One way to reduce energy consumption in our buildings is to utilize Carbon Dioxide (CO2) monitors. Carbon Dioxide is what people exhale when breathing and what plants use for energy production through photosynthesis. Carbon Dioxide monitors read the air in conditioned spaces for CO2 concentration levels. The more CO2 in a building, the less room there will be for oxygen. An enclosed occupied space needs to have a certain amount of fresh air introduced to the conditioned space or the CO2 levels would increase to dangerous levels, leading to headaches and other air quality problems. This fresh air keeps oxygen levels high. Air conditioning systems have fresh air intakes that bring outside air into the unit and mix it with the return air before sending it back to the conditioned space as conditioned air. But how much outside air is enough? Most standard applications require 15% to 20% of the supply air from an A/C unit be from fresh air.
In Florida, the fresh air that is brought into the A/C system is hot and humid. The warmer and more humid the outside air, the more energy is required to cool and dry it out. Whereas dry, cool air requires only a small energy requirement to properly condition; warm, humid air requires a much higher energy requirement to bring the same amount of air down to desired conditions. A building’s temperature control system can monitor the amount of CO2 in the building and keep the outside air coming into the A/C unit at a minimum, thereby reducing energy costs. As the CO2 levels rise as a result of occupancy, the control system can open a damper in the A/C unit’s return plenum and allow more oxygen rich fresh air into the system. As the CO2 level drops, the damper will close appropriately. The outside air can be regulated constantly and incrementally by monitoring the CO2 level. Instead of leaving the outside air damper at a constant setting or even hooking it up to a timer based on levels of high and low use, it can be controlled by CO2 levels and monitored constantly.
ConServ Building Services, LLC provides excellent commercial HVAC, refrigeration, plumbing, and general construction services to businesses across the Southeastern United States. To learn more about ConServ, visit www.conservonline.com.