If you’re shopping for a new air conditioner for your California home, you’ll have plenty of options. However, if energy efficiency is important to you, you’ll want a system with a high SEER rating. SEER is a standardized rating applied to AC systems to help consumers understand their efficiency. It can help you weigh your options to determine how much efficiency is worth paying for. Here’s everything you need to know about SEER ratings and how to use them.
What Is SEER?
SEER stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. It’s a system developed jointly by the Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute and the Department of Energy. Its original purpose was twofold. One purpose was to inform consumers about their AC energy efficiency choices. The other was to facilitate minimum energy efficiency standards for the market.
As of 2023, an updated version of the system, called SEER2, went into effect. It includes updated real-world testing conditions to reflect AC energy efficiency more accurately. When shopping for an air conditioner, you will see both ratings displayed on the unit. Once the inventory of pre-2023 equipment dwindles, SEER2 will become the predominant efficiency measure. As a consumer, you can easily convert between the two if necessary. If you multiply any SEER2 rating by 1.05, it will yield the equivalent SEER rating.
How Do SEER Ratings Work?
You’ll find any new air conditioner’s SEER or SEER2 rating on a yellow EnergyGuide label affixed to the system. The ratings are the result of testing performed by system manufacturers. Under prescribed testing conditions, the manufacturer first determines a unit’s base energy efficiency ratio (EER). EER is the number you get when you divide an AC’s BTU cooling output by its wattage. That tells you exactly how much energy the system uses to remove a single heat unit from your home.
The problem with EER is that it doesn’t reflect real-world use conditions. When you use an AC in your home, you won’t always use it at full power at all times. That’s where SEER ratings enter the picture. They reflect an AC’s energy use under simulated real-world use conditions. They result from an equation that assumes different cooling outputs for certain portions of an average cooling season.
How to Use SEER Ratings in Purchase Decisions
At a basic level, using the ratings is easy. The higher the number, the more efficient the AC. Also, federal efficiency standards dictate that you can’t buy air conditioners with less than a 15 SEER or 14.3 SEER2 in California. The trickier part comes when you try to compare two different air conditioners.
The problem is that SEER ratings aren’t linear. So, a single SEER point means something different on each step up the scale. In other words, the efficiency difference between 15 and 16 SEER is larger than between 16 and 17 SEER. Going higher up the scale always yields diminishing returns. This fact is vital to know because a slightly higher SEER rating can add thousands of dollars to a unit’s purchase price, but it does not guarantee that the reduced operating costs will justify the investment.
The good news is that there’s a way to compare SEER ratings directly. To do it, divide the higher of the two SEER ratings by the lower rating. Next, subtract one from the resulting figure. You’ll end up with a lengthy decimal. Multiplying that by 100 will yield the percentage of efficiency difference between the two systems.
It may be helpful to find out the SEER rating of your existing cooling system. Then, you could compare it with potential replacements. You could even look at your energy bills to estimate what a more efficient system might save.
Your Local Cooling Specialists
If you need some professional advice about a new air conditioner, our experts at Cencal Mechanical Heating & Air, Inc. can help. Our team understands SEER ratings inside and out and has real-world knowledge to back that up.
We have been installing, repairing, and maintaining heating and cooling systems in Modesto, CA and the surrounding areas since 2012. We can also help with all your indoor air quality and water heater needs. Contact us today to schedule an appointment with one of our talented technicians.
