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ENERGY EFFICIENCY |
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Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) The efficiency of a furnace is measured in a rating known as AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency). A lot like your car's miles per gallon rating, AFUE tells you how efficiently the furnace converts fuel (gas or oil) into heat. An AFUE of 80% means that 80% of the fuel is used to heat your home, while the other 20% basically goes up the chimney. In 1992, the government established a minimum AFUE rating for furnaces installed in new homes at 78%. In contrast, many furnaces manufactured before 1992 had AFUE ratings as low as 60% - so nearly half the fuel was being wasted. Furnaces with AFUE ratings of 90% or higher are known as "high efficiency." The maximum furnace efficiency available is around 96.6%. In general, the higher the efficiency of the furnace, the more it will cost but the less fuel it will use to heat your home. If you have an older furnace (with an AFUE of about 60%), you could save up to 60% on your heating bills by replacing it with a new high-efficiency furnace. So the cost to replace your old, inefficient furnace is paid back through lower utility bills. If you live in a cold climate, you could see a payback in a few short years. If you live in a moderate climate, it might make more sense to purchase a mid-efficiency furnace. Your dealer can use heating data from your area to help you determine about how long it would take you to recover the additional cost of a high-efficiency model in energy savings. Of course, after the payback, you continue to save on your energy bills for the life of the system. |
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Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) Each air conditioner has an energy-efficiency rating that lists how many Btu per hour are removed for each watt of power it draws. For room air conditioners, this efficiency rating is the Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER). For central air conditioners, it is the Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER). These ratings are posted on an Energy Guide Label, which must be conspicuously attached to all new air conditioners. Many air conditioner manufacturers are participants in the voluntary EnergyStar labeling program. EnergyStar-labeled appliances mean that they have high EER and SEER ratings. In general, new air conditioners with higher EERs or SEERs sport higher price tags. However, the higher initial cost of an energy-efficient model will be repaid to you several times during its life span. Buy the most efficient air conditioner that you can afford, especially if you use (or think you will use) an air conditioner frequently and/or if your electricity rates are high. National minimum standards for central air conditioners require a SEER of 9.7 and 10.0, for single-package and split-systems, respectively. But you do not need to settle for the minimum standard-there is a wide selection of units with SEERs reaching nearly 17. Before 1979, the SEERs of central air conditioners ranged from 4.5 to 8.0. Replacing a 1970s-era central air conditioner with a SEER of 6 with a new unit having a SEER of 12 will cut your air conditioning costs in half. |
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April 2, 2004 Energy Department Will Enforce 13 SEER Air Conditioner StandardWASHINGTON, DC – The Department of Energy (DOE) announced today that it will enforce a 13 seasonal energy efficiency rating or “SEER” standard for residential central air conditioners. This standard, which will apply to central air conditioners starting in January 2006, increases by 30 percent the SEER standard that applies to models sold today. “At this point, all parties have had their day in court,” Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy David Garman said. “DOE will enforce the 13 SEER standard. In the interest of giving consumers and industry the regulatory certainty they need, it is time for the government and for private parties to stop litigating, and start working towards complying with the 13 SEER standard.” The Energy Department had promulgated a 12 SEER standard in 2002, but earlier this year, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled that the department had done so improperly. The air conditioner manufacturing industry had challenged the 13 SEER, which DOE had issued in January 2001, but recently withdrew its challenge. Media
contacts: Number: R-04-064 NOTE: After January 23, 2006, manufacturers can no longer make Residential air conditioners that are below 13.0 SEER. |