Heating and cooling, it’s an energy hog in Aussie homes and it’s a fact that can’t be ignored. The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water reckons residential thermal comfort accounts for a whopping 40% of our total energy consumption. And now that temperatures are swinging wildly all over the place, more and more of us are starting to see heating and cooling as a necessity rather than a just a nice to have. We’re looking for systems that can keep us comfy without jacking up our energy bills.
That shift has put the spotlight on ducted reverse cycle systems. And when you compare them to other heating and cooling methods, these systems are getting assessed on some pretty strict criteria, all thanks to the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation and Australian Standards. From how efficient they are to how quiet they run and what impact their got on the value of your property, the differences between centralised and decentralised climate systems are becoming more and more apparent in the real world.
Measuring Up: Heat Transfer and Room by Room Efficiency
Centralised ducted reverse cycle systems have one big thing going for them, they use energy in real time. Unlike old school systems that just ran at full pelt all the time, modern systems have got variable speed inverter compressors that can adjust their refrigerant flow to match the temperature inside the house. That means less energy wasted and a stable temperature in the comfort of your own home.
The folks at the Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heating, AIRAH, have done some research on how efficient these systems are. The end result is that modern ducted systems can achieve a Coefficient of Performance, COP, that’s anywhere from 3.5 to 4.5. In simple terms, that means the system can move up to 4.5 units of heat for every unit of electricity it uses. Compared to older systems, that is a pretty big deal.
The benefits really start to add up when you add in zoned heating and cooling. People looking for an efficient solution for their home often go with ducted heating and cooling Frankston because it lets you turn heating and cooling on and off in different parts of the house. No need to heat the whole house when you’re only in one room.
The data on how well zoned systems work is pretty compelling, some places have shown a 35% drop in energy use compared to older systems that heat the whole house evenly. And that really addresses one of the biggest issues with traditional heating and cooling systems, heating and cooling rooms that nobody is ever in.
Volumetric Air Circulation and Particulate Filtration Dynamics
Energy efficiency is just one piece of the puzzle, indoor air quality has become a major worry in residential design, especially now that homes are more tightly sealed and reliant on mechanical systems. Australian Standard AS 1668.2 makes it clear that residential environments need to be kept well ventilated to prevent the build-up of nasty chemicals and carbon dioxide. Centralised ducted systems tick this box by continuously pumping fresh air right through every room.
Centralised systems include HEPA or electrostatic filters in the return air plenum. As the air moves back and forth through the ductwork, the filters get a thorough workout, processing the entire house multiple times an hour, a much more thorough job than localised systems can manage. Tests show that inline filters built into ducted systems can catch up to 98% of airborne particles, including pollen and tiny PM2.5 bits. In the same conditions, localised ductless split systems have smaller filters with less surface area and only scrape up around 45% of particles. That difference is especially important in households trying to keep their indoor air quality stable through the ups and downs of the seasons.
Knocking Down Thermal Stratification with Smart Design
It’s a familiar problem, the temperature in the house gets all out of whack, and you’re left feeling uncomfortable. What’s going on is thermal stratification, warm air rises to the ceiling, while cooler air sinks to the floor. It’s no wonder the temperature feels uneven all over the place. Some research shows that bad air distribution can spin up temperature differences of up to 4 degrees between the floor and ceiling, which is ridiculous. In real life, that means you’re stuck with heat that’s either too hot or too cold, and the aircon is working overtime to keep up.
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