EER, or Energy Efficiency Ratio, measures the energy efficiency of an air conditioner or heat pump. To do this, manufacturers test the unit at the outdoor cooling temperature of 95°F and then give an EER rating, typically somewhere between 11 and 14 EER. A higher EER rating means your air conditioner is more energy efficient — and that’s a good thing! An energy-efficient AC will save you money on your utility bills and leave a small carbon footprint in the process.
What is EER?
Like we mentioned earlier, EER is the energy efficiency of your air conditioner. EER ratings are always calculated with the AC unit working at an outdoor temperature of 95°F, an indoor temperature of 80°F, and at 50% humidity.
Simply put, EER represents the cooling capacity of an air conditioning system. To calculate the EER of an air conditioner, you need to divide the cooling output by the total energy usage. The cooling output is expressed in British Thermal Units, or BTUs, whereas the power consumption is expressed in watts.
So, for instance, if you have a 10,000 BTU air conditioner that consumes 1,200 Watts, the EER of the air conditioner is: 10,000 / 1,200 = 8.3 EER
How Is EER Different from SEER?
The seasonal energy-efficiency ratio (SEER) represents the energy efficiency of a cooling unit. Unlike EER, which is determined in a laboratory setting that simulates an indoor and outdoor environment, SEER represents the average EER over various outdoor temperatures, ranging from 65° to 104°F. To determine the SEER, you need to divide the cooling output for an average season by the total electrical consumption during that season. That’s why SEER is considered as an indicator of the average energy-efficiency rating of the cooling unit to understand its performance during a season.
When Does Understanding EER Matter?
While understanding EER is important for all AC unit owners to get the full picture of their unit’s efficiency, understanding EER is especially important if you live in the Southern United States or a state like Arizona or Florida, where high, humid temperatures are the norm.
EER ratings are typically more important for those living in the Southern U.S. because EER is calculated by using one temperature — 95°F. In the South, it’s pretty standard for summer days to reach and exceed this high temperature, so EER is crucial in understanding how your air conditioner will hold up during hot days. In the North, such high temperatures aren’t as common, so a rating of how energy efficient your AC unit is at this high degree isn’t going to be too useful for you.
What’s a Good EER Rating for a Mini Split Air Conditioner?
According to the Department of Energy, minimum EER ratings for air conditioners range anywhere from 11.7 to 12.2 in the South, depending on tonnage. But, these are just minimums and if your unit is significantly better than those government-mandated numbers, it will earn an ENERGY STAR-certified EER rating.
ENERGY STAR-rated units come with many benefits for homeowners: they indicate your unit has an excellent EER rating, is made with better materials, and has a significantly less harsh impact on the environment. ENERGY STAR rated air conditioners must have EERs of 12 for split-system air conditioners and 11.5 for packaged air conditioners. Starting Jan.1, 2022, these ENERGY STAR minimums will be raised to 12.5 for split system air conditioners and 12 for packaged air conditioners.
Comments
Post a Comment