The Energy Star: Why You Should Look For It When You’re Choosing An Air Conditioner

Energy Star: It’s a label you’ll want look for if you’re upgrading your air conditioner. Choosing a system with the Energy Star label can mean the difference between a well-performing, lasting system and a poorly performing one. As you’ll see below, the Energy Star label is a valuable guide.

Money Matters

The Department of Energy (DOE) estimates that when homeowners replace a unit that’s older than 12 years with an Energy Star-qualified A/C, they can expect to save up to 30 percent on the cost to cool their homes. Over the life of the new system, that’s a lot of money saved.

Energy Star

Qualified equipment must meet stringent guidelines for energy efficiency, which is the reason the Energy Star label was developed. Jointly created by the DOE and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Energy Star program was designed to guide consumer choices for better energy savings, decreased energy consumption, and as a result, lower greenhouse gas emissions.

A variety of products can hold the Energy Star label, even entire buildings, and you may be familiar with the blue star logo posted in your local grocery store or government building. That same rating system is also used for air conditioners.

Guidelines For A/Cs

The government has set minimum efficiency standards for all types of heating and cooling equipment. The minimum standard for A/Cs is set at seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER) 13, but Energy Star-labeled systems perform above minimum standards.

Currently, to qualify for the Energy Star label, a central air conditioner must meet SEER 14.5 for split systems, most commonly used in residential applications. They must also meet an energy efficiency ratio (EER) of 12. SEER rates a unit’s efficiency over a cooling season, while EER shows high-performance efficiency. The two are akin to vehicle mileage efficiency in the city (SEER) and the highway (EER).

Why not get the best value for your money, and look for an Energy Star-qualified A/C. For help selecting a new A/C for your home, just give the experts at Quality Mechanical Services a call today. Serving homeowners in northwest Ohio.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about Energy Star and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Quality Mechanical services Lima, Kenton, Bellefontaine and Upper Sandusky in Ohio. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!