New Portable Air Conditioner Standards

New air conditioning standards have a lot of people talking. The Natural Resources Defense Council takes a look at this in a recent article titled “Proposed Portable Air Conditioner Standards: Not as Cool as They Could Be.”

Lauren Urbanek of the NRDC writes, “Using a portable air conditioner could soon be a little cooler on your wallet, thanks to new federal energy efficiency standards proposed this week by the Department of Energy. This is the first time that the standalone, moveable units that are not permanently installed in walls and windows will be required to operate with at least a minimum level of energy efficiency and savings. Until now, portable air conditioners have never been subject to an efficiency standard, and their performance has fallen behind other types of cooling equipment. Consumer Reports considers this equipment to be the ‘cooling choice of last resort’ because they’re most often used in situations where central air conditioners aren’t present and window units can’t be used and, in some cases, may even heat the room more. All of the mechanical portions of the equipment sit inside the room you’re trying to cool. Since conditioned air from the room is also used to cool the condenser and the hot air is then vented through an exhaust hose out a window, the machinery creates negative pressure in the room you’re cooling. This means that in some cases, warm air from the outside or other surrounding rooms is brought into the room with the portable air conditioner. Nearly a million portable air conditioners were purchased in 2012, and that number is expected to increase by almost 80 percent by 2018 so the action by the Department of Energy (DOE) is well-warranted. While the proposed standard released this week is a step forward for consumers, it unfortunately leaves a significant amount of potential savings on the table. The standard level chosen by DOE was less stringent than some of the more aggressive (yet still cost-effective) options available. Nonetheless, the proposal will still benefit customers who replace their old portable air conditioners: residential customers can expect to save about $144 on their cooling bills over the lifetime of the product, and commercial customers will save almost $300. Over the next 30 years, DOE says, this standard will save 37.7 million metric tons of carbon pollution, which is equivalent to the annual emissions of nearly 8 million passenger vehicles, all while contributing to President Obama’s commitment to save 3 billion metric tons of carbon emissions from standards by 2030.”

When it comes to portable air conditioners, we’ve got you covered at AC World. Our ductless mini split air conditioner is a cost effective alternative to central air conditioning. Yes, it is slightly more than the typically wall or window air conditioner, but the minor additional cost is easily and quickly recouped in energy savings and home security. For example, since the compressor sits on the outside, the ductless mini split air conditioner is very quiet and efficient. Furthermore, they avoid the energy losses associated with the ductwork of central forced air systems.

Whatever portable air conditioner needs you might have, look no further than our team at AC World!