Energy Efficiency and Your HVAC System

HomeSense Team

April 14, 2021

Energy efficiency and your HVAC system: a primer

HVAC energy efficiency is an important topic to understand as you make decisions regarding your home’s heating and cooling system. There are a multitude of factors and ratings that go into determining and describing energy efficiency. Our goal is to help you understand these concepts so you can make informed decisions about your system. We’ll cover energy efficiency ratings, the parts of your system that affect efficiency, and how different units compare.

Energy Efficiency Ratings

When considering a new system, look at its energy ratings. Higher ratings mean the system uses less energy to heat and cool your home.

SEER – Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio for air conditioners. The higher the SEER number, the more efficient the unit. The current highest SEER in the Daikin line is 23, with other units coming in at 12 or above.

AFUE – Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency for gas furnaces. AFUE is a percentage that shows how much of the furnace’s energy source is converted to heating, with the rest lost to exhaust. A higher percentage means less energy lost. Note: An electric furnace has an AFUE rating of 100% because it can’t lose energy to exhaust. However, a 100% AFUE rating doesn’t necessarily mean it’s more efficient or will cost less to operate. Energy efficient units will have AFUE in the 90s, while standard units will be in the 80s.

HSPF – Heating Seasonal Performance Factor for heat pumps. This is essentially the SEER rating for a heat pump’s heating mode. Most heat pumps will come with both a SEER (cooling) and HSPF (heating) rating. You should be looking for an HSPF between at least 8-10, though some can reach above 12.

Factors that affect efficiency

Here are some key terms you’ll see when reading about HVAC energy efficiency and how they affect your system:

Multi-stage vs. Single-stage – “Stage” refers to the level of power used to heat or cool your home. A single-stage unit has one setting and uses full power all the time, regardless of the temperature. Sometimes this is the right amount of power, but often it’s more than necessary. Conversely, a multi-stage unit can alternate its level of power to the necessary amount in the moment. This reduces unnecessary energy use in less extreme temperature conditions. For this reason, multi-stage units are more energy efficient.

Variable Speed vs. Single Speed – This refers to how the blower motor works. Like the stages above, a single speed motor always runs at the same setting. Variable speed motors can adjust their power setting to save energy when full power isn’t needed, making them more efficient.

Unit size – Installing the correct sized unit for your home is important. If your unit is too small for your home, as we outline here, it will struggle to keep up with the demand. This will put an unnecessary amount of strain on the unit. On the other hand, a unit that’s too big for your home will cycle on and off frequently, also wasting energy.

How efficiency affects you

According to Energy.gov, your heating and air conditioning system costs more than any other system in your home, making up about 48% of the average utility bill. By understanding your options as they relate to HVAC energy efficiency, you can help determine how much you’ll spend on your utility bill. While high efficiency units cost more up front, they can pay for themselves within a few years through lower utility bills. Check out our air conditioner product line to see what might work for your home.

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to choosing the right unit for your home. Taking the above factors and ratings into account, as well as the size of your home and budget, will help you find the right fit. To learn more about all things AC related, including more information on efficiency, see our AC Repair and Replacement Guide.

For any additional questions or help finding the right unit for you, give us a call at 317-203-8149 or set up an appointment online.

Posted in: Air Conditioning, Heating, Heating and Cooling FAQs, HVAC Indianapolis

Posted in: Cooling, Heating

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