In short: Yes!
Let me explain why.
The efficiency of air conditioners is often rated by the Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) which is defined by the Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute.
The SEER rating of a unit is the cooling output during a typical cooling season divided by the total electric energy input during the same period.
The higher the unit’s SEER rating, the more energy efficient it is. In the U.S., the SEER is the ratio of cooling in British thermal unit (BTU) to the energy consumed in watt-hours.
Your A/C has one job. For it to do that job, you need to fuel it with electricity.
SEER to an A/C system is like MPG is to a car.
The higher the SEER, the less energy it takes to do the same amount of cooling, saving you $$$!
If you currently have a SEER of 8 and you replaced it with a SEER of 16 your cooling bill would go down by 50%.
Furthermore, if you went with a very energy efficient unit with a SEER of 22, you would decrease your cooling bill by almost 64%.
1 Watt = 3.412 BTU If your system was 100% efficient you would have a 34 SEER unit.
The systems that claim to have a SEER of greater than 33 use solar panels.
I hope this helps.
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Minton HVAC
530-763-3476
Foresthill, CA