Understanding Your HVAC SEER Rating

Ever heard of a SEER rating? Most people do not like the idea of wasting energy, especially while running HVAC units. Besides being bad for the environment, running an inefficient heating and cooling system can drain your bank account. To help you choose the correct appliance that will preserve energy usage, it is wise to understand SEER ratings.

What is a SEER Rating?

The SEER acronym stands for ‘Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio‘; put simply, it is an energy efficiency rating for air conditioners established by the Department of Energy. The DoE publishes the current minimum SEER rating for cooling, which currently resides above 14.00.

SEER ratings can range anywhere from the low teens to as high as 75 SEER! However, these higher ratings (25+ SEER) can only be achieved with specialized equipment, like ductless mini splits (avg 33 SEER) or ground source units which incorporate advanced HVAC techniques, like geothermal or water cooling.  Most units operating today’s businesses are between 10 and 20 SEER, just for context.

Selecting the Correct SEER Rating

The higher the SEER, the better the energy performance, the more you save in utility expense. However, typically the higher the SEER rating, the greater the retail purchase price. If you are working within a confined budget, often times a compromise between efficiency and affordability is the way to go. Of course, if budgets are of no consequence, by all means, aim for the highest SEER rating available and it will pay back dividends in the long-run.

Every business has  HVAC wants and needs that are different; therefore, it is highly recommended that you perform your own return on investment assessment when purchasing an air conditioning system based on the SEER rating alone.

If you are interested in learning more about SEER Ratings or want advice on choosing a new HVAC system, consult with the expert team at Fox Commercial Services and one of our seasoned project managers will be glad to work with you to help you select the unit that best fits your needs.