The ABCs of Air Conditioning – SEER ratings

The most common measure of air conditioner efficiency is called SEER, which stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. The higher the number the more efficient the system.

A SEER rating indicates how much heat a central air conditioning system can remove from a home per hour relative to the power it consumes. An air conditioner with a high SEER number will require less energy to remove the same amount of heat as a unit with a lower SEER rating.

Calculating SEER Ratings

The SEER formula is SEER = BTUs (heat removed) per hour / Watts (power consumed)

If an air conditioner removes 36000 BTUs per hour while consuming 3600 Watts, you can calculate its SEER rating as follows: SEER = 36,000 BTUs per hour / 3,600 Watts = 10

When choosing an air conditioner a higher SEER ratings will reduce your annual energy costs, as shown in these examples:

For SEER rating of 10, Annual Cost = 3.6 KW X 2,000 Hours X $0.10 = $720.00
For SEER rating of 14, Annual Cost = 2.571 KW X 2,000 Hours X $0.10 = $514.20
For SEER rating of 16, Annual Cost = 2.25 KW X 2,000 Hours X $0.10 = $450.00

Have questions about air conditioner efficiency? Call ABC Plumbing and Air Conditioning, we’re here to help.