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As you shop for a new AC system, you聽perhaps聽have聽stumbled on聽the term “SEER rating.”聽What exactly does this rating mean, and why is it important? Use this SEER rating guide to聽discover聽everything聽you need to聽know聽regarding聽AC efficiency ratings and the聽new聽minimum SEER rating increase聽passed聽by the federal government.

What Is聽a SEER Rating?

SEER聽stands for聽Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio, which is a聽measure聽of how聽well聽an air conditioner cools your home — or,聽to describe it another way, how聽effectively聽the AC unit聽removes heat from the indoor air. The SEER rating is聽scored聽by dividing the cooling output of an聽air conditioner聽by the聽electric energy聽it聽consumes聽over聽an entire聽season. Higher SEER ratings聽signify聽a more energy-efficient air conditioning system.

What Is SEER2?

SEER2 is聽a revised聽SEER rating system that聽factors聽real-world聽consumption聽patterns and聽local聽climate data. This new metric聽came into effect聽in January 2023 to聽offer聽a聽more precise聽depiction聽of an AC system’s energy efficiency.

Contrary to聽the聽previous聽SEER rating system, which only聽factors in聽an air conditioner’s energy efficiency in聽laboratory聽environments, the SEER2 metric聽delivers聽homeowners a more聽realistic聽picture of how聽an air conditioner聽will聽function聽once聽installed聽in their home.聽For this reason, you can聽anticipate聽SEER2 ratings to be a lower聽figure聽than SEER ratings,聽although聽they聽represent聽the same performance.

What Is the Federal Minimum SEER2 Rating in 2023?

罢丑别听聽determines聽minimum efficiency聽requirements聽for聽cooling聽systems. In 2023, the minimum SEER ratings for central air conditioners聽increased聽to 14 SEER (13.4 SEER2) in the northern U.S. and 15 SEER (14.3 SEER2) in the southern U.S.

This is the first minimum efficiency rating increase since 2015, when the聽mandated聽minimum ratings were聽required to be聽13 SEER in the north and 14 SEER in the south. The DOE聽requires聽any new AC systems聽marketed聽and installed in聽the United States聽to聽meet聽the new minimums.聽Even so, homeowners with聽lower efficiency聽air conditioners聽are not required to replace them.

How Do SEER Ratings聽Affect聽AC聽Expenditures?

Cooling systems聽with higher SEER ratings聽tend to聽cost more聽upon purchase聽than聽the ones聽with lower SEER ratings.聽It is because聽ACs with聽higher聽SEER ratings聽utilize聽more聽innovative聽technology and materials聽to achieve聽higher performance.聽The good news is that while聽air conditioners with higher SEER ratings may聽require聽a larger investment,聽they should聽save you money聽ultimately聽by lowering your聽energy聽bills.

Case in point,聽picture yourself聽comparing聽two聽central air conditioners. System A has a SEER rating of 14 and costs $3,000,聽but聽System B has a SEER rating of 18 and costs $4,000. While System B聽is more costly聽up-front,聽it could possibly聽save you 22% on your聽cooling聽costs聽in comparison聽to System A.聽Based on聽the聽weather聽and electricity costs聽in your town, this聽can potentially聽amount聽to hundreds of dollars in聽financial savings聽over the聽years ahead, making System B a more聽affordable聽option聽over time.

Why聽Buy聽an AC with a Higher SEER Rating?

Times have changed, and homeowners are not stuck settling聽for the minimum SEER rating in your聽state, not when聽modern cooling systems聽are rated 26 SEER or higher.聽Consider聽the聽many聽benefits of聽spending your money on聽such a high-end system:

• Energy savings:聽As previously mentioned, ACs with higher SEER ratings are聽more聽energy efficient. By聽consuming聽less energy to聽get聽the聽same聽cooling output, a聽high-end聽unit can聽help you save聽considerably聽on your cooling聽costs聽every聽summer for the聽lifetime聽of the system.
• Environmental impact:聽Less聽energy聽consumption聽will mean聽fewer greenhouse gas emissions.聽Selecting聽an AC with a higher SEER rating聽cuts down聽your home’s carbon聽footprint聽and聽leads聽to a more聽eco- friendly聽future.
• 贰苍丑补苍肠别诲听肠辞尘蹿辞谤迟:聽Higher SEER-rated聽cooling聽systems are聽more sophisticated, with聽functions聽such as two-stage compressors and multi-speed fan motors.聽Not merely聽does this聽avoid wasting聽energy and money, but it聽increases聽home comfort聽which leads to a聽quieter, more聽effective聽operation.
• Higher聽home value:听狈别飞,听high-efficiency ACs聽are more聽appealing聽to聽prospective home buyers at resale time聽than聽outdated聽systems with lower ratings.聽When it's time to move, having a high SEER-rated AC system can聽raise聽the resale value and聽make your home more attractive聽to potential buyers. This聽offers聽you yet another way to聽recoup聽your聽initial聽investment in a high-end air conditioner.

Install a New AC Unit聽Today

Now that you聽realize聽what SEER ratings to聽consider,聽you may be ready to shop聽for a聽replacement air conditioner. Turn to 天美传媒 for聽a review聽of today’s best HVAC systems.聽You'll聽save on聽your聽utility bills聽for聽years into the future聽by installing聽an effective聽AC unit that聽conform to聽or exceeds the federal minimum SEER2 rating. We’re so聽sure聽you’ll be聽pleased聽with our services that we聽offer聽a 天美传媒 Guarantee!聽For more information聽or to聽schedule聽a free AC installation estimate, please聽call聽a聽天美传媒 office near you.