Air Conditioner Efficiency Standards

Regional air conditioner efficiency standards are changing significantly on January 1^st, 2023. Navigating these changes has become more difficult in the last decade and the latest changes are the most confusing yet! In this article, we focus on the changes for the Southwest region only to cut through the clutter for Arizonans.

 

Air Conditioner Efficiency Standards for Arizona (also CA, NV, & NM)

The new air conditioner efficiency standards vary depending upon what part of the country you live in. Since Magic Touch Mechanical provides air conditioning service in Arizona only, this article covers air conditioning efficiency standards in Arizona.

 

• Where: This article covers the new air conditioner efficiency standards in the Southwest region only. These standards apply to air conditioning units installed in Arizona, California, Nevada, & New Mexico.

 

• When: The new air conditioner efficiency standards go into effect on 1/1/2023.

 

• Who: Air conditioner efficiency standards are set and regulated by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The first regulations imposed in 1992 required all new air conditioners and heat pumps must be at least 10 SEER. SEER stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating and is like miles per gallon (MPG). Like MPG, the higher the SEER rating, the more efficient the equipment is.

 

• Why: According to the DOE, today’s most efficient air conditioners use up to 50% LESS energy than those made in 1975. Even air conditioners installed ten years ago are up to 40% less efficient than new heat pumps & AC’s today. Since the first standard created in 1992, the DOE has raised air conditioner efficiency standards 3 times.

 

Three AC and Heat Pump Rating Types are Changing

1. SEER – Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating (applies to efficiency in summer months)
2. EER – Energy Efficiency Rating (applies to overall efficiency)
3. HSPF – Heating Season Performance Factor (applies to heat pumps in heating mode)

New Air Conditioner Efficiency Standards in 2023

1. SEER2 (cooling efficiency using new testing metrics)
2. EER2 (overall efficiency using new testing metrics)
3. HSPF2 (heating efficiency of heat pumps using new testing metrics)

The new ratings are being created due to a difference in the way the testing procedures will be performed. New testing procedures will better represent real world installations and account for the impact of duct static pressure.

 

What is Duct Static Pressure?

To define duct static pressure in its simplest form, it’s how easily air can flow through ductwork. Using the old test procedures, air conditioner efficiency standards didn’t account for higher static pressure. A good analogy would be how low air pressure in your car tires would decrease your MPG rating. When the test procedures for MPG are conducted, they assume your tires are properly inflated. The new test procedures account for what happens to the machines efficiency once connected to a well-designed duct system.

 

 

Air Conditioner Efficiency Standards Chart

The chart below helps cut through the clutter and compare the current air conditioner efficiency standards to new 2023 standards.

 

Air Conditioner Efficiency Standards Chart	CURRENT STANDARDS	NEW STANDARDS (Using current test procedures)	NEW STANDARDS (Using new test procedures)	ENFORCEMENT DATES
SPLIT SYSTEM AC + Mini Split AC’s	14 SEER 12.2 EER up to 45k BTU*   14 SEER 11.7 EER at or more than 45k BTU*	15 SEER 12.2 EER up to 45k BTU*   14.5 SEER 11.7 EER at or more than 45K BTU*   If SEER is 16 or higher, EER must be at least 10.2	14.3 SEER2 11.7 EER2 up to 45k BTU*   13.8 SEER2 11.2 EER2 at or more than 45k BTU*   If SEER2 is 15.2 or higher, EER must be at least 9.8	Any new installation or replacement of a split system AC or mini split ac MUST meet the new standard on or after 1/1/2023
SPLIT SYSTEM HEAT PUMPS + Mini Split HP’s	14 SEER 8.2 HSPF	15 SEER 8.8 HSPF	14.3 SEER2 7.5 HSPF2	Units built prior to 1/1/23 that do NOT meet the new standard MAY be installed indefinitely unless tested using the new procedure
PACKAGED AC + Gas Packs with electric AC	14 SEER 11 EER	14 SEER 11 EER (No change)	13.4 SEER2 10.6 EER2	Units built prior to 1/1/23 that do NOT meet the new standard MAY be installed indefinitely unless tested using the new procedure
PACKAGED HEAT PUMPS	14 SEER 8 HSPF	14 SEER 8 HSPF (No change)	13.4 SEER2 6.8 HSPF2	Units built prior to 1/1/23 that do NOT meet the new standard MAY be installed indefinitely unless tested using the new procedure

 

A Word About BTU’s vs Tons

*Note the chart above references equipment up to, and above 45k BTU (British Thermal Unit). In short, 45k BTU is slightly larger than a 3.5 ton unit (12k BTU’s per ton). “Tonnage” is actually a made up number that HVAC manufacturers and contractors use to make it easy to communicate nominal system output. Technically we work in BTU’s, not tons.

 

A Matched System Matters

25-years ago, when Magic Touch Mechanical was founded, the HVAC industry looked a lot different! While we always frowned on the practice and didn’t participate, many contractors would install mis-matched equipment. Back then, it wasn’t illegal to mismatch a system and fell into the “gray area” category – not illegal, but not a good practice. With the 2023 Air Conditioner Efficiency Standards, this is no longer a gray area – it is no longer legal (in most cases).

Now You’re Just Guessing!

The issue with mismatched systems is the equipment has not been rated as “a system”. In other words, just because the outdoor condenser is capable of achieving 16 SEER (for example), that’s only when using an indoor unit it was tested to work with. If the indoor coil/unit can only achieve 10 SEER, adding a 16 SEER outdoor unit in essence reduces the whole system to 10 SEER.

The new testing standards require all single-stage and two-stage split system air conditioners meet the regional standard requirements with coil only matches. In other words, technically the furnace isn’t accounted for. Our advice to you the consumer is – always replace all components when installing a new “system” i.e., condenser, coil & furnace. Heat pump split systems must meet the national standard efficiency requirements as a complete system combination (in all cases).

 

Let the Magic Touch Experts Handle it for You!

In this article, we broke down the new air conditioner efficiency standards into layman terms to help consumers navigate a confusing topic. However, there’s a lot more confusion where that came from … did we mention the government created this? For over 25 years thousands of Arizona homeowners have counted on the experts at Magic Touch to deliver maximum comfort and 5-Star service (guaranteed). Let us help you too!

Schedule a free in-home consultation with one of our experienced Project Managers and leave the hard work, efficiency, and comfort to us!