What The Energy Star Standard Means To You

By Henry Ford

Energy Star was created in 1992 by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy during the Clinton Administration. Initiated as a voluntary labeling program designed to identify and promote energy efficient products, Energy Star began with labels for computer and printer products. In 1995 the program was significantly expanded, introducing labels for residential heating and cooling systems and new homes. Energy Star is now the international standard for energy efficient consumer products. Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Taiwan and the European Union have all adopted the program. Devices carrying the Energy Star service mark, such as computer products and peripherals, kitchen appliances, buildings and other products, generally use 20%-30% less energy than required by federal standards.

Earning the ENERGY STAR means products meet strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the US Environmental Protection Agency. By choosing ENERGY STAR qualified heating and cooling equipment and taking steps to optimize its performance, you can enhance the comfort of your home while saving energy. Saving energy helps you save money on utility bills and protect the environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the fight against climate change. Air conditioning is the removal of heat from indoor air for thermal comfort. ENERGY STAR qualified central air conditioners have higher seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER) and energy efficiency ratio (EER) ratings, making them about 14% more efficient than standard models. ENERGY STAR qualified room air conditioners use about 10% less energy than conventional models.

The ‘Apparatus for Treating Air’ (U.S. Pat# 808897) granted in 1906, was the first of several patents awarded to Willis Haviland Carrier. The recognized ‘father of air conditioning’ is Carrier, but the term ‘air conditioning’ actually originated with textile engineer, Stuart H. Cramer. Cramer used the phrase ‘air conditioning’ in a 1906 patent claim filed for a device that added water vapor to the air in textile plants – to condition the yarn. In 1911, Carrier disclosed his basic Rational Psychrometric Formulae to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Today, all fundamental calculations in the air conditioning industry have the basis of Carrier’s formula. Carrier’s so called ‘flash of genius’ came while waiting for a train. On a foggy night, he was going over in his mind the problem of temperature and humidity control and by the time the train arrived, Carrier had an understanding of the relationship between temperature, humidity and dew point.

The actual process air conditioners use to reduce the ambient air temperature in a room is based on a very simple scientific principle. The rest is achieved with the application of a few clever mechanical techniques. Air conditioners use refrigeration to chill indoor air, taking advantage of a remarkable physical law: When a liquid converts to a gas it absorbs heat in a process called phase conversion. Air conditioners exploit this feature of phase conversion by forcing special chemical compounds to evaporate and condense over and over again in a closed system of coils. The compounds involved are refrigerants that have properties enabling them to change at relatively low temperatures. When hot air flows over the cold, low-pressure evaporator coils, the refrigerant inside absorbs heat as it changes from a liquid to a gaseous state. To keep cooling efficiently, the air conditioner has to convert the refrigerant gas back to a liquid again. To do that, a compressor puts the gas under high pressure, a process that creates unwanted heat. All the extra heat created by compressing the gas is then evacuated to the outdoors with the help of a second set of coils called condenser coils. As the gas cools, it changes back to a liquid, and the process starts all over again.

It’s simple to see that there are two distinct things going on in an air conditioner. Refrigerant is chilling the indoor air, and the resulting gas is being continually compressed and cooled for conversion back to a liquid again. Air conditioners also contain fans that move warm interior air over these cold, refrigerant-filled coils. In fact, central air conditioners have a whole system of ducts designed to funnel air to and from these serpentine, air-chilling coils.

In 1928, Carrier developed the first residential ‘Weathermaker’, an air conditioner for private home use. The Great Depression and then World War II slowed the non-industrial use of air conditioning. After the war, consumer sales started to grow again. While Carrier did not invent the very first system to cool an interior structure, his system was the first truly successful and safe one that started the science of modern air conditioning.

Earning the ENERGY STAR means HVAC supplies and products meet strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the US Environmental Protection Agency. By choosing ENERGY STAR qualified heating and cooling equipment and taking steps to optimize its performance, you can enhance the comfort of your home while saving energy. Saving energy helps you save money on utility bills and protect the environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the fight against climate change. Energy prices have become a hot news topic and a major concern for consumers. If your HVAC equipment is more than 10 years old or not keeping your house comfortable, have it evaluated by a professional HVAC contractor. If it is not performing efficiently or needs upgrading, consider replacing it with a unit such as Goodman equipment, which has earned the ENERGY STAR.

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