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  • 2022-07-26 (xsd:date)
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  • Will Shading AC Unit With Canopy Lower Energy Bills? (en)
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  • In the summer of 2022, as the United States and many other parts of the world experienced excessive heat waves, a life hack was circulated on social media claiming that people could lower their energy bills, as well as the temperature in their homes, by placing an umbrella or canopy over their outdoor AC units. According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), this is a myth. Shading your AC unit with an umbrella or canopy is not going to result in any meaningful changes to your bill. A spokesperson for DOE told us via email: This is myth. Shading an AC with an umbrella would have a negligible effect. When the Direct Energy blog took a look into this issue in 2017, it noted a few logical flaws with the shade solution. But before we get to that, here's a brief explanation of how one of these air condition condenser units work from appliance company Carrier: The goal of shading an AC unit is to lower the temperature surrounding the condensing coil and the copper tubing as it transfers the refrigerant back and fourth from the house. These parts, however, are already shaded by the unit's casing. Direct Energy writes: There have been several studies done over the years on this issue. In 2010, for example, researchers from the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research studied the impact shade had on air conditioners and found that shading alone would only result in a maximum of an increased efficiency of 1%. The study concluded: While temporary structures such as the one shown above won't do much to reduce energy costs, other strategies could help cool off homes. One tip, according to the DOE, is to make sure that AC units are clean and that there isn't anything nearby restricting airflow. Even better, people can plant trees around their homes to provide some natural cooling to their homes and AC units. The DOE spokesperson said: In addition to providing shade, trees can actually cool down the air via evaporation. Alan Mann, an arborist and consultant for Canopy Tree Experts in Australia, told the Sydney Morning Herald in 2015: According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, people can lower their energy costs by using trees and other vegetation to shade their homes. This, in turn, will decrease the demand for air conditioning. The EPA writes: (en)
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