How Is The Efficiency Of Heating And Cooling Equipment Measured?

Nowadays, people have become more aware of the need to cut down their carbon footprint and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. One way to do this is ensuring that a home’s HVAC system runs as efficiently as possible. This enables it to use the least possible amount of energy while in operation. There are various industry standards that can help in determining the best systems to purchase for maximum energy efficiency.

Knowing a system’s efficiency will help in estimating the amount of energy needed to run it and the annual operating cost as well. There are a number of efficiency ratings which can help in sorting out how good certain systems are going to be at saving energy. However, one needs to know that bigger doesn’t always translate to better. Only a qualified HVAC technician can help in determining the best system for a particular house or business.

Energy Efficiency Ratio

This gives a glimpse of how much cooling a certain system provides for every unit of energy consumed. This is based on the hottest days of the year. The EER is calculated by dividing the output cooling energy by the input electrical energy.

Energy Star

This is a designation provided by the EPA. This is only allocated to HVAC equipment that either meets or exceeds the laid-down efficiency guidelines. There are a number of factors put into consideration as well. Such include how much the equipment offers to the nationwide energy savings, the price difference between the device and its conventional counterpart, and the performance and energy consumption that can be measured and verified through testing.

Heating Seasonal Performance Factor

This measures the efficiency of the heating component of a certain heat pump. The rating lies between 6.8 and 10, with high-efficiency devices having a rating of 7.5 or higher. This factor is calculated by dividing the output of the heating energy by the corresponding input of electrical energy.

Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value

This is a system used to rate the efficiency of filters in terms of the size of their holes. Smaller apertures mean a filter is better equipped at trapping contaminants. MERV ratings range from 1 to 16, with the higher figure indicating the highest possible efficiency.

Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio

This indicates the amount of cooling power a HVAC system provides for every unit of energy purchased, based on the whole season’s average. SEER ratings range from 13 to 22, with the higher figure indicating the highest efficiency level possible. It’s calculated by dividing the output cooling energy during a season (in BTU) by the input electrical energy during the same season.
Homeowners whose houses have old, inefficient HVAC equipment would be advised to contact professionals in the field. Here, they can discuss their options for the repair and maintenance and how a newer system would be helpful in raising energy efficiency. Follow our blog for more great HVAC information.