In today’s global environment, everyone wants to be more energy efficient. Hybrid vehicles, renewable energy sources and environmentally-friendly heating and cooling solutions are all on trend. When it comes to your air conditioning unit, efficiency is rated based on the SEER: Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio.
WHAT IS SEER?
Specific to air conditioning, this rating measures efficiency with the following formula:
Cooling Output/Electric Energy Input
More specifically, British thermal units divided by watt hours. Basically, the less energy needed for a strong output of cool air, the more efficient a unit is.
HOW DOES SEER WORK?
The higher the SEER rating an air conditioning system has, the more efficient it is. An extremely efficient unit also means much lower energy costs. When you replace an old air conditioner with a new, SEER rated unit, you can expect a decrease in energy costs of seven to ten percent per increase. The scale for central air conditioning goes up to 25, but can exceed 30 for ductless air conditioning units. Many of the older systems have SEER ratings of six or less; the minimum to be SEER certified today is 13.
SEER AND ENERGY STAR RATINGS
Energy Star is another standard for energy efficiency. In order to be Energy Star certified, the unit must have a SEER rating of at least 15. If you are not going to use your air conditioning very often during the summer, it is unnecessary to exceed 15 by much. For example, a family living in an extremely hot area would reap more of the benefits of a unit with a SEER rating of 25 than one in an area with average summer temperatures.
FURTHER REDUCE ENERGY COSTS
Beyond the SEER and Energy Star ratings, homeowners can help improve the efficiency of their air conditioning system by keeping the unit clean and keeping up with regular maintenance via our Service Calls.
To learn more about energy efficient cooling and heating solutions, contact the experts at Glasco HVAC today.