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TECHNOLOGY AND YOU

New two-stage air conditioners improve comfort and save energy

Q: Dear Jim: Although it's noisy, my 12-year-old central air-conditioner still runs okay. Since it is probably going to require some repairs soon and with possible electricity shortages, global warming, etc., I am considering replacing it. What is the best new model for 2001? - Char Z.

A: Dear Char: Your reasons for considering replacing your old central air conditioner are all legitimate. With the higher efficiencies, the best new ones can cut your electricity usage in half and help control the peak demand for your electric co-op. Also, this helps to hold down long-term electric rates and minimizes chances of electricity shortages on hot afternoons.

For example, if your existing central air conditioner is 12 years old, it probably has a SEER (seasonal energy efficiency ratio) of about 8. The newest, most efficient two-stage (low- and high-cooling outputs) models have SEER'S from 16 to 18, more than double your current one. They will also vastly improve your indoor comfort and humidity control.

Central air conditioners that use new earth-friendly R410A refrigerant, instead of ozone-damaging R-22 freon, are becoming very popular. Within 10 years, R-22 freon-type air conditioners will be phased out of production by law. The R-22 freon will still be available for repairs, since it is used for other commercial purposes, but its cost will likely rise.

There really is no "one best" central air-conditioner for every home. The best one for your home depends on your climate, your specific house design and construction, your budget, your life-style, heat tolerance, electric rates, etc.

For example, I recently installed a new R410A central unit in my own home, but I did not select the top-of-the-line two-stage model. I have made my house so efficient that the electricity savings from stepping up to the two-stage model would have taken 30 years to pay back. For another family, it may pay back in just a few years.

If you are looking for the most efficient model with the best comfort, you cannot beat a two-stage model. Plan on spending about 25 percent to 30 percent more for a two-stage outdoor unit as compared to a high-efficiency single-stage unit. Although the SEER rating for a two-stage model may be only 3 to 4 points higher than a single-stage one, the improved comfort often allows you to set the thermostat higher for much greater overall savings.

Since the cooling needs of your house change throughout the day and over the cooling season, it

James Dulley is a mechanical engineer who writes on a wide variety of energy and utility topics. His column appears in a large number of daily newspapers. Copyright 1999 James Dulley

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The newest, most efficient and least complicated design is a two- stage reversing compressor that uses safe R410A refrigerant. On the low-output first stage, the compressor rotates in one direction which operates only one of the two pistons. On the high level, the motor reverses the rotation which operates both pistons to double the cooling output. The other two- stage designs still use R-22 freon.

Any of the two-level output models offer many advantages over single-speed models. Since they mostly run at the low-output stage, they do not switch on and off as often. This keeps the air circulating, holds room temperatures more constant, improves air cleaner effectiveness, reduces noisy start-ups, and dehumidifies better.

Although your old indoor blower can be used with a two-level model, it is best to install a new one with a variable-speed blower. These special blowers use only 25 percent as much electricity as your old one and have "smart" motors with a soft-start feature to reduce start-up noise and drafts. This also allows a thermidistat to be used to precisely control humidity. If you choose a single- level model for its lower initial cost, select one with a scroll compressor (preferably R410A instead of freon.) Scroll compressors use a simple, reliable design and are quiet. Installing a new indoor variable-speed blower along with it will increase the SEER by about one point.

Remember to have your new air conditioner properly sized and contact your electric co-op for information on geothermal and air to air heat pumps that both heat and cool.

Write for or instantly down load at www.dulley.com, Utility Bills Update No. 814 - buyer's guide of the 14 most efficient one- and two-stage central air conditioners, cooling output ranges, SEER'S, comfort features, warranties and a savings chart. Please include $3.00 and a business-size SASE. James Dulley, Publication Name, 6906 Royalgreen Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45244.

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Satellite Internet service
Now everybody can have faster-than-dial-up web service

By Randy Sukow

In the year 2000, there were regions of the United States that were unable to receive Internet any faster than 56 kilobits per second (kbps) dial-up speeds. Some were unable even to get dial-up service from a local server. The distances involved made it physically impossible.

That statement is no longer true in 2001. The era of satellite Internet access has begun. There is no corner of the continental United States that a satellite-based, high-speed Internet (HS1) service cannot reach. Every consumer in rural America can now receive the Internet up to seven times faster than 56 kbps.

Earlier this year, two companies - DirecPC and StarBand - began offering service to residences across America over Ku-band (12 GHz) spectrum near the frequencies where Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS) carriers offer digital TV service.

Satellite HSI will not be the online technology every consumer chooses. In urban and suburban areas, it will be in competition with digital subscriber line (DSL) providers. Most rural areas will not have access to DSL. Satellite service is the natural choice for many rural consumers, and a potential business opportunity for rural telephone cooperatives and companies. Some cooperatives may offer both DSL and satellite Internet options.

Royce Carter, vice president of subsidiary operations for Wayne-White Counties Electric Cooperative says, "We are looking at different options and probably will work with other cooperatives to make satellite Internet access available. Many of our members, and other people living in rural areas, do not have access to high speed Internet service."

David Parkhill, manager of Hamilton County Telephone Co-op says his co-op plans to offer satellite Internet access too. "With the long loops that we have it would be very difficult for us to offer DSL service. It would just be cost prohibitive at this time. We offer regular dialup Internet service, but satellite Internet will provide more bandwidth," says Parkhill.

Internet access makes distance less of a barrier. Co-op members living in rural areas can work from home by telecommuting. And businesses in rural areas can have access to a world-wide market. Parkhill says many business, like insurance agencies, communicate almost exclusively through the Internet. Carter says Wayne-White Electric plans to increase its own use of the Internet. "We plan to put more of our information, like billing information, on the Internet. We want to make sure our members have access to that information."

Carter, who is actively involved in economic development, says "We see it as providing a service to existing businesses and new businesses that come in and can't be reached by fiber optic cable."

Wayne-White Counties has been beta-testing the new satellite Internet system, and Carter says it is easy to use. "If all goes as planned we should begin offering the service by the end of August."

Satellite HSI delivers each of the top benefits that respondents mentioned:

Increased speeds compared to dial-up - Satellite HSI services deliver downstream data in bursts up to 400 kbps, approximately seven times faster than dial-up service. Upstream speeds of as much as 125 kbps also outperform dial-up.
Ability to free a voice telephone line - Unlike earlier one-way satellite Internet services that used a phone line for links from the subscriber to the ISP, the new two-way services will not tie up any phone lines.
Always-on feature - A computer connected to a satellite HSI network does not require time- consuming dial-up login protocols. You are instantly online the second you open your browser or e-mail program.

Beyond these broadband basics, satellite Internet offers more. It is an opportunity to bundle multi-channel video and

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Satellite Internet also complements emerging home networking technologies. With the onset of always-on Internet in the home, software designers envision a future in which a family could network computers or simpler, less costly Web appliances in every room. All of the terminals connect to a single satellite dish and work independently of each other. Small businesses also could benefit from such small-scale networks.

The StarBand HSI service already has endorsed an Ethernet-based home/small office networking software package called "WinProxy for StarBand," developed by Osiris Software, Pleasanton, Calif. Another software company, Puzzle Systems Corp. of Morgan Hill, Calif., recently introduced a similar system for DirecPC called "SatServ 6."

Satellite technology can provide access to the Internet no matter where you live, but DSL and cable modems for now still have the speed advantage. Although they will be engineered to operate at a variety of levels, both technologies tend to outdistance current-generation satellite HSI's 400 kbps maximum.

DSL and cable modem also tend to have a consumer price advantage with monthly flat rates typically about $40, compared to about $70 a month for two-way satellite Internet service. Due to satellite delay, certain interactive DSL and cable modem applications, such as online games and IP telephony, do not operate smoothly on current satellite Internet services.

Installation costs and convenience for all of the broadband and high-speed Internet options will benefit from improvements in the future. Currently, none of them, even so-called "self-install" DSL kits are low-cost or user-friendly.

Last year, the National Exchange Carrier Association (NECA) released the results of a DSL cost study requested by NTCA and other rural telco organizations. It estimated there are approximately 1.7 million rural households located beyond 18,000 feet of a telephone central office, which is the current distance limitation for cost-effective DSL service. NECA estimated the cost of simply upgrading most of those lines (not including the cost of the consumer unit) at $4,121 each. It could cost nearly $10,000 per line to reach about 600,000 extremely remote households, NECA found.

DirecPC and StarBand deployment costs vary based on several factors, but tend to be considerably below $1,000 per household, regardless of the household's location.

How satellite Internet service works

The latest high-speed Internet (HSI) systems allow subscribers to send and receive information using a satellite dish. It improves upon earlier oneway satellite Internet service in which only the signals to the home came from the satellite, and signals from the subscriber traveled over dial-up lines. Satellite Internet can reach any home with a clear view of the southern sky, regardless of the terrain or distance from the Internet provider's office.

DirecPC and StarBand, the two satellite HSI providers, are affiliated with satellite TV program providers DIRECTV and EchoStar, respectively. However, the HSI signals bounce off different Ku-band (12 GHz) satellites. The 21 x 36-inch DirecPC dish and 24 x 36-inch StarBand dish are somewhat larger than dishes designed to receive TV service only. (The two HSI dishes shown mounted at the National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative (NRTC) offices in Herndon, Va., appear next to smaller video only dishes.) A subscriber may choose to receive both Internet and TV from the same HSI dish, which comes pre-configured to send and receive Internet data. The installer must mount one or two additional video down-converters on the satellite arm to enable TV service.

Satellite HSI systems require professional installation, especially when setting up the dish to receive TV and Internet from two different satellites. In addition to the outdoor equipment, the installer sets up an external modem indoors, and ensures that the customer's computer is communicating on the network and with the satellite company's billing system.

The consumer must have a computer with up to 100 megabytes of hard disk space and up to 64 MB of RAM for installations that include all options. The computer must have a Windows 98 or later operating system. Neither HSI service currently supports other operating systems, however, some companies provide software to connect the host HSI computer to other Ethernet-enabled computers in the home.

Randy Sukou' is principal technology editor for the National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative WRTC), which offers its members both DirecPC and StarBand satellite HSI services. E-mail at rsukow@nrtc. org.

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