Heating & Cooling

District heating systems provide economies of scale in large cities like Copenhagen.


Photo: Bill Ebbesen. License: CC BY 3.0

HVAC—heating, cooling, and ventilation—is responsible for more than a third of energy use in commercial buildings in the U.S. Smart designs can easily save upwards of 40% of that energy, often with strategies that offer instant or short payback. And good design that focuses on thermal comfort supports healthier, more productive occupants.

Heating & Cooling

Deep Dives

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  • Solar Thermal Hot Water, Heating, and Cooling

    Feature Article

    By creating heat instead of electricity, solar thermal achieves three times the efficiency of photovoltaics at a lower price.

  • Buildings on Ice: Making the Case for Thermal Energy Storage

    Feature Article

    Thermal energy storage uses ice to shift daytime cooling loads to nighttime, when electricity costs are lower. You may be able to reduce the size of chillers as a result, saving money and energy and lowering the environmental footprint of a building

  • Ductless Mini-Splits and Their Kin: The Revolution in Variable-Refrigerant-Flow Air Conditioning

    Feature Article

    Ductless split systems using heat pumps and variable refrigerant flow offer an energy-efficient alternative to conventional heating and air-conditioning systems for a variety of settings, from homes to hotels and schools. Three major manufacturers-Daikin, Mitsubishi, and Sanyo-offer the greatest variety of products.

  • The Challenge of Existing Homes: Retrofitting for Dramatic Energy Savings

    Feature Article

    Greenhouse gas emissions associated with residential energy use account for a fifth of all emissions in the U.S. Retrofitting existing houses to achieve a two- to three-fold reduction in energy use is necessary if we are to achieve the emissions reductions scientists say are required for avoiding catastrophic climate change. Here's a look at how it can be done.

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  • How Blower-Door Tests Measure Airtightness

    Explainer

    Blower-door tests: what they are, how they work, and understanding airtightness measurements.

  • Radiant Floor Heating: Wrong Choice for Green Homes?

    Explainer

    While very popular, radiant-floor heating is not well-suited to highly insulated, green homes.

  • Comparing Fuel Costs

    Explainer

    One would think comparing the costs of different heating fuels would be simple, but figuring out the amount heat available in a given quantity of fuel-and the associated cost-can be tricky.

  • Evaporative Coolers

    Explainer

    As water evaporates, it absorbs heat. Direct and indirect evaporative coolers use this property to cool homes efficiently.

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