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How Do Air Conditioners Earn the Energy Star Sticker?

When it comes to air conditioning in Glenview, IL, residents can’t take chances. Summers in the Midwest and be hot and humid, and a reliable air conditioner can be your best means of keeping your home cool and comfortable. When performing their duties, air conditioners should be as efficient as possible, a status that can be measured with the SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) rating. The higher the rating, the more efficient the air conditioner. The most efficient units earn the Energy Star sticker, a fast way to determine which units are the most energy efficient. How do air conditioners earn the Energy Star sticker? A quick primer can be found below.

The Energy Star sticker is issued by the U.S. Department of Energy in an effort to reduce our overall consumption of energy and promote green technologies.  As of 2006, all new air conditioners need SEER ratings of at least 13 in order to be sold in the U.S., though older units could still maintain an older SEER rating. The Energy Star sticker, however, needed to represent a higher standard. Here in the northern half of the country, central air conditioners and air-source heat pups need a SEER rating of at least 14. If they were part of a split system using two or more forms of fuel, the standard is even higher: a 14.5 SEER rating in order to use the Energy Star Sticker.

If you don’t have a centralized system, the requirements are a little less stringent, since single-room heat pumps and air conditioners tend to be more efficient by default. (You can turn them off in parts of the house you aren’t using, which you can’t do with a centralized system.) Depending on their capacity, they need an EER of between 9.8 and 11.2 for air conditioners, 9.8 and 10.4 for heat pumps in order to get the sticker.

Regardless of how air conditioners earn the Energy Star sticker, those with the sticker can save you a great deal of money over their lifespan. If you’re in the market for a new air conditioner, Glenview IL has the experts at Shavitz Heating & Air Conditioning to help. Contact us today to set up a consultation and let us show you what we can do!

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