Today’s alphabet soup of energy efficiency acronyms can be confounding – but it’s important to understand them because of the impact they can have on your heating and cooling system buying choices (not to mention your bottom line).
That’s why we’ve put together this simple “101” guide to five important energy efficiency abbreviations. If you have any questions about these terms or any other home heating or cooling challenges you might have, let us know.
AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency) – Measures how efficiently a furnace or boiler is using fuel over a complete heating season (higher AFUE rating = higher efficiency).
BTU (British Thermal Unit) – The amount of energy needed to raise or lower the temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit.
BTUh (BTUs per hour) – The total number of BTUs produced by a heating or cooling unit in an hour; this is the number you often hear when describing the capacity of a furnace or air conditioner.
EER (Energy Efficiency Ratio) – A ratio that compares the output by an AC system with the electrical input needed to produce it, assuming a constant outside air temperature and 50 percent relative humidity.
SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) – A measure of AC and heat pump efficiency over a complete cooling season. SEER compares the total cooling output to the total electrical energy input needed during the same time frame (higher SEER rating = higher efficiency).
Contact us today to learn how to these terms can save you money and keep you more comfortable at home all year long!
