Installing and maintaining an air conditioner correctly can help increase its efficiency. According to the Department of Energy, replacing and cleaning the filter regularly can reduce energy consumption by 5 to 15 percent. Additionally, you can save up to 10 percent on home comfort costs by turning the thermostat back 7 to 10 degrees for 8 hours a day. These professional tips will help you keep energy costs low during the summer.
If you decide it's time to upgrade your thermostat or need online air conditioning installation, we can help you select the right option for your home. All of our services are protected by a 100% satisfaction guarantee. As summer approaches, managing energy consumption and rising electricity bills become a major concern for condo and community associations. With air conditioners working hard to keep up with the heat, association boards must find ways to reduce costs and conserve energy.
Fortunately, there are several steps your condo or community association can take to ensure responsible energy consumption and lower electricity bills. An energy management plan is one way to achieve this. Many cities across the country have implemented energy plans and programs to improve energy efficiency and reduce costs in their communities. For example, the city of Miami has created BE305, an initiative to increase energy and water efficiency in large public and private buildings. As a board member, you want to create a plan that keeps electricity costs low while keeping your common areas comfortable.
You can save money and operate your condo or community association more efficiently with the right plan. Here are 3 tips to get you started: An energy audit, also known as an energy assessment, evaluates your building's infrastructure and helps you identify inefficiencies. A qualified professional such as an energy auditor or certified energy manager will visit the facilities during an energy audit. Audits usually begin with a review of your community's utility bills, which give auditors an idea of their community's energy use. The auditors will then take a tour and point out areas with leaks or poor insulation.
They will check equipment such as the heat pump, furnace, air filter, air conditioning and other building systems to make sure they are working properly. After the inspection, energy auditors will provide their board with detailed test reports and results. This is where they will address energy waste behaviors and recommend energy saving strategies. A comprehensive and robust energy audit must consider the short- and long-term financial benefits for your community and provide easy, cost-effective, and energy-saving solutions. Your property management company can recommend a reliable energy auditor. Benchmarking involves tracking and reporting on what similar communities spend on electricity, gas, and water to identify opportunities for improvement.
It consists of collecting data before and after implementing efficiency measures so that your community has a clear idea of what you are saving. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, buildings that comply with standards reduce energy use by an average of 2.4% per year. A strong property management company can help you find a comparable community that has implemented energy efficiency measures so you can compare how your energy consumption and costs compare. Properties managed by FirstService Residential have access to FirstService Energy, said Katharine Effron, vice president of FirstService Residential. FirstService Energy offers energy assessment and benchmarking services to help associations manage their energy consumption and the costs generated.
For more information on benchmarking, read The Definitive Guide to Florida and Georgia Condominium & HOA Operating Spend Vol. In South Florida, the heating season is so limited that a pure air conditioner with electrical resistance heating, while much less efficient than a heat pump, does not create a significant difference in annual HVAC energy use. Minisplits are ductless and can be installed in different areas, making them an option for replacing a central air conditioning unit. The energy-saving features of newer air conditioning systems are a great way to keep your electricity bill low.
