SEER and EER

Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) and a High Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER)

You put a lot of effort into your career and the money you make. Be sure that you put your best effort into researching before purchasing a new air conditioner too.

SEER

It is the most common way to evaluate an air conditioner’s efficiency. Now it is important to understand that this is only a measure of cooling power, and applies only to air conditioning. An air conditioner’s SEER rating is the ratio of the cooling output of an HVAC unit over a typical cooling season (measured in British Thermal Units, or Btu’s), divided by the energy consumed in Watt-Hours.

Beginning in 2023, all new residential central air-conditioning and air-source heat pump systems sold in the United States will be required to meet new minimum energy efficiency standards.

The new standards effective in 2023 require a seasonal energy efficiency ratio —a measure of a system’s cooling performance—of no less than 14 SEER for residential systems in the northern part of the United States and 15 SEER in the southern part of the United States, where cooling loads are a larger share of home energy use.

EER

It is a more technical and objective method…but it has its limitations, too. Again, EER stands for Energy Efficiency Ratio, and is actually an older means of calculating energy efficiency than SEER, having been used since 1975. Like SEER, an air conditioner’s EER rating is a means of measuring an air conditioner’s efficiency, but where SEER is a means of measuring seasonal efficiency, an HVAC system’s EER is more of a constant. Simply put, EER is more of an engineering number, than a marketing number, and will probably be used by an HVAC mechanic when talking to others in the profession.

And don’t forget, Greer’s Heating and Air is always here. If you need maintenance to your air-conditioning or an entire new unit, just give us a call.

 

Source: www.eia.gov