This little solar gadget uses evaporative cooling to cut AC costs up to 30% By adapting a proven technology used in commercial AC units to home central air conditioners, Mistbox increases the efficiency of the units, saving up to 30% on AC costs.As we get closer to summer, keeping the inside of our homes cool begins to be one of our priorities, but running an AC unit to do so can come at a high cost, not just in money, but also in energy. AC costs can quickly add up during hot weather, but there's a way to decrease those costs using just water, and it doesn't involve a swamp cooler or increasing the humidity within your home.One of the issues with central air conditioning units is the fact that during the times when you need it the most, the condenser unit, which sits outside the home, is forced to use the hot outside air to cool off the refrigerant. This leads to a harder-working AC unit and increased power consumption, which in turn translates into higher costs. However, by pre-cooling the immediate area around the condenser unit with a fine mist of water, AC units can run more efficiently, which reduces both power consumption and costs.

Mistbox, which promises a quick and easy 5-minute installation, along with a set-it-and-forget-it computer-optimized control system, is a small solar-powered misting unit that mounts to the outside of the AC condenser, enabling the condenser to pull in cooler air for its operation during hot days. According to the company, this can reduce AC costs anywhere from 20-40%, right from the get-go, and can pay for itself within the first season of use.Here's how it works:Because the water mist merely cools the outside condenser unit, it doesn't enter the home's air supply, so humidity levels won't rise inside the home (which might be a boon in arid regions, but is completely undesirable in humid areas). And the company says that because the mist from the units is a 'fine spray' and the unit only runs when conditions require it (based on the temperature settings for the unit), "not much water is used," amounting to just pennies per day.Mistbox retails for $399, and in the US, qualifies for the 30% residential energy tax credit.

Find out more at Mistbox. Asked on: July 5, 2013 by Question via Facebook Is it more economical to turn the A/C up during the day and down at night, or leave it at the same temperature all day? The urban myth that you should leave your thermostat at the same temperature all the time has been around for decades. The truth is, it takes a lot of energy for your air conditioner to run all day, maintaining an inside temperature that’s significantly lower than the outside temperature. best heating ac unitsOn the other hand, if you set your thermostat higher in the morning, the unit will run less during the day, saving you money on your FPL bill. ac unit for a vanEven if the air conditioner has to catch up when you bring the temperature back down later, it is still more economical to keep your thermostat set higher during the day.ac unit winter

By the same logic, if you are in the habit of lowering the thermostat before bedtime because you prefer a cooler room while you sleep, your cooling costs increase by up to 5% for every degree you lower the temperature! To use less air conditioning at night, turn on ceiling fans – they make you feel cooler even though they aren’t technically cooling the house. Of course, when heating in winter, lowering the thermostat setting saves you money because your heater runs less. Saving energy in your home doesn’t require a major investment of money or time. Follow these low-cost (or even no-cost!) efficiency tips and you’ll see a difference in your electric bill. Scroll down to find helpful energy-saving suggestions for each of the following categories: During the summer months, costs associated with keeping your home comfortably cool can make up around 55% of your electric bill. Here’s how to stay cool and save. When cold weather sets in, heating your home can account for up to 52% of your total energy bill.

Here are some ideas for managing your electric use. Whether for cooking, bathing, laundry, dishwashing, or other uses, about 15 to 20% of your monthly energy use goes toward water heating. These ideas can save you money. Lighting typically accounts for about eight to 10 percent of the average electric bill. Follow these tips to trim those costs. Your refrigerator is typically one of the most expensive home appliances to operate. Here are some helpful ideas to reduce running costs. Typical four-person households wash nearly 400 loads of laundry per year. Conventional washers use 40-50 gallons of water per load, while high-efficiency washers use as little as one-third that amount. Here are some easy ways to reduce the energy needed on laundry day. There are ways to make cooking and baking easier on your electric bill. Here are a few of them. Roughly 70 – 80% of the energy required to wash dishes goes to heating water. Follow these suggestions to help your dishwasher run more efficiently.

All the many devices we use to inform and entertain ourselves—and communicate with others—require electricity. These tips will help you manage this rapidly developing area of energy use. These suggestions may not fall neatly within a particular category, but they can sure help you save on your monthly energy bill.A ductless heating and cooling system is a highly efficient zonal heating and cooling system that does not require the use of air ducts. Ductless systems consist of an outdoor compressor unit and one or more indoor air-handling units, called “heads,” linked by a dedicated refrigerant line. Indoor heads are typically mounted high on a wall covering a three-inch hole where the refrigerant line passes through from the outside unit, which is mounted at the base of the house. Each indoor head corresponds with a heating and cooling zone that can be controlled independently. Displacing an existing zonal heating systemDuctless systems are ideal for replacing or supplementing baseboard, wall and ceiling heat, wood stoves, electric furnaces and other electric plug-in space heaters, such as those using propane or kerosene.

A cost-effective solution for a small electrically heated home may consist of a single-zone system serving the main area of the house, with existing electric baseboards remaining in bedrooms and bathrooms.Room additionsA ductless system can also be an ideal solution for a room added onto a house or an attic converted a to living space. Rather than extending the home’s existing ductwork or pipes, or adding electric resistance heaters, the ductless system will provide efficient heating and cooling. Please note that homes that are not primarily electrically heated may not be eligible for utility incentives; check with your electric utility for incentive eligibility requirements.New constructionNew home designs can be adapted to take advantage of a ductless system’s many benefits. Two or more systems can be installed in various zones of the house to simplify installation and minimize refrigerant line length. Please note that homes under construction are generally not eligible for utility incentives, though complete/permitted for occupancy homes are now eligible for incentives in most utility territories;

check with your electric utility for incentive eligibility requirements. Ductless heating and cooling systems are reversible, two-way heat pumps that transfer heat between outdoor and indoor air by compressing and expanding refrigerant. Using a refrigerant vapor compression cycle, like a common household refrigerator, ductless systems collect heat from outside the house and deliver it inside the house on the heating cycle, and vice versa on the cooling cycle. Ductless systems use variable speed compressors with inverter technology (AC to DC) in order to continuously match the heating/cooling load, avoiding inefficient on/off cycling of conventional electric resistance and central heating systems commonly associated with uncomfortable temperature variations and high energy consumption.Ductless systems consist of several parts, including:An outdoor unit that contains a condensing coil, an inverter-driven variable speed compressor, an expansion valve and a fan to cool the condenser coilAn indoor unit that contains an evaporator and a quiet oscillating fan to distribute air throughout the living spaceA refrigerant line-set that is made of insulated copper tubing and is housed in a conduit alongside a power cable

, and a condensation drainA remote control that can be used to set the desired temperature and program for nighttime settingsThe system is controlled via a remote control that changes temperature and operation mode. Wall-mounted and wi-fi enabled controls are also available. While a ductless system can be used as a primary heat source, homeowners are encouraged to keep their existing electric heating units as supplementary heating in case of extreme weather conditions or for use in hard-to-reach extremities of the home. Ductless systems are highly efficient, using 25 to 50 percent less energy than zonal heat types, such as baseboard, wall and ceiling heat or electric forced-air furnaces. Three key factors account for the high efficiency of a ductless system:1. Ductless systems allow the user to control each heating and cooling zone independently, eliminating the costly overheating and over-cooling common to central air systems. You no longer need to pay to heat or cool unoccupied rooms.2.

While central air systems lose as much as 30 percent of their efficiency through air leaks and conduction in the ductwork, ductless systems distribute air directly to each zone, resulting in 25 percent greater efficiency. Ductless systems use inverter-driven, variable speed compressors that allow the system to maintain constant indoor temperatures by running continuously at higher or lower speeds. Thus, the system can ramp-up or down without great losses in operating efficiency, avoiding the energy intensive on/off cycling common in electric heating systems.3. Modern ductless systems have extremely good Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratios, or SEER, between 16 and 22, and Heating Seasonal Performance Factors, or HSPF, that range from 9 to 12 or greater. Ductless heating and cooling systems were developed in Japan in the 1970s and have since become a preferred heating and cooling system throughout Asia and much of Europe. In the United States, ductless systems have been used in commercial applications for over 20 years.

The average cost of an installed ductless system with a single indoor heating/cooling head is between $3,000 and $5,000. Additional heads and greater heating capacities will increase the cost of the system. Other factors that will affect the cost of an installed system include manufacturer and model, geographical location, refrigerant line-set length, difficulty of installation and installer rates. Many utilities in the Northwest offer customers incentives as high as $1,500 for upgrading an existing electric heating system to a ductless system. Interest-free financing may also be available. Check with your local electric utility for details.Visit our utility incentives page for a listing of incentives that may be available in your area.Federal tax credits and additional incentivesResidential energy tax credits for high-efficiency heating, cooling and water heating equipment may be available for qualified equipment. For more information and for a list of qualified ductless systems, visit the ENERGY STAR® website.

MontanaThe Montana Energy Conservation Installation Credit provides a tax credit for 25 percent of the cost of a ductless heating and cooling system, with a maximum credit of $500 per individual and up to $1,000 for a married couple filing jointly.OregonEffective January 1, 2013, qualified equipment is eligible for a $350 to $1,500 tax credit from the Oregon Department of Energy. To review qualified equipment and incentives for ductless systems, visit the Oregon Department of Energy’s website.Additional resourcesVisit the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency for a comprehensive list of incentives that support energy efficiency in the United States. With proper maintenance and care, a ductless system should perform for over 20 years. Many of the systems installed during the 1980s are still functioning well today. Check manufacturer guidelines for proper maintenance of your system or reference our Ductless Homeowner’s Guide. Ductless systems require basic maintenance to ensure optimum performance, though periodic professional servicing of your system is recommended.

In most cases, ductless system maintenance is limited to keeping filters and coils clean, and these tasks can easily be performed by the homeowner. For more information, download our Ductless Homeowner’s Guide or refer to the manufacturer’s maintenance guidelines for your system. Ductless systems are sized to meet the heating and cooling needs of a home’s individual zones. There is a great deal of flexibility when it comes to system sizing as one indoor unit can provide between ¾ and 2½ tons of heating and cooling depending on its BTU capacity rating. Some common capacities for indoor units are 9k, 12k 18k, 24k, and 30k BTU. Outdoor units are sized to meet the combined load of all heating and cooling zones. More than one outdoor unit may be necessary for multi-zone systems.Work with a qualified ductless Master Installer to make sure you are getting a properly sized system for the heating and cooling needs of your home. Installers in your area can be found here. A Master Installer has shown commitment and experience with ductless systems.