Air Conditioning SEER - What Does That Mean?

When looking at a new air conditioner you will see a number that is boldly placed on the unit. That number gives you an idea of the efficiency of the unit. What does SEER mean and what do you do with it?

SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) is related to the Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER), this is the ratio of output cooling in Btu/Hr and the power in watts W used at a given operating point. The SEER rating reflects overall system efficiency on a seasonal basis and EER reflects the system's energy efficiency on peak day operations.

Energy consumption for home air conditioning accounts for almost 5% of all the electricity produced in the USA. If your air conditioner is Energy Star qualified it has a higher seasonal efficiency rating (SEER) than standard models, which makes them about 14% more efficient than standard models. Energy efficiency specialist are certified and trained on retrofits and energy savings on both residential and light commercial units. This may enable you to save up to 50 percent on your air conditioning bills with the use of a high efficiency energy system. You will find that substantial energy savings can be obtained from more efficient systems.

The SEER rating is the Btu of output while during a typical cooling-season divided by the total electric energy input in watt-hours during the same time frame. SEER is also related to the Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER), which is the ratio of output cooling in Btu/Hr and the input power in watts W at a given time. The higher the SEER number, the better the efficiency of your unit. Therefore you will realize greater energy savings. The higher efficiency the efficiency of your product, the lower your long-term energy costs will be. Central A/C and air source heat pumps are both rated according to seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER).

Before you consider upgrading your cooling equipment, the best and easiest way to save money and energy from cooling is to reduce the need for mechanical air conditioning in the first place. Make sure to ask your contractor about a variable speed air handler. They will improve comfort and efficiency and allow continuous air filtering at minimum energy cost. Also, because ducts are often responsible for a lot of wasted energy, make sure you hire a contractor who knows about high-efficiency installations. If your old central air conditioning unit is more than 12 years old, you can replace it with an Energy Star qualified model that could cut your cooling costs by 30 percent.