Climate change has made average temperatures in various regions, including tropical countries such as Indonesia, increased rapidly. Thus, the use of air conditioners increases significantly. With the use of eco-friendly AC, we can maintain a comfortable temperature inside the building without compromising energy efficiency.
Here are some facts about eco-friendly AC and its benefits for Offices Buildings that apply Green Building concepts.
Here are five main features of Eco Friendly Air Conditioners.
1. Inverter Technology
Inverter technology allows the compressor to adjust its speed based on the cooling or heating requirements, resulting in energy savings and better temperature control.
2. Low ODP Refrigerant
Consider Air Conditioners that use eco-friendly refrigerants such as R-410A or R-32. Not only are they environmentally friendly, these types of refrigerants are also energy saver. Because it uses 12% lower emission than the older types of refrigerants.
3. Programmable Thermostat
Using AC in a very low temperature for a long time consumes much energy. Choose an AC unit with a programmable thermostat or smart thermostat features. This allows you to set specific temperature schedules, adjust settings remotely, and optimize energy usage based on your needs. The ideal temperature for Indonesia based on GBCI data is 25°C ± 1°C.
4. Good Coefficient of Performance
AC performance is measured by the Coefficient of Performance or COP to calculate comparisons between the generated temperature and the required electricity. An eco-friendly AC will have a good COP score because it does not require too much electricity to cool the room effectively. Look for types or brands with high efficiency energy ratings such as Star Energy certification. This certifies the AC is designed to consume less energy while providing efficient cooling or heating.
5. Schedule Program
Excessive use of air conditioners can contribute to wastage of electricity. To prevent this, eco-friendly air conditioners have a scheduling system that will turn on or off on certain days and hours automatically.
How Eco-Friendly Air Conditioning Contributes to a Successful Green Building.
Here are the benefits for an office building that uses eco-friendly air conditioning system towards Green Building :
1. Save Energy
Since an eco-friendly air conditioning system uses inverter technology that allows the compressor to adjust its speed based on the cooling or heating requirements, the overall use of energy will be reduced. Study shows that inverter AC units consume 100-500 watt less energy than conventional AC. With this we already contribute to saving the environment.
2. Maintain Comfort Efficiently
There are types of eco-friendly AC that are mini-split that do not use pipe lines. These types of cooling systems are beneficial for an office that wants to be more specific of their room temperature area. Mini-split AC can cool a specific area without affecting the air temperature elsewhere.
3. Reduce Noise Pollutant
Depending on the type and age, conventional air conditioners have a noise unit of 55 up to 70 decibels equivalent to a dishwasher and normal volume conversation. Using it for a long time can cause noise pollution disturbing comfort, in contrast to environmentally friendly AC. Greener air conditioners will generally only operate at 25 decibels equivalent whisper.
It is inevitable that air conditioning will continue to be a major need for building offices especially in tropical countries, like Indonesia. Therefore, we should consider air conditioning that is environmentally friendly to counteract the adverse effects of climate change with a green strategy building and prioritizing employee comfort at the same time.