Air Products – Overview
Wherever we live on this great continent, climatic conditions determine the level of comfort in our daily living and from one season to the next, we have a need to adjust our home living environment to cater for the prevailing conditions.
At PLANET POWER we work with you to help you create the right level of comfort for you in you in your own home by providing a comprehensive range of energy-efficient air-conditioners, gas heating and insulation products.
And we don’t just supply – PLANET POWER is a one-stop shop for supply and installation across our full range of products.
Air Conditioning
Firstly – a few quick tips!
ALWAYS choose energy efficient appliances: Check the energy rating label when buying electrical appliances. More stars mean less greenhouse gases and more energy bill savings for you. The Energy rating web site will help you select energy efficient appliances: www.energyrating.gov.au
Do your research about air conditioning systems: A lot of these, including car air conditioners, still use the ozone depleting refrigerants chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). Newer air conditioning systems often contain the global warming substance, hydro fluorocarbons (HFCs). You should take care to choose the most environmentally friendly, as well as cost-effective system for your needs and have all of this equipment repaired and regularly serviced by a certified technician.
Use your air-conditioner effectively: Air-conditioners are designed to work in a specific sized area. If you select a unit that is too small or too large for the area you want to cool, it will not do the job properly. As well, your unit will run much more efficiently and economically if you keep your doors and windows closed and your blinds and curtains drawn. This will help reduce any extra heat being added to the room.
About Air-conditioning
An air conditioner is a device which cools the indoor air by removing heat and sending it outside. The result is indoor space that has less heat making it cooler for everyone, including pets. Air conditioners can cool a room, a house, or a whole business.
Air conditioners contain chemical fluid called a refrigerant which can change from a gas to a liquid and back to a gas again. A refrigerant called Freon is normally used in air conditioners. This chemical is used to transfer heat from the air inside of a home to the outside air. Air conditioners have three important parts that include a compressor, a condenser, and an evaporator. The compressor and condenser are normally located on the outside part of the air conditioner while the evaporator is located on the inside. Motorized fans help to circulate the conditioned air, while thin metal fins allow heat to disperse rapidly.
The chemical fluid comes to the compressor as a cool low-pressure gas. The compressor jams the fluid so that molecules are pressed close together which causes the temperature and energy to increase. When the fluid leaves the compressor, it is a hot high pressure gas. This gas then flows into the condenser. The gas is cooled in the condenser. When it leaves the condenser, it is much cooler and is now in form of a liquid. The liquid goes into the evaporator. The liquid’s pressure drops and it starts to dissolve into a gas.
In the evaporator, the liquid changes to gas and evaporates, removing heat from the air because the heat from the air is required to change the fluid into a gas. By the time the fluid leaves the evaporator, it is a cool low pressure gas.
It then returns to the compressor to restart the process. A fan is attached to the evaporator which circulates the air inside the house to blow across the evaporator fins. Because hot air is lighter than cold air, it rises to the top. There is a vent that the hot air is drawn into the air conditioner and then travels down its ducts. It is the evaporation process that draws heat out of the surrounding room. The hot air cools the gas in the evaporator. As the heat is removed from the air, the air is cooled. It is then blown into the house through other ducts. The process is repeated until the room reaches the desired cooler temperature. The temperature is set using thermostat. When it reaches the set temperature, the air conditioner turns off. When the room starts to warm up again, the air conditioner turns back on and the process begins again.
Find out more about the Planet Power range of energy efficient air-conditioning
Solar Powered Air Conditioning
At PLANET POWER, we are always seeking out new technology to enhance our offerings. Solar Powered air-conditioning is one truly exciting example of a new technology that is almost here. Watch this space for more information.
Ask PLANET POWER to provide an obligation-free quotation for your new air-conditioners and help save the planet. Please contact us to find out more
HEATING
When it comes to home heating, there is no denying the look and feel of an open fireplace is hard to beat, even if they are inefficient, messy and inconvenient. That look and feel simply does not translate into convenient and efficient, let alone energy-efficient, heating.
That said, you can have the look and feel you want and also get the efficiency you need without the inconvenience and hassle by installing one of the new generation of gas flame fires and heaters.
Gas is one of the most greenhouse friendly fuel sources available, so by choosing a gas space heater, you can make a difference. In addition, the better insulated your home is, the lower the set temperature, the less gas you will use and the les impact on the environment.
It is very important that you pick the right model/size of gas heater for your home. Critical factors such as the area to be heated, along with the specific design and insulation characteristics of your home must be take into account so that you can achieve the outcome you are looking for – not just in terms of keeping warm when you need to, but also in terms of minimising your fuel usage and therefore your carbon footprint.
Find out more about PLANET POWER Heating Products for your home.
Home Insulation
Insulating your roof or ceiling will help keep your home a pleasant temperature, save you money on energy bills, and pay for itself over time.
Several different materials are available — the best one for you depends on your particular circumstances and preferences. With non-renewable energy resources dwindling, insulation is even more crucial nowadays, and mandatory if you’re building a new home.
Insulation is one of the most cost effective ways to make your home more energy efficient. Insulation will help keep you warmer in winter and cooler in summer. By installing insulation you will reduce the running costs of heating and cooling your home.
Why insulate?
There are several good reasons why insulating your home is a good investment.
- Comfort – Insulation will keep you warmer in Winter and cooler in Summer
- Save money – Insulating your home can cut the cost of heating and cooling by up to 40%. A properly insulated building could save you up to $300 per year on energy bills. So, insulation can pay for itself very quickly.
- Reduced Environmental impact – When using less energy in our heating and cooling, we reduce the amount of carbon dioxide added to the atmosphere.
- Home Insulation virtually eliminates condensation on walls and ceilings, and
- Some home insulation materials can also be used for sound proofing.
What is the “R” Value?
All thermal insulation materials are rated for their performance in restricting heat transfer. This rating is expressed as the R value and is the measure of the materials resistance to heat transfer (thermal resistance). It is a guide to its performance as an insulator. The higher the R value, the greater the insulating effect.
R values are expressed using metric units (m2.K/W) where,
- M2 refers to 1 square meter of the material (of a specified thickness)
- K refers to the degree Kelvin temperature
- W refers to the amount of heat flowing across the material in watts
Products which have the same R value will provide exactly the same insulating effect as one another, provided they are correctly installed. It is not the thickness of the insulation product that counts; it is the R value.
Some products will resist heat transfer more effectively and so will have a higher R rating for a given thickness.
Interpretation of R Value
When specifying or purchasing a product based on the R value, care needs to be taken to ensure the values of competing products are rated under the same circumstances. For instance, is the R value and “Added” R value, or is the value quoted the summation of the system the insulation is being installed in.
As a general rule bulk insulation is normally quoted either as a stand-alone or added R value, while those products with reflective surfaces are quoted on a system basis.
The range of insulation products offered by Planet Power is produced to achieve a stand-alone R value to meet the requirements as set down by the Australian Standard AS3999 while still being competitively priced.
Find out more about PLANET POWER Home Insulation Products.
Ask PLANET POWER to provide an obligation-free quotation for your new insulation and help save the planet. Please contact us to find out more
