Internal Heat Gains

From Swikipedia

Introduction

The sun's rays beating through a window and on a rooftop can drastically raise the internal temperature of a home. This process is called external heat gain. Aside from planting trees and changing the color of your house and roof, not much can be done to ward off external heat gain. Steps can be taken to reduce internal heat gain however. Internal heat gain comes from the collection of heat given off by sources inside the building. People and electrical equipment in buildings give off heat. These internal heat gains must be included in energy balances on the building or zone to determine the net heating or cooling load. The most common sources of internal heat gain are: appliances, electronic devices, and lighting.

Brief Description

Steps to reduce Internal Heat Gains

Usually, the largest sources of internal heat gain come from appliances. Eliminating these can not only directly reduce energy usage (if the appliances aren't running, they are not using energy), but indirectly they keep the temperature of the building, lower thus reducing the energy used by the air conditioner.

• Stove/Oven - Backyard cookouts aren't only fun, but practical as well. Cooking outdoors is a great way to reduce heat from using the stove or oven. If you must cook inside, try to do this in the evening and make enough to microwave leftovers. The microwave contributes far less to the heat gain than a stove or oven.

• Incandescent Lights - Using incandescent lights drains energy, contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and creates extra heat in the building. Switching over to compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) is even more beneficial, as, they not only use less energy, but they also produce very little heat.

• Dishwasher - To save time, many people turn the heater on to dry dishes after the wash cycle. Instead, let the dishes air dry or dry them off with a hand towel. Again, you are directly saving energy and contributing less to the internal heat gain.

• Clothes Dryer - Obviously, drying clothes on high heat makes the house hot. If your laundry room in located in the house instead of the garage, you are producing a tremendous amount of internal heat gain whenever you use the dryer. If you can, hang clothes on a line outside. If this is not possible, use the lowest possible heat setting. In addition to saving energy, it is better for your clothes.

• Shower – The shower too raises the temperature of the house. Take shorter showers and open the window to allow heat to escape. You can also shop around for a more efficient shower head.

• Computer - The hazards of turning your computer off is a myth. Turn it off when you are not using it. This can be a perfect opportunity to upgrade older models for more energy efficient newer technologies.

• Television – Once the TV is switched on, after some time, it becomes hot. Thus, by engaging in other activities, the television cane be switched off for regular intervals for extended periods of time.

These are not the only culprits, but they are by far the most common.

References:

http://saveenergy.about.com/od/goinggreen/qt/naturallycool.htm

http://www.engr.udayton.edu/faculty/jkissock/http/EEB/Lectures/09_IntHeatGainAndDesignHCLoads.doc