Ductless Heating and Cooling Units in Great Falls – What Is a SEER Rating?

A common way to measure the energy-efficiency of an air conditioning unit is through the seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER). The more energy-efficient an air conditioner is, the higher its SEER rating will be. Defined mathematically, this rating is the amount of cooling output, measured in British Thermal Units (BTUs) during a typical cooling season, divided by its energy usage, measured in watt-hours, during the same cooling season. As energy prices have increased, the importance of energy efficiency in air conditioning, and therefore that of the SEER rating, has increased significantly.

Heating and Cooling Units Prices in Great Falls – SEER Rating.

The SEER rating of an air conditioner measures efficiency over a whole season, and the energy efficiency ratio (EER) rating measures it for one given point in time. For example, an air conditioner's efficiency for the summer of 1998 would be measured by this rating, but its efficiency at 3:07 in the afternoon on 4 August would be reflected in an EER rating. The SEER rating of a unit is usually a number between about six and 25. Newer units usually have a higher rating, reflecting more efficient energy usage.

Heating and Cooling Units in Great Falls – Cooling Season.

If an air conditioner operates for a total of 800 hours during a cooling season, and has an output of 5,000 BTUs per hour, then the total energy output for the season will be four million BTUs. 

Heating and Cooling Window Units in Great Falls – Energy Consumption.

If the unit has a SEER rating of 20, then the total energy usage will calculated as 4 million divided by 20, to find the watt-hours used. The result is 200,000 watt-hours for the whole season. The number that the rating represents, therefore, is the number of BTUs that are produced for every watt-hour of energy consumption.