Central Air Conditioners that are Energy Efficient


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Energy Efficient Air Conditioners

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You can save up to $100 per year with an easy to install programmable thermostat.

Update:

A new type of air conditioning system has appeared on the market. It's sometimes called a mini split system. They don't use ducts, with the associated duct cleaning issues. They typically have very high efficiency, or SEER, ratings. A good site to learn about them is minisplitsystems.com.

If you do go with a conventional central air conditioning unit, please consider one that uses the new refrigerant. It's called, but may go under trade names such as for R-410A GENETRON AZ-20®, SUVA 410A®, and Puron®. It's not required by the EPA until 2010, but units that use it are available now. Units that use older refrigerants like R-22 may be expensive to recharge with R-22 refrigerant once it's phased out. So it makes sense to look into R-410A now. FAQ about R-410A from the EPA

About one-sixth of all the electricity generated in the US is used to air condition buildings. This represents an important area to make sure we're not wasting energy.

Like many appliances, the true cost is not the just the initial cost, but the cost including the energy costs over the lifetime of the appliance.

Efficiency is measured by Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio or SEER Here's some exceptional ones:

Carrier Infinity (up to 21 SEER)

Dave Lennox Signature Series XC21 (up to 20.5 SEER)

For the greatest energy savings, look for the ENERGY STAR label. The US Environmental Protection Agency has developed this program to help consumers identify the most energy efficient appliances and home improvement products. look for the yellow sticker on the unit, which will show energy costs per year for each unit.

Earning the ENERGY STAR means products meet strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy.

ENERGY STAR qualified central air conditioners have a higher seasonal efficiency rating (SEER) than standard models, which makes them about 25% more efficient.