How energy saving can be achieved in buildings by using efficient space

cooling equipments in Pakistan?

Heating and cooling of any space may be the biggest user of energy. In Pakistan there are four seasons per year
and summer season constitutes months from May to September. Sometimes in summer the temperature
reaches 50˚C in most part of the country. In that situation the use of cooling devices are inevitable inside any
given space. Space may be a single room or many rooms in a building. As we know that buildings are built to
provide a safe and comfortable internal environment despite variations in external conditions. To maintain the
comfortable internal conditions in the extreme outside conditions during summer, we have to provide that
space with some cooling devices.

These cooling devices require energy for their operation. There are many cooling devices like fans, air
conditioners, evaporative or room coolers, solar coolers etc. While searching for cooling devices one should go
for reliable and best performing equipment in a sense that it provides you full comfort but energy consumption
should be such that your wallet also remain cool.

Although many people think that best cooling can only be achieved through air conditioner but there many
alternatives that provide cooling with less energy use. In addition  a combination of proper insulation, energy-
efficient windows and doors, day lighting, shading, and ventilation will usually keep homes cool with a low
amount of energy use in all but the hottest climates. But I will not consider these factors because my topic is
only related to cooling equipments.

In Pakistan the living condition of a small portion has improved and air conditioners have been used by more
and more families however as a result of lot of power consumption electricity producers are facing problems in
supplying constant power.

Ceiling and stand fans, table fans are mostly used for cooling purposes inside buildings. And industrial strength
high powered fans are used for cooling purposes inside industrial buildings.

Some families with moderate economy also use room or evaporative coolers. But evaporative or room coolers
consume much more electricity than fans.

Fans, room cooler and air conditioners are generally used for space cooling in Pakistan. The use of these
equipments is unavoidable in summer season due to extreme condition. But on the other hand we have to
introduce such devices in Pakistan which are reliable, cost effective, and energy efficient.

My topic is “How energy can be saved in Pakistan by using efficient space cooling devices?”

Outlines:

I will discuss the following factors and how energy can be saved using these devices.

 Use thermostat to save energy.

  Use ceiling fans.
 Use of evaporative coolers
 How to save energy while using Air conditioner?
 Utilization of Wind energy in Space cooling

Use of Thermostat:

When people turn on cooling devices like air conditioners, room coolers etc, they keep them turn on at the same
temperature the whole night or day. Although the temperature is below the comfort zone but they will not turn
off that cooling device. But now this aim can also be achieved by installing thermostat inside your space which
may be room or hall etc. you connect your cooling device with thermostat and command it your desired
temperature. The thermostat will sense the temperature of the space and will operate the cooling device
according to that. The definition of thermostat is given as:

A thermostat is a component of a control system which senses the temperature of a system so that the system's
temperature is maintained near a desired set point. The thermostat does this by switching heating or cooling
devices on or off, or regulating the flow of a heat transfer fluid as needed, to maintain the correct temperature.

For example you can easily save energy in summer by setting thermostat at warmer temperature when you are
away from home and at comfort temperature when you are at home. There are many programmable
thermostats which will change the temperature to lower one when you will return to home from work or
market.

In short setting up the thermostat will save energy and money for you.

Circulating Fans:

Secondly I will discuss circulating fans. Circulating fans include ceiling fans, table fans, floor fans, and fans
mounted to poles or walls. These fans create a wind chill effect that will make you more comfortable in your
home, even if it's also cooled by natural ventilation or air conditioning.

Ceiling fans are considered the most effective of these types of fans, because they effectively circulate the air in
a room.  If you use air conditioning, a ceiling fan will allow you to raise the thermostat setting about 4°F with no
reduction in comfort. In temperate climates, or during moderately hot weather, ceiling fans may allow you to
avoid using your air conditioner altogether. Install a fan in each room that needs to be cooled during hot
weather. Turn off ceiling fans when you leave a room; fans cool people, not rooms, by creating a wind chill
effect.

Ceiling fans are only appropriate in rooms with ceilings at least eight feet high. Fans work best when the blades
are 7 to 9 feet above the floor and 10 to 12 inches below the ceiling. Fans should be installed so their blades are
no closer than 8 inches from the ceiling and 18 inches from the walls.

Larger ceiling fans can move more air than smaller fans. A 36- or 44-inch diameter fan will cool rooms up to 225
square feet, while fans that are 52 inches or more should be used in larger rooms. Multiple fans work best in
rooms longer than 18 feet. Small- and medium-sized fans will provide efficient cooling in a 4- to 6-foot diameter
area, while larger fans are effective up to 10 feet.

A larger blade will also provide comparable cooling at a lower velocity than a smaller blade. This may be
important in areas where loose papers or other objects will be disturbed by a strong breeze. The fan should also
be fitted to the aesthetics of the room—a large fan may appear overpowering in a small room.

Window fans use little energy and can provide effective cooling in many climates. Window fans are best used in
windows facing away from the prevailing wind and exhausting hot air from your home. To cool as much of your
home as possible, tightly close windows near the fan and open windows in rooms far from the fan, preferably on
the windward side of your home. Windows near cooler, shaded outdoor areas provide the best intake air.

In multi-level houses, the fan should be located on the upper level, if possible, and the open windows should be
located on a lower level. If that's not practical, you may want to independently ventilate each level of your home
with separate fans.

Depending on the layout of your home, you might want to use several window fans working together to pull the
air through your home. For instance, fans in several upstairs bedrooms will assure that each bedroom is cooled,
and will work together to pull air in through the rest of your home.

Evaporating Coolers:

If you live in a warm, dry climate, you can save money on utility bills and stay comfortable during the cooling
season by installing an evaporative cooler.

Evaporative coolers add humidity to indoor air, a benefit in dry, warm climates.

Unlike air conditioners that re circulates air, an evaporative cooler adds fresh air to your home.

In low-humidity areas, evaporating water into the air provides a natural and energy-efficient means of cooling.
Evaporative coolers, also called swamp coolers, rely on this principle, cooling outdoor air by passing it over
water-saturated pads, causing the water to evaporate into it. The 15°- to 40°F-cooler air is then directed into the
home, and pushes warmer air out through windows.

When operating an evaporative cooler, windows are opened part way to allow warm indoor air to escape as it is
replaced by cooled air. Unlike central air conditioning systems that re circulates the same air, evaporative
coolers provide a steady stream of fresh air into the house.
Evaporative coolers cost about one-half as much to install as central air conditioners and use about one-quarter
as much energy. However, they require more frequent maintenance than refrigerated air conditioners and
they're suitable only for areas with low humidity.
Evaporative coolers are rated by the cubic feet per minute (cfm) of air that they deliver to the house. Most
models range from 3,000 to 25,000 cfm. Manufacturers recommend providing enough air-moving capacity for
20 to 40 air changes per hour, depending on climate.

Evaporative coolers are installed in one of two ways: the cooler blows air into a central location, or the cooler
connects to ductwork, which distributes the air to different rooms. Central-location installations work well for
compact houses that are open from room to room. Ducted systems are required for larger houses with hallways
and multiple bedrooms.

Most people install down-flow evaporative coolers on the roofs of their houses. However, many experts prefer
to install ground-mounted horizontal units, which feature easier maintenance and less risk of roof leaks.

Small horizontal-flow coolers are installed in windows to cool a room or section of a home. These portable
evaporative coolers work well in moderate climates, but may not be able to cool a room adequately in hot
climates. Room evaporative coolers are becoming more popular in areas of the western United States with
milder summer weather. They can reduce the temperature in a single room by 5° to 15°F.

Small, portable evaporative coolers on wheels are now available as well. Although the units have the advantage
of portability, their cooling ability is limited by the humidity within your home. Generally, these units will
provide only a slight cooling effect.

Evaporative cooler should have at least two speeds and a vent-only option. During vent-only operation, the
water pump does not operate and the outdoor air is not humidified. This lets you use the evaporative cooler as
a whole-house fan during mild weather.
Control the cooler's air movement through the house by adjusting window openings. Open the windows or
vents on the leeward side of the house to provide 1 to 2 square feet of opening for each 1,000 cfm of cooling
capacity. If the windows are not open far enough, humidity will build up in the home.

You can regulate both temperature and humidity by opening windows in the areas you want to cool, and closing
windows in unoccupied areas. Where open windows create a security issue, install up-ducts in the ceiling. Up-
ducts open to exhaust warm air into the attic as cooler air comes in from the evaporative cooler. Evaporative
coolers installed with up-ducts will need additional attic ventilation.

Optional filters remove most of the dust from incoming air -- an attractive option for homeowners concerned
about allergies. Filters can also reduce the tendency of some coolers to pull water droplets from the pads into
the blades of the fan. Most evaporative coolers do not have air filters as original equipment, but they can be
fitted to the cooler during or after installation.

Two-stage evaporative coolers are newer and even more efficient. They use a pre-cooler, more effective pads,
and more efficient motors, and don't add as much humidity to the home as single-stage evaporative coolers.
Because of their added expense, they are most often used in areas where daytime temperatures frequently
exceed 100°F.

Evaporative coolers should not be used in humid climates because they add humidity to the air in your home.
Also, they cool your house down to a higher temperature than an air conditioner would, and they require simple
maintenance about once a month. If the cooler is installed on the roof, there is some roof deterioration caused
by routine maintenance trips. A sunlit rooftop cooler will be about 1°F less effective than a shaded cooler.
Rooftop maintenance also requires using a ladder, which may be an inconvenience.

By their nature, evaporative coolers also continually use water. In areas with limited water supplies,
homeowners may be concerned about the water-use impact of adding an evaporative cooler.

Air Conditioners:

An air conditioner uses energy -- usually electricity -- to transfer heat from the interior of your home to the
relatively warm outside environment.

Two-thirds of all homes in the United States have air conditioners. Air conditioners use about 5% of all the
electricity produced in the United States, at an annual cost of more than $11 billion to homeowners. Switching
to high-efficiency air conditioners and taking other actions to keep your home cool could reduce energy use for
air conditioning by 20% to 50%.

Wind Turbine cooling:

Wind turbine is coupled with cooling equipment. It is efficient but expensive. It has high initial cost but it has low
maintenance cost and no fuel bills.

Evaporative cooling air conditioning systems used in China, including all air central evaporative cooling
systems, air–water semi-central evaporative cooling systems and hybrid desiccant dehumidification and
evaporative cooling systems. Their environmental impacts and energy saving potential are also discussed.

Evaporative cooling is an environmentally friendly and energy efficient air conditioning technology. The
research and applications reviewed in this paper have promoted the application of evaporative cooling
systems in China to a significant extent in the past 20–30 years. Evaporative cooling can be utilized in a
wide variety of climates, making them ideal for China, which has a hot and dry north and a hot and
humid south. China boasts more than 100 patents and hundreds of evaporative cooling projects
nationwide.

So, in this era of power shortage we have to go for energy efficient devices. Even power rich countries like USA,
European countries, Australia, Russia etc are also concern about energy problems. And the above suggestions
are also from the experts of the above said countries. I discussed cooling devices like fans, room coolers, Air
conditioners because these are commonly used in Pakistan. Modern space cooling technologies are also on the
way but they will take time to be common even in developed countries so it is waste of time to discuss those
technologies. So I concentrate my essay on how to made already installed cooling devices more energy efficient.

References:
(1)Revisiting cooling energy requirements of residential buildings in Portugal in light of climate change

By Marta J.N. Oliveira Panão

(2)Combined space cooling and water heating system for Hong Kong residences

By Hua Chen, W.L. Lee

(3)Minimising energy usage for domestic cooling with off-peak PCM storage

By F. Bruno, N.H.S. Tay, M. Belusko

(4)Research and applications of evaporative cooling in China: A review (II)—Systems

And equipment

Y.M. Xuana,b, F. Xiaoa,∗, X.F. Niua,c, X. Huangb, S.W. Wanga

(5)Decoupling dehumidification and cooling for energy saving and desirable space

Air conditions in hot and humid Hong Kong

By W.L. Leea, Hua Chenb, Y.C. Leunga, Y. Zhang

(6) Utilization of wind energy in space heating and cooling with hybrid HVAC systems and heat pumps

Ibrahim B. Kilkis

(7) http://energy.gov/energysaver/articles/thermostats

(8)http://energy.gov/energysaver/energy-saver