How to Keep Cool Without Turning Down the A/C

We got a question from a writer named Sara Novak who's writing a story for One Million Acts of Green with ideas for staying cool this Summer without turning your thermostat down. Green Building Council member and Immediate Past Chairman Mark Bostic of Square One Designs answered with this:

1. Q: How can fans help keep things cool? How should they be set up in the home? A: Fans are great and they keep you cool by moving around the air, but I think the top levels of technology would be the archaic ceiling fan or attic fan already in use. If I was looking for either one, I'd get an Energy Star model, so it would be the most efficient.

2. Q: Are there more efficient AC systems? A: Yes there are more efficient AC systems. The way you compare units for their cooling ability is by SEER. Higher the number, better the efficiency. The untold part of the story is the ductwork. If your ducts leak, all of the efficiency of your unit is essentially wasted. And the worst part is it's invisible, so you can't see it, and neither can your HVAC guy, no matter what he tells you. The only way to find out is to test it with the tools an energy rater uses. The test is much cheaper than the unit you're putting in, too.

3. Q: Do you have other ideas for reducing AC costs? A: While you're testing the ductwork, the same guy can test your bulding envelope. Now that you've got the air that leaks from the ductwork, you need to address the air that leaks from the house itself. Door and window penetrations, under the baseboards, out of the attic stair hole and through plumbing penetrations and can lights. Sealing these spots makes your home use less BTUHs of AC so the unit can be smaller and still work. As with ductwork you can't see it so the only way to know for sure is to test before and after.

I know this stuff might not be as interesting or cool as the public may want it to be, but believe me, take these steps and other like these, and instead of saving money by not being comfortable, you can save extraordinary amounts of electricity and maintain complete or even more comfort than before.

Mark Bostic, CGP
Square One Design Service
www.squareoneplans.com