The Contractor Determines The ACTUAL SEER

The Contractor Determines The ACTUAL SEER

Advanced Energy is an independent non-profit corporation that was founded in 1980 by the N.C. Utilities Commission to investigate new technologies for conservation and energy efficiency.

     Here are a few highlights of a document that was created by ADVANCED ENERGY to help Air Conditioning Contractors realize the impact they have on the ACTUAL SEER rating of an air conditioning system.

  •    “When a manufacturer sends equipment to a laboratory to establish its SEER rating, you can bet the equipment is set to perform its best under the test conditions. But real conditions in a home, not controlled lab conditions, determine how equipment will perform for your customers. That’s why understanding how SEER is affected by actual field conditions will help you deliver the most benefit from higher SEER equipment.”

  • “Many people know that SEER ratings are important in selecting equipment. What most people don’t realize is that the HVAC contractor has a major role in making equipment perform up to its real capabilities in the home environment.”

  • “A contractor who masters the FACTS about SEER may even be able to deliver greater comfort and lower energy costs using SEER 10 equipment than another contractor delivers using SEER 14 equipment!”

  • “Manufacturers of the condensers and evaporators usually specify the system conditions that should be met in order for their equipment to achieve the best performance results. But field experience often shows that these conditions are not being realized, and the equipment performs lower than its rated SEER.”

  •    “SEER 12 equipment may perform no better than SEER 6 equipment when installed in the actual home environment.”

 How common are improperly charged systems?

Studies show that under real field conditions:

  • About 7 out of 10 systems have an improper charge.
  • While most systems are undercharged, some systems are overcharged by more than 100%.”
     “….many air conditioners are not installed correctly. As an unfortunate result, modern energy-efficient air conditioners can perform almost as poorly as older inefficient models.”