Saving money and energy efficiency is a big topic in today’s society. When it comes to saving money on your power bill, we all know a few basics that apply to the Air Conditioning and Heating system such as keeping your air filters clean, setting your thermostat higher when you are not home and having your system regularly checked by certified HVAC technicians.
You can also save money by updating your old Air Conditioning and Heating system to a new higher energy efficient system. But before any of us make a big decision such as updating an Air Conditioning and Heating system, one question that always comes to mind, ”What is going to save me the most money”. That all depends on which energy efficient system is installed. But let’s take it a step further by finding out what actually determines the efficiency of an Air Conditioning and Heating system? The answer is the units SEER rating.
The SEER rating (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) is mathematically determined by the performance and energy efficiency rating that measures the effectiveness of a central air system. This is defined by the Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute in its standard ARI 210/240.
The SEER rating of a unit is the cooling output BTU (British Thermal Unit) during a typical cooling season divided by the total electric energy input in watt-hours during the same period. The higher the units SEER rate, the more energy efficiency the system is. Think of a SEER rating like miles per gallon in cars. The higher the rating, the more energy efficient the unit is. Therefore, higher SEER ratings lead to more savings in energy usage which in turn leads to a lower power bill.
SEER Rating Timeline:
- 1980s: SEER rating was 6
- 1990s: A minimum SEER rating of 10 was mandated by the Department of Energy.
- 2006: Air Conditioning Units manufactured in the
United States - Present: You can purchase an Air Conditioning system with a SEER rating above 20.
Manufacturers can put together combinations of indoor Air Handler Units (Variable Speed Types) with different outdoor units to achieve the higher SEER ratings. Before purchasing a new Air Conditioning and Heating system, you should familiarize yourself on different heating and cooling systems and their SEER ratings.
Potential Annual Savings* for cooling your home based on the efficiency of a matched system:
- 8 SEER = 0% savings
- 10 SEER = up to 20% saving
- 13 SEER = up to 38% saving
- 14 SEER = up to 43% saving
- 15 SEER = up to 47% saving
- 16 SEER = up to 50% saving
- 20 SEER = up to 60% saving
*Minimum efficiency established by the Department of Energy. The majority of systems installed prior to 2006 are 10 SEER or lower. Potential energy savings may vary depending on your lifestyle, system settings, equipment maintenance, local climate, home construction and installation of equipment and duct system.
Air Design Systems can provide you with helpful information on different Air Conditioning and Heating systems along with different SEER ratings that fit your needs. Call 202-COOL today for your free estimate to install a new energy efficient Air Conditioning and Heating system.
Need emergency after-hours or weekend Air Conditioning/Heating or Plumbing service? Air Design Systems provides 24-hour on-call service with no additional after-hour charge. Call 202-COOL night or day, Air Design Systems is on the way!
Visit www.airdesignhvac.com for more information about all of our services we provide!
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