Archive for August, 2010

Here at ACDoctor, we are all concerned with energy efficiency. We want to preserve our resources for future generations, and we want to share our knowledge with the rest of the world in an effort to preserve those resources.
According to a study conducted by Columbia University, Ohio State University, and Carnegie Mellon University, 55.2% of people studied cited cutting back on energy usage as the best way to conserve energy as opposed to 11.7% saying energy efficient appliances were most effective. Now, I can completely understand this way of thinking. I run my laptop off its battery as often as possible, make use of natural lighting during the day, unplug anything with a LED light when I’m not using it, but ultimately, the biggest difference in my energy bill comes from having a high efficiency air conditioner. I have also upgraded to CFL light bulbs, and I do have to say they make a huge difference! They do not emit as much heat as a regular light bulb and the light is much softer. I don’t mean the light isn’t as bright, Before upgrading my unit, I used ACDoctor’s energy calculator to see what my energy savings would be just from upgrading to a high efficiency AC unit and I was amazed! Comparing a unit with a SEER 10 rating (my old unit) to a unit with a SEER 16 rating I found I will save $272 a year and cut my energy usage by 2,430 kWh! Over the lifetime of the unit, that adds up to $2,875 and 34,020 kWh saved! That’s comparable to removing 5 cars/year from the road and planting 6 acres of forest. (Yes, you can see all of this when you check out our energy calculator.)
Granted, the new unit plus installation cost me around $6,000, but once I take into account my energy savings, that’s really only $3,125. Oh yeah, you can also get a federal tax credit for buying a high efficiency AC. The tax credit expires December 31, 2010, but it can save you up to 30% or $1,500. This is a credit on the TOTAL cost, which includes installation, so my expected tax credit is $1,500. Subtract from that the $3,125 that is not covered under my energy savings, and I’m only out $1,625. You can cut that down even more with state and city rebates. I do understand that it can be hard to justify spending $6,000 out of pocket, but when I think of the acres of trees that I’m saving and the CO2 I’m removing from the air, it’s definitely worthwhile!
So, now that I’ve doubtlessly convinced you to upgrade your AC, call your local ACDoctor Certified Contractor to find out which unit is best for you!