The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) routinely reviews and occasionally amends energy conservation standards for equipment such as central air conditioners, heat pumps, and other HVAC components to ensure they meet efficiency requirements. For the Department of Energy to be able to make an amendment, the amendments to the energy standards must be energy-saving, technologically feasible, and economically justifiable.
The previous amendment to energy conservation standards for central air conditioners, packaged, and heat pump systems in 1992 guided HVAC systems and parts manufacturers until recently when the most updated standard came out. These new requirements are referred to as Seer2.
Read on to learn more about what Seer2 is and how it will affect the current HVAC industry. Or, if you are ready to purchase a new SEER2-rated cooling system product, you can contact the HVAC specialists at Superior Home Supplies today to find the perfect model for your home. Superior Home Supplies has the components and system to meet all of your home's heating and cooling needs.
What is SEER2?
Seer 2, or Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio 2, is the measurement of the efficiency of removing an amount of heat from a space during the cooling season by your central AC system or heat pump. The new standard of SEER utilizes a new M1 blower testing procedure that increases the external static pressure. This recreates better field and installation conditions that are typical with current cooling systems. Once tested, using the new M1 procedure systems will be given new ratings of EER2 and HSPF2, or heating seasonal performance factor 2, as well as the SEER2 rating.
How is SEER2 Different From SEER?
To understand precisely what SEER2 is and how it may affect your future cooling system purchase and use, you must know the difference between SEER and SEER2.
SEER
The Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio is how central air conditioning systems have been measured for efficiency since 1992. The ratio is calculated by dividing the cooling capacity of a system during a period of regular operation, by its energy consumption, over that time. Simply put the formula used is BTUs divided by watt hours.
When the SEER rating is higher, the A/C unit uses less energy, and the system operates more efficiently. In 1992 the U.S. Department of Energy set the minimum energy standard of 13 SEER for systems in the north and 14 SEER for systems in the south.
Manufacturers typically design their system to be above the standard SEER rating, with many producing systems above 14 SEER to allow them to qualify for ENERGY STAR certification, so some systems previously manufactured may meet the updated SEER2 rating requirements.
SEER2
The new SEER2 ratings do not remove or replace SEER ratings which will still be used for efficiency ratings and utilize the same formula. What will change with SEER2 is the testing conditions for them to get the SEER2 ratings.
The updated testing procedures put the HVAC units under higher external static pressure than previously used. Variations to the pressure will vary by the region where the unit will be sold to provide the greatest accuracy in different temperature and humidity conditions.
One of the reasons for the addition of SEER2 testing procedures is that the current testing for SEER fails to consider how the ductwork in a home will affect the external static pressure. Leaky or poorly installed ductwork are not accounted for in previous SEER ratings and can seriously reduce the overall efficiency of a system.
The fact that SEER2 takes into account more factors makes it more accurate and may result in lower ratings for some AC split systems, split system heat pumps, and single-packaged units. For example, with the SEER2 requirements, a central air conditioning system with a BTU lower than 45,000 should likely have a SEER2 rating of 14.3 when it has a SEER of 15.0.
Why Did the Department of Energy Update to SEER2?
Now that you know what SEER2 means, it may be easy to understand why the Department of Energy chose to update to SEER2. The DOE knew that SEER testing did not accurately reflect the real-world conditions common to installation and wanted to account for these real-world conditions, such as poorly designed ductwork which can lead to higher energy consumption. The DOE rolled out SEER2 to better gauge the home energy efficiency of AC systems based on real situations that may be present after installation.
SEER2 M1 Testing Procedures
The ultimate goal of the SEER2 M1 testing procedures is to provide a more accurate rating of cooling systems using the real-world operating conditions they will be under when running. During the testing procedure, the external static pressure of the system will be increased by a factor of five. So while the previous testing with SEER used external static pressure of 0.1 in. of water, the new SEER2 M1 testing utilizes 0.5 in. of water.
Ultimately the difference between SEER and SEER2 is that current field conditions, such as issues with systems' ductwork, are taken into account so that more accurate energy efficiency levels can be determined.
The Different Regions and SEER2 Requirements for Each Region
So how do you know if you have an excellent SEER2 rating with your system? While the SEER2 requirements will be the same from system to system, the energy efficiency standards will vary depending on the region where you live 4.
The testing requirements will be the same in each region, but the required SEER2 rating of residential split systems will change depending on your location in the country's North, Southeast, or Southwest regions.
- Northern region: SEER2 rating of 13.4 or higher is required.
- Southeast region: SEER2 ratings of at least 14.3 for AC units above 45,000 BTUs and 13.8 minimum SEER2 ratings for central air conditioners between 45,000 and 65,000 BTUs are the new requirements.
- Southwest region: SEER2 rating requirements for air conditioners below 45,000 BTUs is 14.3, and an EER2 rating of 11.7. If the SEER2 rating is above 15.2, the SEER2 rating can be as low as 9.8 in the Southwest.
Some requirements will remain consistent across the regions. These requirements include heat pumps having a SEER2 rating of at least 14.3 and HSPF2 of at least 7.5. Single-packaged AC units and gas-electric packaged units have a new minimum EER2 requirement of 13.4. Dual-fuel heat pumps require an HSPF2 rating of 6.7 and a SEER2 rating of 13.4.
HVAC Technologies/Products Affected by SEER2
A wide range of HVAC equipment types are affected by SEER2. While older models may be grandfathered in for a while, the HVAC system components must follow the new SEER2 requirements and M1 testing as they are manufactured.
Air conditioner condensing units
The condensing unit of your air conditioner is one of the HVAC products that will be affected by the new regional efficiency requirements set out by the Department of Energy that went into effect on the SEER2 deadline: January 2023. Effective January 1st, all air conditioner condensing units must meet SEER2 rating requirements and have undergone the appropriate testing measures.
Heat Pumps
Heat pumps will also be subject to the new HVAC SEER2 ratings effective January 1st. Those manufactured before this date will still be allowed to be sold even if they do not meet the new requirements for minimum efficiency levels as long as they have a SEER rating of at least 14. New split system heat pumps must now be manufactured to meet a SEER2 rating of 14.3 and an HSPF2 rating of 7.5.
Single Packaged Units
The current regulations for single-packaged heat pump units are 14.0 SEER and an HSPF of 8.0, which will translate to a SEER2 rating of 13.4 and an HSPF2 of 6.7. These systems can remain the same even with the regulation changes, but they must undergo the newer testing measures.
Mini-split systems
Mini-split air conditioning systems must also be calculated using the new HVAC SEER2 rating system and testing. They will be subject to the energy efficiency ratings based on the region in which they are manufactured and installed.
Taking Next Steps
What does SEER2 mean? It simply means that the Department of Energy has decided new test methods are needed for cooling systems. Air source heat pumps, mini split HVAC systems, and central air conditioning systems are now tested so real-world factors are considered when determining the energy efficiency of a system.
Understanding the new SEER2 system will help you better understand the ratings and how they can tell homeowners about their energy use. Still unsure about how the new SEER2 ratings may affect your current and future HVAC needs? Or are you ready to purchase a compliant SEER2 Air Conditioning product? Superior Home Supplies is here to help regardless of your cooling or heating system needs. Contact us today at 855-578-7374 to talk with one of our specialists and find the right HVAC products and solutions for your home.