Three-in-one heating, cooling, hot water unit bringing high efficency to local homes
For many people, three separate pieces of hardware are needed to make it through all four seasons. A hot water heater, a radiator, an A/C unit – in 2018, each one seemingly serves the role of necessity, not luxury.
In the Coachella Valley right about now, that third piece of equipment, an air conditioning unit, is a must with temperatures regularly sitting comfortably in the triple digits. A/C bills can be costly in the summer, but a new revolutionary technology is making the price point a whole lot easier to bear for certain local residents.
“The operating cost is nearly half of that of conventional systems,” said Eugene Buchanan, director of research and development for Phasesave.
The first unit of its kind is installed in a Rancho Mirage home, playing the role of A/C unit, radiator, and hot water heater all at the same time. And it manages to serve each purpose while still being incredibly safe for the environment.
The Clean Air Act is phasing out older refrigerant chemicals, used to heat and cool air, shifting toward more environmentally friendly ones by 2020. And these air conditioners will soon switch to an even newer propane refrigerant, one that is rated hundreds fo times higher from a global warming standpoint.
“These units already use the most environmentally friendly refrigerants,” Buchanan said. “And in the short future, we’re switching to ones that have even less of an environmental impact.”
The new technology keeps toxic refrigerants out of your home, instead using water to transfer heat or cold to the air.
“If your refrigerant line breaks, there are often toxic hydrofluorocarbon chemicals that you don’t want to breathe,” Buchanan said.
Homeowner David Hill said he doesn’t have to pump freon into our house anymore.
The Hill family also installed solar panels to offset their energy bill. Then, by upgrading their air conditioner, they dropped their energy usage down by about half, because A/C is the biggest energy draw in most houses.
Now, with the more efficient A/C unit supplemented by their solar panels, the Hill’s energy meter runs backwards as they actually produce energy — earning them money.
This efficient technology is already used widely in industrial settings — but Palm Springs-based Phasesave is bringing it to smaller residential users, saving money, and the environment.
“The environmental impact is a lot less than A/C,” said resident Jake Hill. “We’re just doing our part to combat climate change as well.”
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