Do you have a heating and cooling system installed in your home but wonder if it really helps to reduce your energy bill? We can relate with this concern on all levels. With over $2,200 spent on heating and cooling in Toronto per year, you are fully justified to have questions about the efficiency of your HVAC system.
To know how efficient your Toronto air conditioning unit is, you must understand certain efficiency ratings. These ratings will determine the efficiency of your unit.
Seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER)
The SEER is a parameter used to measure the average cooling power of an AC system for each unit of electrical power consumed. Air conditioning units and heat pumps carry this number. It is somewhat like the MPG rating on your vehicle. The SEER value determines how well your AC cools your home for every unit of energy used. A high SEER rating denotes a better cooling efficiency. The reverse is also true. You can calculate your SEER rating by dividing the power output of your AC (in BTU) over the season by the energy consumed by the unit throughout that season. Most AC units have SEER values of between 13 and 22 with the latter being more energy efficient.
Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER)
The EER is closely related to the SEER. In fact, most homeowners in Toronto can’t even tell the difference. The EER measures the cooling power of an HVAC system for every dollar spent on electricity. The difference between the EER and the SEER ratings is that the former is based on the hottest day of the season only while the latter focuses on an entire season.
The Energy Star
Another important parameter when measuring an AC’s efficiency is the Energy Star. The US Environment Protection Agency gives this award to HVAC systems that meet or surpass specific high energy-efficiency guidelines. These guidelines are usually based on how the unit saves energy, the cost difference between the unit and its counterparts and the overall performance of the unit.
Minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV)
The MERV is a rating for HVAC equipment filters. It is a measure of filter efficiency based on the hole size. With this in mind, the most efficient MERV rating for air conditioning units is 16 while that of the least efficient filters is a rating of 1.
Heating seasonal factor performance (HSFP)
Like SEER, the HSFP rating is a measure of the efficiency of the heating component of a heat pump. It is calculated by diving the output heating energy by the input electrical energy. HSPF ratings of over 7.5 or higher are energy efficient.
Annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE)
The last efficiency rating on this list is the AFUE. This rating is what tells the consumer the amount of heat to be produced for each energy unit utilized. For instance, an AFUE of 90% indicates that within the unit, 90% of the energy utilized will be converted to heat while the remaining 10% will suffer loss.
Ensuring that your air conditioning unit is efficient is a major priority for any homeowner or business owner in Toronto. Remember that a great HVAC unit can save you a ton of money and minimize pollution,