Air Conditioning Energy Efficiency and SEER Ratings
Energy efficiency has been a goal of many companies that manufacture appliances and heating and cooling systems in recent years, and the U.
S.
government is one major factor in this emphasis.
Consumers have strong motivation these days to replace appliances and heating and cooling systems with more efficient models for several reasons.
One reason is the high cost of energy in today's world due to the trend in higher commodity prices over the past ten years.
A number of prominent experts in commodities investing have predicted that this trend should continue for another decade or so.
The green movement around the world is another force that is pushing consumers to be mindful of efficient energy use.
In addition, incentives offered by local and national governments or even equipment manufacturers themselves are another reason to switch to more efficient appliance and heating and cooling systems.
In fact the U.
S.
federal government has been offering a tax credit of up to $1,500 for people who do so.
The current offer is good until the end of 2010.
As for air conditioning efficiency, a law was passed in 2006 in the U.
S.
requiring that all systems manufactured after that time have a SEER rating of at least 13.
SEER stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio, and it is the rating standard used for describing the efficiency of air conditioning systems.
The U.
S.
Department of Energy has stated that an air conditioner with a SEER rating of 13 will use anywhere from 20%-40% less energy than the previous generation of systems which had a SEER rating of 10.
There are some units on the market today with SEER ratings as high as 21.
Of course the higher the efficiency of the system, the higher the price will be.
In order to take advantage of the $1,500 tax credit described above, people must switch to an air conditioning system with a SEER rating of at least 16.
If you are thinking of upgrading the air conditioning or heating system in your home, it is imperative to work with a contractor and installer who has a lot of experience and who is highly competent.
If either system is not designed with the correct amount of capacity, your system will not run properly, and you will have hot or cool spots in your home.
Too much capacity can be as bad as not enough in that regard.
S.
government is one major factor in this emphasis.
Consumers have strong motivation these days to replace appliances and heating and cooling systems with more efficient models for several reasons.
One reason is the high cost of energy in today's world due to the trend in higher commodity prices over the past ten years.
A number of prominent experts in commodities investing have predicted that this trend should continue for another decade or so.
The green movement around the world is another force that is pushing consumers to be mindful of efficient energy use.
In addition, incentives offered by local and national governments or even equipment manufacturers themselves are another reason to switch to more efficient appliance and heating and cooling systems.
In fact the U.
S.
federal government has been offering a tax credit of up to $1,500 for people who do so.
The current offer is good until the end of 2010.
As for air conditioning efficiency, a law was passed in 2006 in the U.
S.
requiring that all systems manufactured after that time have a SEER rating of at least 13.
SEER stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio, and it is the rating standard used for describing the efficiency of air conditioning systems.
The U.
S.
Department of Energy has stated that an air conditioner with a SEER rating of 13 will use anywhere from 20%-40% less energy than the previous generation of systems which had a SEER rating of 10.
There are some units on the market today with SEER ratings as high as 21.
Of course the higher the efficiency of the system, the higher the price will be.
In order to take advantage of the $1,500 tax credit described above, people must switch to an air conditioning system with a SEER rating of at least 16.
If you are thinking of upgrading the air conditioning or heating system in your home, it is imperative to work with a contractor and installer who has a lot of experience and who is highly competent.
If either system is not designed with the correct amount of capacity, your system will not run properly, and you will have hot or cool spots in your home.
Too much capacity can be as bad as not enough in that regard.
Source...