Heating and Cooling

Space heating and cooling primarily provide a sense of comfort. There are many ways to make our heating and cooling systems more efficient and thus reduce costs.

Did you know that, if temperature stands at 16°C and you want to increase it to 20°C, you will not succeed in warming up the room instantly by setting thermostat at 25°C although electricity consumption will be much higher!

Air conditioning temperature should be turned to 25-26°C. Each °C of a lower temperature on thermostat of air conditioner during the summer months requires 3-5% more energy.

TV, video, stereo systems, computers and computer equipment consume electricity even in stand-by mode. A few euros can be spared annually by simple switching off appliances with several lamps that consume electricity even during stand-by mode.

INSULATION

Check weather doors and windows are closed well.

Insulating tapes are one of the solutions for energy conservation, which solution is cheap from the standpoint of the gains, while complete home insulation is the best solution.

Setting up or adding new insulation is neither complicated nor expensive work.  Please learn more about insulating materials. They are evaluated according to the R-value, a measure of thermal resistance. The higher R value entails better insulating properties of material.

STORAGE HEATERS, RADIATORS AND BOILERS

In the winter months, storage heater accounts for about 60% of the total electricity consumption of a household. It should store thermal energy at night when base load electricity is available at lower cost.  Thermostat should stay away from windows as far as possible. 

You should turn to a competent person for assistance in order to ensure that capacity of your boiler and radiator suits the needs of your facility. If capacity of a boiler is 50% higher than required, heating costs may rise even by 15%. Oversized boilers consume more electricity, generate higher costs, pollute the environment and provide inferior heat sensation in the facility.

Installation of thermostatic radiator valve can save up to 20% of heating energy and prevent irrational consumption.

Oversized boilers consume more electricity, generate higher costs, pollute the environment more and provide poor sense of thermal comfort indoor.

Modern heating systems can be operated from a residential space using room thermostat which regulates daily room temperature and thus regulation tends to make a balance between room temperature and the desired one. Radiator valves in such systems should not be out of order or closed because they will not receive enough heating energy. Given that the thermal regulation will not result in the desired temperature, electricity will be wasted on water heating and start- up of circulation pump.

Thermostats should not be installed near heating sources such as: ovens, radiators, stoves and the like, nor near windows or doors, since it would prevent their proper operation.

Condensing boiler consumes 10-15% less fuel than a new standard boiler, and about 25% less than a boiler more than 20 years old.

Use gas as a fuel since heating costs are even 45% lower in comparison to the heating costs when using fuel oil. Gas shows significantly lower CO2 emissions; NOX emissions are insignificant while there are no emissions of SO2. Therefore, gas is more environmental friendly.

Radiators should be able to supply energy freely. Therefore, they should not be blocked by furniture. Also, additional wall insulation behind a radiator in this case would be high quality solution.

Insulate boilers, tanks and hot water pipes installed in unheated rooms. Insulation can reduce heating losses by up to 70%.

AIR CONDITIONING

Air conditioner used for cooling during summertime should have as high cooling capacity as possible, which usually ranges from 2.5 to 4. The most efficient air conditioners available on the market are inverter air conditioners and they can save 20%-40% more energy than the standard air conditioners. These appliances can be used for space heating as well. 

If the outside AC unit is shaded, it would consume 10% less electricity. The temperature difference between the outdoor and the indoor should not exceed 5°C. Cool rooms only when you occupy them.

Each °C of a lower temperature on thermostat of air conditioner requires 3-5% more energy. 25°C is the recommended temperature.

Doors of the rooms where air conditioning is switched on should be closed because this is the way to cool only a desired room.

Planting trees around the house is the best protection against high temperatures.

Forests and alleys have a great impact on climate of an apartment or a house since they reduce icy wind gusts by 70% in the winter, and in the summer, apart from providing shade they also draw water through root from the soil and expel it through leaves. The studies have found that in the summer the temperature is about 4-5 °C lower in the vicinity of a tree.