MGPC Sustainability Blog

Click Here For Wholesale Prices on Air Conditioner Efficiency Products!

In an earlier article, we discussed how air conditioning works. The important fact from that article is that some sort of water cooling function, such as a cooling tower, increases the efficiency of the condenser to allow for more effective cooling. This is due to the fact that, as water evaporates, it absorbs a great deal of energy (heat) from the surrounding air, making the job of your air conditioner’s cooling coil that much easier.

Why Businesses Save More Energy on Major Appliances

(Image courtesy of: Bryant, Charles W., and Marshall Brain. “How Air Conditioners Work.” 01 April 2000. HowStuffWorks.com. <http://home.howstuffworks.com/ac.htm> 21 May 2008. Please visit their site for a terrific explanation of air conditioning and other systems.)

Even if you could afford a cooling tower, the neighbors would not be too happy about you installing one unless you had a few hundred acres of land in a remote area.

The trick is in scaling down the high efficiency cooling systems, or at least the underlying technology, so that it is accessible for you and me.

Scaling Industrial HVAC Technology for the Small Consumer

Luckily, I have been researching, and installed at my own house an extremely affordable solution which utilizes that same principle, which is that the evaporation of water mist draws a large amount of energy from the air in the form of heat, allowing your air conditioner’s condensing coils to cool faster and pump that coolness into your house or small office.

I was immediately impressed with the simplicity, and the fact the I installed the device in 15 minutes without using any tools whatsoever. Notice here that it is installed on a residential heat pump, and will work on almost any similar split system air conditioner or heat pump. The important factor is that the condenser (the outside portion of your air conditioning system) is upright and has a fan which blows air upwards through a grate.

The top portion of the Cool-n-Save is glued onto the condenser and connected to your home’s outdoor water nozzle with the included plastic tubing. The included filter provides water without small particles which would clog the misters.

The top of the Cool-n-Save base contains a paddle (flap) which moves upwards when air is blown from the condenser’s fan as shown above, opening a water valve which sends water down through three plastic tubes. Three misters send a cool, moist mist towards the condenser intake, cooling the ambient air by as much as 30 degrees Fahrenheit.

Here we see the Cool-n-Save mister in action, spraying a super fine mist and using a tiny amount of water.

Proving Cool-n-Save Energy Savings

Although it is too early to give definitive figures on energy savings, and it will be difficult to compare month-to-month energy bills due to fluctuations in temperature and other variables, I can attest to its ability to reduce the load on my air conditioner and thus cool my home quicker than before.

If nothing else, this product increases our comfort level on hot days.

Instead of accepting my subjective opinions on the Cool-n-Save, you can download the Cool-n-Save Study by Tulane University for a comprehensive engineering analysis of the device.

When in doubt, the Energy Star Partner seal should give you confidence:

Calculate Your Savings

According to Con Edison, the amount of energy used by your air conditioner is a function of outside temperature and thermostat settings, and will range from 50% - 80% of your total energy costs in the summer.

How much did you calculate? We conservatively estimated $ 170 per month savings at our home.

Would you think it would be fair if Cool-n-Save paid for itself in less than one summer? Before answering, consider other upgrade projects you have completed in your house. Have you installed new windows to improve insulation? The payback period for new windows can run over 10 years!

For the Cool-n-Save, let’s use: 3 months x $ 170 savings per month = $ 510 savings in one summer!

In our situation, Cool-n-Save is paying for itself in 2-3 weeks! Plus, we noticed our house reached a comfortably cool temperature much quicker, even on the hottest, most humid days!

If the Cool-n-Save cost only $ 100.00, then it will be EARNING you money for 2-1/2 months of the summer, or even longer in hot, southern-US States.

$ 170 savings per month x 2.5 months = $ 425 PROFIT you made this summer by using an energy efficiency device!

Buy Cool-n-Save Below Retail Price!

So, consider the $ 425 or more profit you are earning when installing the $ 99.00 Cool-n-Save, and then take an addition 5% discount Maryland Green Power Co. gives you against the manufacturer’s suggested retail price, and you have a real money saver!

Special Offer: Get 5% off the suggested retail price of $ 99.99 by clicking on the secure Google Checkout button below:

(Purchase link temporarily removed on August 20, 2008)

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August 29, 2008 - Note: MGPC will not be replenishing its stock of Cool-n-Save, instead favoring the custom-designed air conditioning and heating solutions at:

Green HVAC Solutions for Home and Office

Click on the HVAC link at that site to view the many options available for business and residential customers.