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TIME TO ACT: Save 20% or more on HVAC. It’s important now more than ever for a sustainable future!
Optimizing PTAC units with a “smart” device is a fast, easy, and cost-effective way to achieve Residential HVAC Energy Savings. A Packaged Terminal Air Conditioner is a type of self-contained heating and air conditioning system commonly found in: Hotels, Motels, Senior Housing Facilities, Hospitals, Condominiums, Apartment Buildings, and Add-on Rooms & Sunrooms.
Business owners and homeowners face increasing challenges with energy costs to save energy and money in Iowa. PTAC Energy Saver offers an Adaptive Climate Controller (ACC). It is a proven HVAC energy saving device that quickly installs on PTAC units. There are many companies that claim to produce energy savings, but the ACC device is multi-panted and proven over many years. Plus, it has extensive validation tests by organizations such as:
- ConEdison, Manhattan Plaza New York City
- Environmental Test Laboratory, Ohio
- EME Consulting Engineers (Third Party), Sponsored by NYSERDA, New York
- State University of New York, Oneonta, NY
- Tim Garrison (Third Party Testing)
- McQuay Cooling Tests
- Purdue University Tests (Phoenix)
- ConEdison Tests by ERS
Typically, when an HVAC system turns off, shortly after, the blower fan motor turns off. The ACC reprograms the blower fan not to shut off but to throttle back the rpm airflow to an exceptionally low speed, quiescent level airflow or “idle speed”. This allows for a gentle but continuous air movement into the building that helps keep equilibrium of climate conditions in the occupied space and saved energy.
PTAC Energy Saver can help you navigate the complexity of HVAC energy saving choices: CONTACT PTAC Energy Saver
Here is an example of some Residential HVAC Energy Saving info for Iowa:
Digging into the benefits of geothermal systems
Later this spring, we’ll see farmers out in the fields digging into the earth to plant crops. The ground beneath us has incredible benefits. In fact, you can also harness the power of the earth to heat and cool your home renewably and efficiently.
Geothermal heating and cooling systems – also referred to as ground source heat pumps – use underground loops to take advantage of the constant temperature below ground to keep you comfortable. In the winter, the loop system removes heat from the ground and transfers it into your living space. In the summer, the loop system transfers warm energy from your home to be absorbed by the cooler ground.
A proven technology
Geothermal technology isn’t new; in fact, Iowa’s electric cooperatives have been promoting geothermal systems to members since the 1980s. Jim Sayers was one of those co-op employees who worked to educate members about the many benefits of geothermal throughout his 34-year career in communications and energy services at Corn Belt Power Cooperative. Headquartered in Humboldt, Corn Belt Power Cooperative is a generation and transmission electric cooperative owned by its member systems.
Sayers retired from the co-op in 2018 and found an opportunity to continue educating others about geothermal technology’s advantages as the cooperative engagement coordinator for the Geothermal Exchange Organization (GEO).
“You retire from a job, but you don’t retire from your passion. And my passion includes Iowa’s electric cooperatives and geothermal,” says Sayers.
Efficient, renewable energy
Geothermal systems are supremely efficient, renewable and will save homeowners substantially on heating and cooling costs, according to Sayers. The average savings of geothermal compared to an aging conventional HVAC system is around $1,400 annually, accounting for 40%-70% savings. And while the installation cost of a geothermal system is higher than conventional HVAC systems, it is so efficient that it can pay for itself in as little as five to seven years. Rates and incentives are important in determining payback.
“The good news is that there are federal and state tax credits available to help defray the installation costs,” says Sayers. “Currently, the federal tax credit for geothermal installation is 26%, and the Iowa tax credit is 20% of the federal credit, for a total tax credit of just over 31% of the geothermal installation cost in 2021.”
So why is the installation of a geothermal system higher than installing a conventional HVAC system? It comes down to the loops. An underground loop system needs to be trenched or drilled in your yard to take advantage of the earth’s constant temperature. Once installed, a water-based solution circulates through the loop system to transfer the heat energy. Electricity is needed to operate the heat pump, ground loop pump and distribution fan or pump.
Because it uses the earth, a geothermal system is the most efficient heating and cooling system. In fact, it is 400% more efficient than conventional HVAC systems. Geothermal systems are also known for having low maintenance costs.
Sayers says, “With all the attention on wind and solar these days, we often forget about geothermal as a renewable option. If a homeowner is considering investing in a solar array, I would encourage them to first think about energy efficiency measures and then consider installing a geothermal heating and cooling system because it uses stored, renewable thermal energy all day, every day, year-round.”
