New minimum efficiency standards are no problem for Comfortmaker , and that’s good news for you and your new air conditioner or heat pump system.
Federal regulations in the heating and cooling industry are always changing. One of the newest updates is an increase to the mandated minimum efficiency of air conditioners and heat pumps. As a trusted leader in home comfort, Comfortmaker has thrived by continuously looking for the next advancement in comfort technology. That’s why we are prepared to meet the new efficiency standards with a full family of compliant products.
Every six years the Department of Energy (DOE) reviews the effects of energy usage, sets minimum efficiency requirements, and manages the testing standards by which those efficiencies are measured.1 As a result of its most recent analysis, the DOE is increasing the minimum efficiencies for central air conditioners and heat pumps. The testing procedures for determining those efficiencies will change as well. These new standards went into effect on January 1, 2023.
All Comfortmaker products represent years of design, development and testing with your family’s home comfort in mind. Along the way, we have created new technologies that deliver the outstanding quality and energy efficiency you demand, well ahead of industry trends and global initiatives. And this is exactly what we have done to meet the 2023 requirements.
Homeowners buying new Comfortmaker 2023-compliant systems will benefit from:
- A higher efficiency system leading to potentially reduced monthly utility bills.
- Enhanced comfort benefits such as more consistent indoor temperatures and improved humidity control.
- High-quality products that have been in our development pipeline well in advance of the new requirements
These new government regulations apply to all manufacturers in the HVAC industry. For air conditioners, the Department of Energy’s new minimum efficiency standards will vary by region, so your choice of AC units will depend on where you live. For heat pumps, the new standard will be uniform across the nation. The DOE’s regional breakdown by state is as follows:
- Southwest: Arizona, California, Nevada, and New Mexico
- South: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. territories
- North: The remainder of the United States
Increased efficiency ratings are nothing new. However, revised testing procedures are less common and have added another level of complexity. As of January 1, 2023, all new air conditioner and heat pump products sold and installed in the U.S. will be labeled with SEER2 cooling efficiency rating. A SEER2 efficiency rating indicates that a product complies with the new Department of Energy testing procedures.
SEER2 is simply the latest version of the pre-2023 industry standard SEER – Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. Much like miles-per-gallon for a car, SEER and SEER2 offer an easy way to compare efficiencies of different products – the higher the SEER or SEER2, the more efficient the unit. Just be sure you are comparing either SEER vs SEER or SEER2 vs SEER2. Once an air conditioner or heat pump is installed, the SEER2 rating should be easy to locate – it will be displayed on the bright yellow EnergyGuide label on the unit.