NEWS
Changes coming January 2023
WHAT IS SEER2 AND WHY DOES IT MATTER?
The last time you purchased an AC, you probably considered the unit's SEER before deciding to buy it.
SEER, of course, is a standard for gauging an air conditioner's efficiency. It's an acronym for "seasonal energy efficiency ratio" with higher SEER numbers indicating a more efficient AC.
But starting on January 1, 2023, SEER won't be the standard anymore. Instead, every new AC will receive a SEER2 rating.
A higher SEER2 will still be more efficient than a lower SEER2. However, SEER2 is calculated much differently from SEER. It's really an all new standard.
WHAT IS SEER2 ALL ABOUT?
The whole point of SEER2 is to make up for deficiencies in the way SEER was calculated.
You see, the US Department of Energy (DOE) sets the standards for appliance efficiency and issues extremely precise guidance on how manufacturers need to calculate the relative efficiency of their equipment. The standards for SEER were established many years ago, and manufacturers have been abiding by them ever since. However, there were always problems with SEER.
According to a recent report in ACHR, the DOE created SEER2 in an effort to better align AC efficiency ratings with real world operating conditions:
THAT'S COOL. BUT HOW DOES SEER2 AFFECT ME?
No matter if you're a budget minded home owner or if Efficiency and comfort is your primary concern the fact of the matter is that equipment pricing is going to increase due to this change as well as constant supply chain issues. If you're thinking of replacing your system at all now is the time before next years price increases.