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A typical domestic air conditioning unit
If you compare the growth in the home air conditioning market with that of car air conditioning, ten years ago only about 10% of new cars at the luxury end of the market had air conditioning. In 2006, about 75% of new cars had air conditioning. There is a similar pattern developing in the growth of residential air conditioning.
We now demand higher standards of living and comfort. We are becoming accustomed to air conditioning in cars, at work, whilst shopping, in hotels and on holiday, and therefore have come to expect higher levels of indoor comfort.
The number of urban homes has risen significantly over recent years, meaning that opening a window to cool and ventilate a home creates concerns over noise, air quality and security. Building trends are now moving towards constant indoor comfort, but raising or lowering the average indoor temperature is not enough. Today factors such as dampness, condensation, draughts and air quality must be addressed as part of the Building Regulations and Decent Homes Standard, however, air conditioning systems are seen as the ideal solution to alleviate these problems.
Recently, the Government’s introduction of the Decent Homes Standard has raised concerns over indoor air quality. A decent home should be seen as a ‘healthy home’ because of the health risks involved in not having a warm and well-ventilated healthy environment. Such proposals have raised anxiety over indoor air quality and this has made people think about these issues.
In addition to these health concerns, poor indoor air quality can lead to excess moisture and condensation, which in turn, can cause expensive structural damage, peeling wallpaper, discolouration of paint, musty odours and condensation in walls and on windows, all of which have been factors leading to more people installing air conditioning.
As the demand for domestic air conditioning systems gathers pace, manufacturers are able to lower their prices as they are able to mass produce and distribute, thus lowering unit costs. In addition, manufacturers are now producing more energy efficient systems which use less than 80% of the energy formerly used. Previously, many households could not use air conditioning systems due to the cost of running the equipment, however, with the array of new ultra-efficient inverter-driven systems on the market, households are less concerned about the cost of running them. Inverter driven compressors vary the speed of the compressors, delivering precise cooling or heating power as required, saving valuable energy.
Many of the leading manufacturers of air conditioning systems are also reacting to the demands of the residential air conditioning market by integrating air purification filters in their air conditioning units. One such filter employed by manufacturers includes a Titanium Apatite Photocatalyst. This filter excels at absorbing viruses and bacteria. The apatite has been partially ‘replaced’ with titanium at the atomic level, enabling viruses and bacteria absorbed by the apatite to contact the titanium, which then completely removes them.
Along with the powerful dust collecting and deodorising performance of many of today’s units, manufacturers are designing systems that are ultra quiet, allowing the customer to use them with confidence in places where silence is valued, such as a bedroom.
When air-conditioning is needed, it is essential to ensure high efficiency units are installed, which will minimise the amount of energy used and in turn lead to lower running costs.
The advance in air conditioning technology is a viable solution to help meet the demand for energy efficiency products and reduce climate change.
