Air-conditioning can be one of the most expensive appliances to run in summer. If are going to use Air-Conditioning in Summer, make sure the room in sealed, the windows are covered and you have insulation in the ceiling.11. Air-Conditioning Tips Summer.Buy the right size air-con for your room (Not House-Unless its ducted-If buying ducted make sure it can be zoned).Buy an energy efficient inverter air-conditioner with a high star rating for knittingfabricfactory cooling and heating.Set the thermostat between 23 and 26 degrees. Every degree Celsius you set the a/c it increases your consumption by 10%Re-circulate cool air from inside instead of drawing hot air from outside. If the compressor is outside make sure it's not sitting exposed in the western sun.Make sure the windows have both internal and external shading.12. Air-Conditioning Tips Winter.Set the thermostat to 18-21 degreesWear warm clothes to insulate your body so you don't need mechanical heatingInsulate you space as with Air-conditioning in summer tips.Because hot air rises, if you have a ceiling fan you can turn it on the lowest setting in reverse as this actually pushed the warm air down towards the homes occupantsAvoid electric radiator heaters and electric fan heaters as they are massively expensive. You are better using reverse cycle air conditioning because its much cheaper. (Most people don't know this!)13.Insulation. Reflective foil type insulation is better in the sub-tropical climates such as Brisbane, whereas the thicker bulk insulation such as wool/fibreglass or polyester is better suited to the more temperate climates such as Toowoomba.14.Windows. There are plenty of things you can do to insulate your windows to stop the heat entering the dwelling during summer and keep it in winter. In summer it is important to keep the direct solar radiation off the east and west windows by vertical screening and keep it off the North facing windows with big eaves or horizontal shading. This is so you can let the sun in winter when it is lower in the sky. These are principles known as solar passive design.15. Hot Water. If you have an electric hot water system and you have it on the wrong tariff this can be the bulk of your bill. Generally your hot water should be on an off-peak tariff depending on your location and retail provider. Your hot water bill is normally a quarter of your electricity bill if the system is electric. If it is a newer Heat Pump it will be much less. The most efficient Water heating device is Solar Hot Water with a natural gas boost.These are just some of the generic energy saving tips that I have come across when performing household energy audits of which I find most people need help with. If you can reduce your daily consumption its going to make it allot easier to 1. Keep your bills down and 2. Make it easier for the Solar Panels to work and provide you with a bonus or credit on your next bill.One thing I forgot to mention was Panel care. Your panels should be kept free of dirt and grime as even dust on the panels can significantly reduce the panel's performance by sometimes up to 30% or more. I will look at the process of solar panel maintenance in my next article.
