SEER2: All You Need To Know

What is SEER2?

"SEER2" stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio 2; the total heat removed from the conditioned space during the annual cooling season. The new M1 testing procedure will increase the system’s external static pressure by a factor of five to better reflect more current field conditions of the installed equipment. With this change, new nomenclature will be used to denote M1 ratings (including EER2 and HSPF2).

Why Did The Department Of Energy Switch To The M1 Blower Testing Procedure?

The goal of new SEER2 testing procedures is to better represent external conditions seen in the market. The current SEER testing does not accurately emulate the influence of ductwork and external static pressure on HVAC products, so it is not often typical of real-world applications. By increasing the systems’ external static pressure from current SEER (0.1 in. of water) to SEER2 (0.5 in. of water), the new M1 testing procedures is a more accurate representation of current field conditions.

What Are The New Minimum Equipment Efficiency Ratings For The SEER2 Update?

The Department of Energy has divided U.S.A. into three separate regions with these requirements the same for every region:

• Heat pumps must meet a SEER2 rating of 14.3 and an HSPF2 of 7.5.
• Residential single packaged air conditioners and gas-electric packaged units must meet a minimum SEER2 of 13.4.
• Packaged heat pumps and dual-fuel must have a minimum SEER2 of 13.4 and an HSPF2 of 6.7.

Each region has separate requirements for Cooling-Only Equipment:

• North (National) Region: Residential air conditioners must have a SEER2 rating of 13.4
• Southeast Region: Residential air conditioners below 45,000 BTUs must have a SEER2 rating of 14.3. Air conditioners 45,000 BTUs - 65,000 BTUs must have a SEER2 rating of 13.8.
• Southwest Region: Residentival air conditioners below 45,000 BTUs must have a SEER2 rating of 14.3 and an EER2 of 11.7 (9.8 EER2 if SEER2 ≥ 15.2). Residential air conditioners 45,000 BTUs – 65,000 BTUs must have a SEER2 rating of 13.8 and an EER2 of 11.2 (9.8 EER2 if SEER2 ≥ 15.2).