WHAT IS SEER?
When searching for a new ductless mini split air conditioner system, you may have noticed that each unit comes with a SEER rating. You may be asking yourself, “What does a SEER rating mean?” Here’s why it’s an essential piece of information when shopping for new air conditioner units.
The SEER Rating Explained
The Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) oversees air conditioning technical standards and efficiency testing. The most well-known of these standards is AHRI 210/240, which outlines performance testing and measurement standards for air conditioners. The most important is the Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER).
The best way to answer the question “What is a SEER rating?” is to describe it as a score. The SEER rating is a numeric evaluation of an air conditioner’s year-round cooling efficiency. The higher the SEER rating, the more energy-efficient the unit is when cooling a home.
Calculating a mini split AC’s SEER rating is relatively straightforward: Divide the system’s cooling output (measured in British Thermal Units, or BTUs) by the amount of energy consumed (in Watt-hours).
- For example, in a dual-zone mini split system with a capacity of 18,000 BTU and average power consumption of 900 watt-hours, the unit’s SEER rating is 20 (18,000 ÷ 900 = 20).
The Department of Energy currently imposes a federal minimum SEER rating of 13 for all mini split AC systems sold on the U.S. market (14 in the south). In 2023, the requirements will increase by 1 point nationwide.
ComfortUp offers a wide selection of high-efficiency mini split systems from the world’s best manufacturers: Boreal, Gree, LG, Mitsubishi Electric, and Rheem, with SEER ratings up to 30 or more.
