14 Seer Vs. 16 Seer
The Department of Energy (DOE) has tightened regulations for the energy usage of new central air conditioning units. DOE rates units using the Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) to measure how energy efficient air conditioners are. Units manufactured after Jan. 23, 2006 must have a SEER of 13 or higher. Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
-
SEER 14
-
Annual costs to run central air conditioners depend on the unit's size, its SEER rating and the rate charged by the power company. For example, the estimated electricity cost for operating a 3-ton air conditioner unit system and paying 8 cents per kilowatt-hour means it would cost $207 to operate the SEER 14 unit annually.
SEER 16
-
Using an air conditioner with a SEER rating of 16 represents savings over using a SEER 14. The annual electricity costs for operating that 3-ton unit as a SEER 16 system and paying the same 8 cents per kwh for electricity means the SEER 16 unit would cost $180 to operate annually or $27 less than the SEER 14.
-
History
-
When DOE tightened standards in 2006 and increased the minimum SEER from 10 to 13, it estimated the change would yield potential annual energy savings equal to the total electricity 26 million households consume. Units with higher SEER ratings use less electricity than those with lower ratings.
-
References
- U.S. Department of Energy: Energy-Efficient Air Conditioners: New Standards Coming in 2006
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory: Energy-Efficient and Renewable Air Conditioning
- Energy Star.gov: Air Conditioning, Central for Consumers, Did You Know?
- Airmaker.com, Emerson Climate Technologies: Estimated Annual Operating Costs by SEER Rating
- Florida Power & Light Company: Evaluate Your Options, Annual Cooling Cost Calculator
Resources
- Photo Credit Schäferhund image by Angelika Bentin from Fotolia.com
