|
Recently I was conducting an inspection on a
central electric air conditioning unit. While examining the outside
condenser unit, I saw the following: “Install Prohibited in Southwest
and Southeast”. Fortunately for my client (and me) we were in the
northeast! You can see in the photo above the circled text on the
manufacture tag. New Federal Energy standards were enacted January 1,
2015 and the law pertaining to them was updated December 22, 2016. The
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has divided the nation into 3 regions;
North, Southeast, and Southwest. If you live in the North, all units manufactured
after January 1, 2015 must meet the new standards. For the Southeast or
Southwest, the standards are based on the date of installation. Therefore
any unit installed in the South after January 1, 2015 would meet the
standard. The DOE would not penalize installers who install units
manufactured prior to January 1, 2015, so the installer may, until July
1, 2016, offer to sell you a non-compliant unit that was manufactured
earlier. After July 1, 2016, however a contractor should not install in
the south any unit that does not meet the new standard. According to
Federal Energy Law, Title 10 Energy, Article 429, manufactures and
installers must keep records regarding the units they are producing,
selling and installing. Violators can be fined and installers could be
prohibited from purchasing units from a manufacturer. The standards are
for split-systems and for standard central electric heat pump units. So
what does a home inspector need to know and properly advise their
clients:
First some definitions…
-
Seasonal Energy
Efficiency Ratio (SEER) is the total heat removed from the conditioned
space during the annual cooling season divided by the total electrical energy
consumed by the air conditioner. The higher the SEER rating, the less
electrical energy used. Higher rated SEER units normally cost more; however
will save money in the long term.
-
Energy Efficiency
Ratio (EER) is the ratio of the cooling capacity in BTU’s per hour to power
input in watts at 95° F. EER is especially important in hot-dry climates, where
units work harder to cool the home. The higher the EER rating the more
efficient the unit is.
Federal DOE Standards as of
January 1, 2015
Split-system
Requirements
- Split-system
in the north must have a minimum SEER rating of 13.
- Split -systems
installed in the Southeast and Southwest must have a minimum SEER rating
of 14.
- Split-systems
in the southwest with a capacity of less than 45,000 Btu/h must have an
EER rating of at least 12.2. Units with a capacity of greater than 45,000
must have a rating of at least 11.7
Standard Central Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps – All Regions
- All
split-system heat pumps & Air Conditioners must have a SEER rating of
at least 14
- All
small duct, high velocity systems, space constrained air conditioners and
heat pumps must have a minimum SEER rating of at least 12
|
