Saving energy with ventilation and air conditioning systems
For a long time, ventilation and air-conditioning systems were considered the energy guzzlers in the home. Consumers had to dig deep into their pockets for an optimal living climate, and the environment also suffered considerably from the power-hungry devices. Thanks to modern air conditioners and adapted ventilation behaviour, today you can combine pleasant room air conditioning with efficiency and the conservation of our resources.
Why do some air conditioners have such high energy consumption?
Three factors can be the reason why air conditioning and ventilation systems draw so much energy and drive up energy costs in the household or in operation.
- Outdated equipment: Old air-conditioning systems have not yet been equipped with the latest, energy-saving systems and are true energy thieves in a building.
- Incorrect setting: Energy is also often wasted when modern air-conditioning units have been installed but not set correctly. Only when the right unit is installed in the right environment and all settings have been made correctly will the desired effect of the technology be achieved.
- Inefficient ventilation behaviour: Careless ventilation behaviour can also minimise the efficiency of air-conditioning and ventilation units and, at the same time, drive up electricity consumption.
Only when an optimal interaction of all components has been achieved can ventilation systems and air handling units work as they are expected to.
Modern systems for demand-led ventilation of the living space
Modern ventilation systems ensure a pleasant indoor climate and can still save energy at the same time. Where energy was previously lost due to outdated technology, today even the energy-saving level of a house can be significantly improved thanks to modern technology. Where in the past one system was used for all rooms, today the air conditioning and ventilation units adapt optimally to the respective room of a building. There are various systems for individual rooms that can be individually combined with each other.
Exhaust air systems for functional rooms
Functional rooms such as the WC, the kitchen or the utility room are equipped with a special exhaust air system. This transports the exhaust air directly outside or into special air shafts. Fresh air can flow in directly from outside through outside wall air diffusers. With humidity-controlled domestic ventilation, ventilation heat losses are significantly reduced.
Systems with heat recovery
For all other occupied rooms in a building, such as living rooms and bedrooms, a system with heat recovery is recommended. These rooms are equipped with fans with heat recovery in order to ventilate them constantly without heat loss.
The systems are so flexible that they can be easily combined with each other. For example, it is possible to ventilate functional rooms in an energy-efficient manner and to heat or air-condition living spaces cost-effectively thanks to heat recovery. The great added value of these modern ventilation and air-conditioning systems is that they adapt individually to the respective needs of the room.
Proper planning of the ventilation concept is crucial
Every building has individual requirements for ventilation or air conditioning. Tall buildings, for example, are exposed to a stronger wind load. The location of the building and the environmental influences also play an important role in planning and determine which devices make sense in which rooms. For example, the noise level and fine dust pollution also play an important role.
Residents' requirements for a good and homely climate in their homes have also increased in recent years. In the past, the compromise was: for fresh air, loud ventilation units had to be accepted. Today, the demands have grown with the innovations in technology. Fresh air and quiet fans do not have to be mutually exclusive.
Saving energy is only possible with the right ventilation behaviour
Even though the latest ventilation and air-conditioning systems have intelligent technology that produces demand-oriented ventilation of your rooms, the occupants still have to support this with adapted behaviour. In the damp and cold season, wet laundry is often hung up inside the rooms, thus also increasing the humidity in the indoor air. Moisture also enters the rooms after showering or cooking, where even the best ventilation devices reach their limits.
Therefore, it is important to continue to carry out classic window ventilation in these cases to support the units. Only in this way can the moisture escape and the ventilation units ensure an optimal living climate.
Professional installation can prevent draughts
Draughts are a common problem when air-conditioning units are installed in a room. However, this can be avoided from the outset by professional installation and consideration of all living space factors. Modern units with heat recovery already heat the air so much before it is blown into the room that hardly any temperature difference can be perceived.
In addition, factors such as the positioning of the ventilation valves must be considered during installation. These should not be placed too close to the couch or favourite armchair so that the occupants are not disturbed by an air flow. Finally, the installation height of the units in the room must also be considered, as this also has a decisive influence on the air circulation.
Conclusion: air-conditioning and ventilation units are no longer energy guzzlers
Thanks to modern technology, well thought-out planning and the right ventilation behaviour, the climate in buildings can be significantly improved by ventilation and air-conditioning systems. These systems have long since ceased to be energy guzzlers; on the contrary, they contribute significantly to improving the energy balance of a house.