BRE, working with a group of industry and property representatives, have developed a simple method for assessing the likely energy efficiency of air conditioned and mechanically ventilated buildings. For new buildings, the method uses information available at the early design stages. It therefore provides designers with a tool to assess the implications of various plant and envelope options from the beginning. It can be used as a label or target for energy efficiency and, as such, as a means of assessing buildings in both voluntary systems such as BREEAM or perhaps in Building Regulations.
Thermal Energy Storage (TES) technologies particularly chilled water storage are being applied increasingly by Services Engineers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to reduce electrical demand and lower energy consumption in buildings. This development has received added impetus by the introduction in 1995 of the Load Reduction Programme by the electricity supply authority. The programme aims at managing the shortfall between available electrical supplies and the rapidly increasing demand.
Two residential sized air conditioners were tested in psychrometric rooms at reduced evaporator airflows ranging from 0 to 50% below that recommended by the manufacture of each of the units. Outdoor temperatures ranged from 35 to 49 °C. One of the units used a thermal expansion valve for flow control while the other unit used in short tube orifice. Performance of the units was quantified by the capacity, power, coefficient of performance, and sensible heat ratio.
There are many hurdles in the road to widespread adoption of energy-efficient heating and cooling (HVAC) equipment in homes. These hurdles include increased first cost, lack of sufficient financing, historic lack of aggressive marketing by HVAC equipment dealers, and lack of consumer awareness. This paper reports on the design and progress of the ENERGY STAR market-based approach to overcome these hurdles to encourage the widespread manufacture and purchase of highly efficient heating and cooling equipment.
Since the combustion of fossil fuels is the leading causative factor in global climate change, the "Westernmodel'' of adopting energy-using technologies and using ever-greater amounts of energy will have important consequences for the future of human life on the planet if it is transferred on a wholesale basis to the developing world. It is thus important to Uy to understand, in the context of global development.
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