SEER Ratings
Meaning
The SEER rating stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. It measures the efficiency of air conditioning systems over an entire cooling season. A higher SEER rating indicates a more energy-efficient air conditioner, which can lead to lower electricity bills and reduced environmental impact. The rating is directly related to efficiency, so going from SEER 14 to 16 will be 12% more effecient and thus save you 12% on you cooling power bill.
SEER in the Code.
In Georgia the code requires a minimum SEER rating of 14.3 in your new construction home. If you are really digging into this you will notice the effeciency rating is SEER2, its more strigent. The details and specific differences of how SEER v SEER2 are calculated are outside the scope of this post.
SEER and costs.
The rating is directly related to efficiency, so going from SEER 14 to 16 will be 12% more efficient and thus save you 12% on you cooling power bill. The increase cost of the units can be a couple thousand dollars, and we see a full return on investment in as little as 3-5 years in our experience.
ADG Recommends
Our standard is 16 SEER and 96% furnaces. We feel its a cost effective way to decrease your energy bills, with good ROI.
Resources: