Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio

"Seasonal energy efficiency ratio" (SEER), what does it mean and how does it apply to residential air conditioners. The rising cost of energy and the pollution created by production, has caused air conditioner efficiency to become an issue. Currently, the debate concerning appliance efficiency standards has revolved around the Bush Administration's proposal to weaken the standard for air conditioners from the SEER 13 standard set by the Clinton Administration to a SEER 12.

The efficiency of central air conditioning units is governed by U.S. law and regulated by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Every air conditioning unit is assigned an efficiency rating known as its "seasonal energy efficiency ratio" (SEER). The SEER is defined as the total cooling output (in British thermal units or BTU) provided by the unit during its normal annual usage period divided by its total energy input (in watt-hours) during the same period.

Currently, air conditioner efficiency is an issue, because of the Clinton Administration's approval to improve the standard from SEER 10, which was established by Congress in 1987, to SEER 13. The change from SEER 10 to SEER 13 represented a 30 percent improvement in energy efficiency. The Clinton Administration decision required all new air conditioning equipment sold in the United States to comply with the SEER 13 standard by January 2006. In April 2001, however, the Bush Administration addressed the possibility of weakening the standard to SEER 12, and in July, DOE formally proposed to roll back the standard. (American Council for an Energy-Efficiency Economy [ACEEE], 2004)

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, a SEER 13 standard represents a 30 percent increase in minimum energy efficiency requirements for air conditioners, in contrast to a 20 percent increase with a SEER 12 standard. According to the Department of Energy, 4.2 quadrillion BTU, or quads of energy, will be saved between 2006 and 2030 by a SEER 13 standard. 4.2 quads of energy is the equal amount of the annual energy use of 26 million U.S. households, which has a total savings of approximately $1 billion to the consumer by 2020. (ACEEE, 2004) On the other hand, a SEER 12 standard will only save three quads of energy during the same time period.

A SEER 13 standard will also accomplish more in reducing fossil fuel consumption and limiting air pollution. The construction of 39 400-megawatt power plants will be avoided by adopting the SEER 13 standard, which will reduce smog forming nitrous oxides (NOx) emissions by up to 85,000 metric tons and cutting greenhouse gas emissions (the gases responsible for global warming) by up to 33 million metric tons of carbon. (Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Inst. [ARI], 2004) Power plants are major