In 2021, ISTAT took a snapshot of Italians’ energy consumption, discovering that 48.8% of families have a summer air conditioning system. ENEA (The Agency for New Technologies, Energy and the Environment) started from this data to recommend the best practices aimed at saving money when using the air conditioning system.
Some of the ENEA recommendations are applicable more than anything else when purchasing a system, others mainly concern high-efficiency heat pump air conditioners, which can be used both for cooling, in summer, and for heating, in winter . The choice once again follows ISTAT data, since in the majority of Italian homes the system consists of heat pump mono-splits (56% of the total).
Buy efficient air conditioners and use them wisely
During the purchase phase, ENEA recommends class A+++ models (which will consume up to 40% less electricity than a class B model) equipped with inverter technology, which allows you to control the rotation speed of the compressor to adapt it to the needs of cooling. Even though it costs a little more, Inverter air conditioners allow you to reduce consumption compared to on-off technology.
When purchasing, remember that they are still active, until 31 December 2024, state incentives in the form of a tax deduction: 50% for purchases of air conditioners carried out as part of building works for renovation or extraordinary maintenance; and 65% if the purchase of a high efficiency heat pump air conditioner replaces a lower class one.
Compatibly with economic availability, it would be better to have one air conditioner per room and not a single one pushed to maximum in an area such as the corridor, in the vain hope that it will cool the whole house.
As regards more concrete advice regarding use, ENEA lists some that are easily deducible; others, however, may be less well known.
For example, remember to carry out regular maintenance on the system, because if the air conditioner works under load it can consume up to 30% more electricity. However, the legislation provides for the obligation of the system booklet and periodic checks for powers greater than 12 kW for summer systems, and 10 kW for winter systems.
ENEA recalls another activity that is often forgotten: when possible, during the hottest hours (especially if you are not at home) you should keep the shutters closed or the curtains drawn to reduce solar gain in the rooms. Having less hot rooms, thanks to lower radiation during the day, allows air conditioners to operate with a lower demand for electricity, because they will have to work less to cool the air.
It is not necessary to reach freezing temperatures in the house. To avoid the feeling of oppressive heat often two or three degrees lower than the outside temperature are sufficientwhile sometimes it is enough to activate the dehumidification function (for systems that have it) to feel less hot, because a high level of humidity in the air makes you perceive a much higher temperature than the real one.
It goes without saying that, to promote the good functioning and efficiency of air conditioners, doors and windows should remain closed. They could instead be opened in the cooler hours of the night (assuming there are any).
Obviously, also suggests the use of programmable thermostats that can reduce the appliance’s turn-on time to a minimum and increase comfort; in the most advanced systems you can also find night-time functions that regulate the temperature of the environment in order to respond to changes in body temperature.
In cases where you have a photovoltaic system it would be better to cover the electricity consumption of the air conditioning system with solar productivity.
Other suggestions can be found on the ENEA specific page.
