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SEER is a maximum efficacy rating that stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio and determines the annual energy consumption and efficiency of a unit’s total cooling output in typical day-to-day use. The higher the SEER rating, the less energy a heat pump or air conditioning will need to do its job efficiently. To calculate SEER, you must take the total cooling capacity during a typical cooling-season divided by the total electric energy input produced during the same period.
To clear up some confusion early on in this article, we want to break down the SEER rating into less complicated terms. To start, a SEER rating is a maximum efficiency rating, meaning a unit’s score can be as high as 26 SEER. Which does not mean that the unit will always rate 26 SEER. To help break this down even further, we can use the comparable example of miles per gallon (MPG). If you buy a car with a high MPG but are constantly driving it around like a race car driver, you won’t be getting the high MPG rating you had hoped.
Similarly, if you are continually changing the temperature of your house, or if your climates temperature is prone to frequent fluctuation, you will not be obtaining the full potential of your SEER value. That’s why deciding on a higher SEER rating or an average one only matters to you and your individual needs and circumstances. If you are located in Houston, TX and want to learn about which HVAC system and SEER rating would be best for you, contact our specialists today!
Before the SEER rating had been implemented, HVAC equipment was solely rated off how much energy was used while the system was running at full capacity in a controlled environment. Since this rating-type does not take into account the various factors that affect typical efficiency, SEER was developed as a more comprehensive rating system. SEER provides consumers with a much more accurate representation of the average energy use of an air conditioning unit or heat pump in cooling mode, taking into account important factors, such as:
In the past few decades, there have been many efforts to improve the overall efficiency of heating pumps and air conditioners. While customers used to purchase units based on their cooling power alone, today, rising energy costs have buyers more concerned with operating cost. Operating costs can be defined as the amount of money it takes to produce the level of cooling power a particular buyer desires. SEER ratings for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems manufactured today have a range of 13-14 (depending on your state’s requirements) to 26 SEERs, with dated models having a rating of 6 to 10. With that being said, many people are under the impression that modern 13-14 SEER is bottom of the barrel when in all actuality, a modern minimum SEER will perform drastically better than that of an older 6-10 SEER. The point is, if you’re in the market for a heating pump or air conditioning unit, chances are even with the minimum SEER, your efficiency will already be going up. It’s true that higher SEER ratings typically indicate the most efficient units that offer the most energy savings annually. So whether you prefer a higher SEER vs. an average one, it all depends on your needs.
SEER AC and heating pump ratings are based on efficiency tests required by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). These tests assume an outdoor temperature of 82˚F, an indoor temperature of 80˚F, and an indoor relative humidity of 50%. This rating system implies that an air conditioning unit with a SEER rating of 16 is 60% more efficient than a 10 SEER unit. Of course, this is only a relevant conclusion if your home just so happens to match the test conditions. The DOE obviously can’t go to every house and rate the efficiency of each condition, that’s why we want to use the SEERs rating as a guideline and not an absolute. The U.S. contains a plethora of varying climates, and in some regions, the maximum temperature could be as high as 102˚F, far above the 82˚F used to rate an HVAC system according to the DOE. It goes without saying that this difference in temperature will most definitely affect the rated efficiency of the unit.
If you are looking to buy a new heat pump or air conditioning unit and want to know what SEERs rating is best for your home (or business), here are some critical questions to be asking yourself:
There’s a lot to factor in when trying to figure out what a good SEER rating is for your circumstances. Our skilled professionals at Air Innovations LLC in Houston, TX would be happy to go through these questions with you if you need assistance.
Air Innovations LLC
License# TACLB26062E
Regulated by Texas Dept. of Licensing & Regulation
P.O. Box 12157, Austin, Texas 78711
(800) 803-9202 • (512) 463-6599
www.tdlr.texas.gov
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