Savings on air conditioning, what does ventilation mean for our wallet?

One of the most important expenses on household bills is that of air conditioning. Whether in summer due to the use of air conditioning units or in winter when turning on the heating or stove. However, if we opt for the use of mechanical ventilation systems that renew the air, we can achieve greater savings on air conditioning. This way, we won't spend as much when temperatures are very high or particularly low.

Mechanical ventilation systems, especially the double flow, condition spaces differently than traditional methods. In the case of mechanical ventilation, stale air is extracted to then introduce fresh, renewed air. This results in an air exchange where the benefit translates in summer to cooling the rooms, in addition to taking care of our health. Explained in more detail:

• Double flow mechanical ventilation systems extract the air stored in our spaces. In summer, for example, it is responsible for extracting that air that has become stale indoors.
• The air it introduces from the outside is cooler, in addition to having been previously filtered to eliminate any contaminating particles it may carry. When the cold air from the home meets the warm air from outside in the ducts, the latter is tempered. The feeling of well-being is that if it's 30ºC outside, we maintain a cool 24ºC inside the home.
• If the outdoor air has a more pleasant temperature than the interior, as can happen on summer nights, the bypass that the system has will automatically activate. This cools the home, avoiding the use of air conditioning units.
• And in winter? All the heat we have inside the house would be recovered by crossing it with the air from outside. When the air crosses, it never mixes, but passes very close to each other, enough for the cold outdoor air to draw heat from the warm air we are expelling from the house. Additionally, a heat recovery unit can be installed.

This process is much more economical than the work done by any air conditioning or heating unit. Additionally, it is healthier, as it produces a renewal of the air, which comes filtered, and prevents outdoor pollution from entering our homes or the production of stale air.

What is the savings on air conditioning by using mechanical ventilation systems instead of traditional methods? Very large. With the consumption of a light bulb - that's what ventilation uses - we can recover 95% of the heat. Or keep the room cool in summer.

This means that for very little money it is possible to keep the house conditioned within normal levels, without it being too cold in summer or too warm in winter. With temperatures that are in line with energy efficiency.

Tips for energy savings in summer

In the immediate future, all houses will have to incorporate ventilation systems in order to be licensed, as required by the Nearly Zero Energy Building regulations that will be implemented in 2020.

If you still do not have a mechanical ventilation system in your home and this summer you are relying on an air conditioning unit, there are a series of tips you can apply, beyond learning to cool your home on summer nights.

Typically, older houses are the ones that suffer the most in summer. They are not airtight, and cold air leaks through the joints of the windows, walls, doors, and other places. If you have an air conditioning unit and want to use it less, you can try to see where the cold air is escaping from.

Turn on the air conditioning unit and set it to a very low temperature. When the room is cold, step outside of it and look for where the cold air is escaping. Simply, stand in front of doors or walls and see if you feel the low-temperature wind escaping from your room. You might be surprised that it is escaping through a closed window or a door. In that case, you can solve the problem. Changing doors and windows greatly improves conditioning, both for summer and winter.

If you use an air conditioning unit, try to set it to a higher temperature and the minimum ventilation. Or you can deactivate the cooling function and just let it ventilate; sometimes that's enough. Another simple resource if you don't have a ventilation system and are looking for savings on air conditioning? Create air currents by opening doors and windows, allowing air to flow from one place to another.