Did you know that the energy consumption from your HVAC unit enterprises of at least half, if not more, of your energy bill? That is a significant investment in the comfort of your home. For this reason, the purchase of your HVAC units should not be something that is taken lightly. Of course, your bottom line should be to purchase a unit that saves you money on your energy bills, but does its job at the same time. Others may purchase "smarter" units that conserve energy because they honestly care about the environment and would like to reduce their use of resources.
Luckily, whatever your motive may be, there are options for you to conserve energy by "going green". One of the most significant investments in "going green" one can make is to purchase an energy smart HVAC unit. The most widely known energy smart appliances are certified as "Energy Star". What does this mean? Basically, in its simplest terms, this means that the unit passes certain qualifications laid forth by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) that ensures the appliance is using fewer resources, and thus conserving energy. The requirements for each appliance will vary (ie a dishwasher will have different requirements that need to be met in order to be Energy Star qualified than an air conditioning unit).
By purchasing an Energy Star certified unit, you can drastically reduce your energy consumption by 7% -10%. Energy Star units' dual compressors make them one of the quickest and most efficient HVAC appliances in use today. It is considered to be 14% more efficient that a non-Energy Star qualified unit.
There are other options that directly affect your HVAC unit's efficiency, but do not necessarily have anything to do with the unit itself. By using "green" materials and construction methods, you can make your HVAC unit even more efficient in its job. For example, by using high density insulation, you close a lot of "gaps" that exist in your home, which allows the heated or cooled air to escape, and allows the undesirable climate of the outside in. In fact, it has been said that homes that use high density insulation consume 20-40% less energy than homes that use conventional insulation methods. By sealing up these leaks, you absolutely plug up your HVAC leaks. You can imagine what the combination of an Energy Star HVAC unit and high density insulation does to your energy use and savings over a period of time. Many times, the cost of the units and insulation pay for themselves over the course of just a few years.