One of the most essential criteria is the air conditioner energy efficiency. This describes how much cooling the unit delivers for each watt of electricity it consumes. In the Air Conditioning Industry efficiency is expressed as the Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio or as S.E.E.R. The term S.E.E.R is used to indicate the efficiency of different types of equipment and have been established by the US Department of Energy. It’s important to remember that the higher the efficiency rating, the greater the energy savings. When properly selected, higher efficiency matched systems offer improved comfort at reduced operating costs.

What does S.E.E.R mean to you?  

In January 2006, the Department of Energy increased the minimum efficiency from 10 to 13 S.E.E.R. The majority of systems installed before 1992 are 10.0 S.E.E.R. or below and continue to drop in efficiency as the system ages.

Not only TRANE systems meet the government standards; in many cases, they exceed it.

High efficiency or higher S.E.E.R rating translate into greater energy efficiency. In other words, the higher the S.E.E.R, the more money you can save on your electricity bills.

Why a Higher Efficiency Rating Can Save Energy?

If your current air conditioner is more than 10 years old, it could be operating at lower than 10.00 S.E.E.R. Compare the estimate annual cooling bill of a 10.00 S.E.E.R system to that of a new system with a higher S.E.E.R, such as 13.00 or 14.00 S.E.E.R. For instance, if the annual cooling bill of 10.00 S.E.E.R system was $800, it could potentially cost only $410 for 19.00 S.E.E.R system, or an annual savings of 49%.

S.E.E.R CHART

When selecting an air conditioning system, it’s important to think not only about the initial purchasing cost, but also how much it will cost to operate over the years. That’s why a high efficiency system makes so much sense. Your initial investment may be more, but your long term savings may be significant. Take a look at the chart on the right and see how the S.E.E.R measure up.