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If you’re shopping for a new air conditioning system this summer, you need to know how to judge their efficiency… Air conditioners are rated by efficiency using the SEER number. That stands for the Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. This rating, which applies to Air-Conditioners and Air-Source Heat Pumps, is determined by dividing the amount of cooling output, measured in BTUs, by the total electric energy input, measured in watt-hours. Beginning in 2006, all residential Central AC units sold in the US had to have SEER ratings of 13 or higher….14 to qualify for Energy Star status. The bottom line is savings…by upgrading from an older unit with a SEER rating of 9 to a new one with a rating of 13 you can save as much as 30 percent on your cooling costs.