of air conditioning, from the first modern electrical air conditioning unit invented by Willis Carrier to the more recent advances in search of new refrigerants and non-vapor compression technologies.
|
|
HRAI: Canadian Training For HVACR Industry
Heating Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Institute of Canada, provide training materials and certification programs to industry members so they can acquire the technical competence required to design and install quality HVAC systems that meet the appropriate code requirements.
|
|
AHRI: Air-Conditioning Heating & Refrigeration Institute
Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Institute is the trade association representing manufacturers of air conditioning, heating and commercial refrigeration equipment. They provide information, publications, education, standards, and research for industry and consumers.
|
|
HVAC-Talk: Online Trade Forums On HVAC
HVAC-Talk has this great community forum if you want to ask questions or review discussions on HVAC topics? It includes forums on special HVAC-Talk events, professional member forums, general discussion forums, and training forums.
|
|
NRCan: Overview Of Air Conditioning Systems
Natural Resources Canada provides information and resources on air conditioning including types, energy efficiency regulations, room air conditioners, central, operating costs, and answers to commonly asked questions.
|
|
HVAC School: What Causes Dirty Sock Syndrome?
HVAC School says loosely defined, dirty sock syndrome is a smell that comes from an evaporator coil, especially when it first comes on or shifts from heat to cool. The smell comes from biological material that dries out on the coil when the system is off or in heat mode.
|
|
US DOE: Future Of Air Conditioning For Buildings
US Department of Energy report The Future Of Air Conditioning For Buildings characterizes the current landscape and trends in the global air conditioning (A/C) market, including discussion of both direct and indirect climate impacts, and potential global warming impacts from growing global A/C usage. It also documents solutions that can help achieve international goals for energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions reductions. The solutions include pathways related to low-global warming potential refrigerants, energy efficiency innovations, long-term R&D initiatives, and regulatory actions.
|
|
Building Science: Adding Heating & Air Conditioning to Tuscan Villas
Building Science Corporation describes how adding central heating and air conditioning to buildings hundreds of years old and typically in ruins is an interesting proposition. Especially where the only insulations are mass walls consisting of stones, clay block and plaster coupled with clay tile roofs.
|
|
Building Science: Refrigeration & Startup For AC Equipment Efficiency
Building Science says performance of the cooling system will be evaluated and assured through a series of measurements including: air flow, pressures, temperatures, humidity levels, and power draw. They describe procedures that should be followed for line set installation and system startup.
|
|
GBA: Selecting Climate-Specific Air Conditioners
Green Building Advisor says if you live in a humid climate, you need an air conditioner that does a good job of dehumidification. But if you live in a dry climate, dehumidification is almost irrelevant, because the outdoor air is so dry.
|
|
GBA: Why Is My House So Hot?
Green Building Advisor discusses why a house with added attic insulation has air conditioning equipment that runs longer than it used to.
|
|
HVAC School: Sensible Heat Ratio
HVAC School says the BTUs that go towards changing the temperature of the air are called sensible and the ones that go toward removing water from the air are called latent.
|
|
NREL: Improved Modeling Of Residential Air Conditioners & Heat Pumps For Energy Calculations
US National Renewable Energy Laboratory report Improved Modeling of Residential Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps for Energy Calculations presents improved modeling methods in the context of whole-building simulation tools, with the goal of enabling more accurate evaluation of cost-effective equipment upgrade opportunities and efficiency improvements in residential buildings. (PDF)
|
|
US DOE: Air Conditioner Diagnostics, Maintenance & Replacement
US Department of Energy Measure Guideline: Air Conditioner Diagnostics, Maintenance, and Replacement describes efficient means of identifying, diagnosing, and repairing faults in air conditioning systems in existing homes that are undergoing energy upgrades. (PDF)
|
|
US DOE: Energy Impacts Of Oversized Residential Air Conditioners
US Department OD Energy report Energy Impacts Of Oversized Residential Air Conditioners says with all other home characteristics held constant, oversizing the AC generally has a small effect on cooling energy use, even if the cycling performance of the unit is poor. (PDF)
|
|
US DOE: Retrofitting Air Conditioning & Duct Systems In Hot, Dry Climates
US Department of Energy report Retrofitting Air Conditioning and Duct Systems in Hot, Dry Climates focuses procedures for increasing sensible efficiencies through increased flow rates across the air handling unit and increased indoor coil sizes. When substantial energy improvements result in a significant reduction in design cooling loads, an older and constrictive duct system may allow higher flow rates when combined with replacing an older existing condensing unit with a smaller unit. In practice, however, existing duct systems may need replacement in most cases due to factors such as poor layout, damage, and improper design. (PDF)
|
|
PNNL: Energy Savings Of Control Strategies For Packaged Air-Conditioning Units
US Pacific Northwest National Laboratory report Energy Savings and Economics of Advanced Control Strategies for Packaged Air-Conditioning Units with Gas Heat, says commercial building owners could save an average of 38 percent on their heating and cooling bills if they installed a handful of energy efficiency controls that make their heating, ventilation and air conditioning HVAC systems more energy efficient. (PDF)
|
|
|
|
