Florida homes cannot go without air conditioning. The heat and humidity make them one of the most important appliances in your home for your health and your comfort. And, it’s not just the summer when you need to cool your home and get rid of excess humidity. It can be a year-round need.
In recent years, evolving technology in the air conditioning world has done everything possible to decrease the biggest problems with modern air conditioning. AC can drive up utility bills and increase emissions that harm the environment. Here’s what you need to know about the advancements in air conditioning, and how technology is doing everything possible to keep your Southern Florida home cool and comfortable while keeping your budget and the environment in mind.
Technology Is Working on Heightening Energy Efficiency
Many air conditioning units use what’s known as vapor-compression technology. This means a refrigerant, which in itself is harmful to the environment, circulates between interior and exterior units collecting heat inside the home and releasing it outside the home. Vapor compression uses a lot more energy than some of the advancing technologies. It’s also not as effective at controlling humidity.
Newer technologies like desiccant cooling or magnetic refrigeration reduce energy consumption, which lowers the central AC system’s carbon footprint. How do these technologies work?
1. Desiccant Cooling:
The use of liquid desiccants to dehumidify and cool homes and businesses is increasing. One of the leaders in this newer technology developed an AC system that uses a liquid desiccant to dehumidify and cool rooms while reducing electricity use by more than 60% per year and reducing GHG by 85%.
Blue Frontier’s liquid desiccant is a salt solution to cool and dehumidify the air. The salt solution is heated with an energy-efficient heat pump, which causes the salt to release moisture. As the salt solution moves away from the heat pump, it absorbs moisture and creates indirect evaporative cooling.
It’s similar to how your body regulates its temperature. You get too hot, so your body produces salty sweat. That sweat leaves your pores and releases heat into the outside air, but that moisture on your skin also attracts any cooler air from a breeze or the circulation of air from a fan, which makes you feel cooler.
2. Magnetic Refrigeration:
A lot of experts believe magnetic refrigeration is going to be an industry changer when it comes to environmentally friendly cooling systems. MagnoTherm came up with the prototype Polaris, which is an AC system that uses magnetic technology to cool rooms. It contains no refrigerants.
Temperature-active metals known as magnetocaloric materials interact with high-powered magnets that create a magnetic field. That field heats and cools the magnetocaloric metals, and a water-based pump system extracts the cold and circulates it. Right now, the prototype uses about 40 watts and can cool 75 liters to as low as 41º F. It’s still in the developmental phase, however.
The Benefits of Wireless Connectivity
Many modern central air conditioning systems offer wireless connectivity. If you’re at work, you can control the temperature and lower it in time for your commute. Or, you get to work and realize you forgot to turn the temperature up before you left. It’s not a problem as you can take care of it from your phone. That wireless connectivity also proves beneficial if something goes wrong.
We mentioned wireless connectivity for a reason. Many leading central air conditioner manufacturers have exclusive apps that AC technicians can use for service. You find your AC isn’t working as well as it should and call your technician. With some modern systems, your technician can access the system and see what’s wrong.
If the problem is as simple as a software update or filter change, you can take care of that yourself. We can help you understand what you need to do.
Otherwise, your technician has insights into what is wrong. We realize that people dislike having a technician come to their home, diagnose an issue, and announce the part has to be ordered. It’s why we do as much as we can to have every part on a truck, but it’s hard for anyone to be perfect when there are hundreds of different parts from so many manufacturers and some get discontinued without warning.
With built-in diagnostic tools, it limits surprises like that. If a less common part is needed, which requires a trip to a supplier to get that part, our technicians know before they leave. Technology helps us ensure your system is running as expected with as little downtime as possible.
Helping Nature Can Be as Simple as Harnessing Nature’s Power
We’ve talked about the advancements in air conditioning technologies like magnets and salt solutions, but there’s another way to improve your central AC’s performance and efficiency.
So many advancements have been made with solar and wind energy. While solar used to be almost unheard of, many homes have rooftop solar panels now. You can pair your central AC’s power usage with the benefits of wind and solar energy and lower your energy consumption.
There are solar-powered AC systems, too. They use photovoltaic panels to generate all of the energy needed to cool your home. Your AC system doesn’t have to be connected to the grid when you have the right exposure for this solar-powered system, and Southern Florida homes get plenty of sun exposure throughout the year. Estimates are that Miami gets about 248 days of sunshine per year, which is well over the U.S. average of 205 days.
However, geothermal systems are also of interest. Instead of using electricity generated by wind or sunlight, a geothermal system taps into the constant temperatures found well below ground. It’s one of the best systems to have for heating and cooling, but the cost of this type of system may be hard for some people to handle.
Personalized Comfort Levels Are Achieved With Smart Technology
Smart technology is showing up in so many newer central AC systems and thermostats. Smart thermostats study your comings and goings and can automatically adjust settings to match your habits. They can pair with an app on your phone or a smart speaker to allow you to adjust settings from a remote location or use a voice command.
There are also systems with sensors that adjust systems after identifying something has changed. On a rainy day, humidity levels might be higher. You might have a large gathering for a holiday or birthday gathering and the increase in people is adding moisture and heat to a room. Sensors alert the system and make adjustments as needed.
Healthier Indoor Air Means a Healthier You
Modern AC units are going beyond simply cooling the air. They are now incorporating advanced filtration systems that remove dust, allergens, and even harmful pollutants, creating a healthier indoor environment. Some systems even integrate **humidity control** features, maintaining optimal moisture levels to prevent the growth of mold and mildew, which can exacerbate respiratory problems. This focus on **holistic comfort** addresses not just thermal comfort but also overall well-being.
AC Technology That’s Still in the Early Phases
We mentioned magnetic and desiccant AC systems as some of the future of AC, but additional options could be part of the future. Have you seen the air conditioning suits that workers in some Asian countries wear when they have to be on the street in intense heat and sunlight? Wearable AC may be the wave of the future for everyone to have customized settings that match their preferences.
AI is another technology we believe is going to be important in the future of AC. Smart technology is already building on that, but imagine a system that can diagnose and fix some of its minor issues without needing a technician. You could have a system that runs predictive maintenance or tells you when service is necessary and schedules it for you.
All Year Cooling understands how fast the HVAC world is evolving, and we ensure our technicians attend important training programs to have the insights and knowledge to quickly and correctly diagnose and repair any issues your AC system is having. Our technicians also have expertise in system replacements to help you choose a cost-effective, efficient central air system replacement to maximize energy savings while lessening the harmful impact of emissions.
When you’re having problems keeping your home cool and comfortable, or you find your electricity bill is soaring unexpectedly, we’re here to help. Arrange a consultation with All Year Cooling’s experts today.
