The Department of Energy (DOE)聽continuously聽enacts聽rules聽targeted on聽reducing energy consumption and pollution in the United States. With the聽newest聽2023 HVAC regulatory changes now in effect, you聽may聽wonder聽if the changes聽impact new聽air conditioners, energy efficiency and聽whether they'll mean you need聽to replace your聽home's聽AC system. Here are the answers to聽some聽frequently asked questions on聽the changes.
Why Did the DOE Make HVAC Regulatory Changes?
The new聽guidelines, which took effect on January1, 2023,聽impact聽new聽air conditioners聽and heat pumps. These聽modifications聽are designed聽to standardize and optimize energy efficiency,聽generate聽more environmentally friendly options and聽establish聽new standards for refrigerants and testing methods.
How Is Heating and Cooling Efficiency Measured?
All air conditioners and heat pumps聽receive聽a seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER)聽indicating聽the level of cooling output over a聽regular聽cooling season (in British thermal units or BTUs) divided by the聽power聽consumed (in watt-hours). The higher the SEER rating, the more energy efficient the聽model聽is, as it can remove the same聽level聽of heat using聽less聽energy. This rating聽system聽has been an industry standard since the 1970s,聽enabling聽consumers to easily聽compare聽different AC units and choose ones that meet their energy efficiency聽requirements.
Quite a few聽air conditioning units聽also聽earn聽an energy efficiency ratio (EER) calculated by dividing the cooling output (BTUs per hour) by the electrical power input (in watts) at a single point in time. Unlike SEER, EER does not聽take into account聽seasonal changes and instead聽evaluates聽the unit’s efficiency during peak聽operation. EER is used for聽calculating聽an聽air conditioner's聽abilities聽during the hottest days of the year.
Heat pump heating efficiency is聽judged聽with聽the heating seasonal performance factor (HSPF). This ratio聽figures聽the total heating required during the heating season (in BTUs) divided by the total watt-hours of聽power聽consumed.聽A lot like聽SEER and EER, a higher HSPF rating聽indicates聽better聽energy efficiency. HSPF has been a聽common聽heating efficiency聽metric聽since the late 1980s.
How Are SEER2, EER2 and HSPF2 Different?
SEER2, EER2 and HSPF2 are the聽most recent聽ways to聽evaluate聽AC聽and heat pump efficiency. These聽brand-new聽standards give homeowners a more聽accurate聽idea聽of their energy use when they聽buy聽a particular AC unit or heat pump.
SEER2-compliant聽designs聽also use updated refrigerants with聽lower聽global warming potential (GWP) and ozone depletion potential (ODP) compared to聽previously used refrigerants. Outdated R-22 (Freon) and R-410A (Puron) will be recovered and sold for聽repairing聽older units, but they won’t be allowed in new聽HVAC聽systems.
What Are the New 2023 Federal Regulations for Energy Efficiency?
The changes in HVAC system聽evaluation聽criteria聽mean SEER2, EER2 and HSPF2 are more聽accurate. They聽involve聽testing equipment under more聽accurate聽field conditions, accounting for ductwork and static pressure, which SEER, EER and HSPF ratings don’t聽factor into calculations.
The new AC and heat pump energy efficiency requirements for 2023:
- Air conditioners installed in the North: 13.4 SEER2 (14 SEER)
- Air conditioners installed in the South: 14.3 SEER2 (15 SEER)
- Air conditioners installed in the Southwest: 14.3 SEER2 (15 SEER) & 11.7 EER2 (12.2 EER)
- Heat pumps installed nationwide: 14.3 SEER2 (15 SEER) & 7.5 HSPF2 (8.8 HSPF)
How Do I Find My Current HVAC Efficiency Rating?
The first place to聽check out聽is the yellow EnergyGuide label聽attached to聽the side of your聽air conditioning unit聽or heat pump. You can also聽search聽for your聽air conditioner or heat pump's聽make and model on the DOE’s Energy Compliance Certification Database.
Systems聽installed聽before聽2023 will聽have聽a SEER rating. Those聽manufactured聽in 2022 or聽earlier聽but installed after January 1, 2023, will also have a SEER rating. All聽systems聽constructed聽and installed in 2023 or later will聽have聽a SEER2 rating.
Note聽that聽air conditioners聽manufactured聽before 2023 can only be installed in the Northern U.S. In the South, SEER2-compliant聽systems聽are required from January 1聽and afterward. If聽a heating and cooling professional聽violates聽these聽policies聽and the DOE聽punishes聽them, they must replace the non-compliant AC unit聽without charging聽the homeowner.
Do I Need to Replace My Existing HVAC System?
No, the聽shift聽to SEER2, EER2 and HSPF2 only聽affects聽newly聽made聽and installed HVAC units.聽There isn't any聽legal聽necessity聽to replace your聽home's聽cooling system.聽Having said that, if you’re聽wanting聽to upgrade, meeting the 2023 HVAC regulatory changes will save you money on聽electricity聽bills and聽provide you with聽more advanced features, including smart thermostats and zoning.
Partner with 天美传媒 For HVAC Service in the U.S
Whether聽you聽determine聽now is the time to replace your聽home's聽AC system, or you want to keep your current聽system聽in top shape and going strong, 天美传媒 can help. We’re聽well-versed in聽the 2023 HVAC regulatory changes and testing requirements, so we can help you聽find聽and install a compliant聽AC聽or heat pump. We also perform聽reliable聽air conditioning maintenance and repairs if you’re not聽looking聽to replace your system.
When you聽work with聽天美传媒, you’re partnering with聽a service provider聽that understands your needs. We are聽committed聽to your comfort, environmental sustainability and聽absolute聽satisfaction.
Eager聽to switch to a SEER2-compliant聽AC? Still have questions? Call 天美传媒 at (866) 963-7996 today, and we’ll聽assist聽you聽every聽step of the way!
