When you size your room for an air conditioner, or when a professional uses energy calculators to size a room for cooling system installation, there is a hidden variable that everyone misses – even the pros.
Do you know what it is?
The answer is people. People and to a lesser extent, pets.
In other words, the occupants of the house.
I’m not talking about your energy habits, like keeping the thermostat in check and weatherproofing your windows – though that is important.
There is actually a more obvious but “hidden” component we all forget …

As the weather continues to heat up, most folks are turning on their air conditioners. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing per se, athough it will surely force electric bills to creep higher (and possibly spiral out of control). I think most of us would rather get a similar cooling effect without taking the huge hit on our energy bills. Considering that wall or window units can consume 500 watts of power easily (for a small unit), its only wise to consider at least some alternatives to air conditioning.
Note: Please …

There is this almost fanatical belief amongst homeowners that their home must be energy efficient so they can reduce their energy bills. Unfortunately,this is the wrong approach to take. You improve your home, you increase energy efficiency so that you can live comfortably. Then the energy saving comes naturally afterwards. Think of it as comfortable living = energy saving.
The two paths two sometimes cross. For example, in the winter or colder months, if the weather is particularly cold outside one day, you may not be comfortable in your house with …

Welcome to the July 1, 2009 edition of summer cooling and air conditioning.

Dave Andersen presents How a professional contractor chooses a room air conditioner that won?t rip you off posted at Free Home Energy Saving Tips, saying, “post talks about sizing a room for air conditioner use”

Matt Henterly presents Average Home Electricity Usage posted at The EcoBlog, saying, “Reports from several unique sources of the average monthly electricity usage for U.S. homes. Helps consumers find where they rank vs. the “average” as part of an overall conservation plan.”

That concludes this …