Heating and cooling your home can account for more than half of your overall utility bill.* To save money, choose the most efficient heating and cooling equipment for your home and your budget. Concord® has many options from which to choose.
High-efficiency units can provide the same heating and cooling capacity as standard-efficiency units, but they simply use less energy to do it. And while you’ll find different terms to describe efficiency among different units, the basic principle is the same: The higher the rating, the less energy and money you’ll spend every day.
Air Conditioner Efficiency
An air conditioner’s efficiency is measured using SEER2, which stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. The “2” refers to the 2023 updated testing standards. Compared to original SEER ratings, these new standards are updated to more accurately reflect performance in real-world installations. Think of it like the difference between highway vs. city miles per gallon: SEER represents performance in perfect conditions, while SEER2 presents a more realistic picture of performance - i.e., stop-and-go traffic.
The current minimum government standard is 14 SEER (13.4 SEER2) in northern states and 15 SEER (14.3 SEER2) in southwestern and southeastern states. Concord offers energy-saving cooling equipment with ratings of up to 18 SEER (17.1 SEER2) and system matches that go beyond.
Want to know more about efficiency standards in your region? Get the details here.
Furnace Efficiency
Furnace efficiency is measured in AFUE, or Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency. AFUE ratings typically vary from 80% to 98%, with 80% being the minimum requirement in the U.S. and 95% being the minimum requirement in Canada.
Heat Pump Efficiency
Since heat pumps offer both heating and cooling, they require two different ratings. Their cooling efficiency during summer is measured in SEER2, while their heating efficiency during cooler months is measured in HSPF2, or Heating Season Performance Factor. As with SEER2, HSPF was updated to HSPF2 to more accurately reflect performance in real-world installations.
The current minimum government standard is 8.8 HSPF (7.5 HSPF2). Concord offers energy-saving heat pumps that go up to 13.2 HSPF (11.9 HSPF2).
*Source: U.S. Department of Energy
http://energy.gov/energysaver/articles/tips-heating-and-cooling