At the start of the summer, we took a look at the energy efficiency rating for air conditioners (SEER) to help you understand how modern ACs are rated and compared. We encourage customers who have an air conditioner that’s more than 15 years old to replace it with a new system—even if the current system still seems to be working adequately—because it means superior energy efficiency right from the start. That’s not only because a newer system will be in better shape. It’s also because the current crop of air conditioners are more energy efficient in general.
Why is that the case? What technological developments have allowed the current line of air conditioners (as well as heat pumps) to use less energy to run while providing the same cooling power? There are a couple of reasons: