Edmonton, Alta — Air conditioners and heat pumps in cooling mode will now be rated under a slightly new rating system in Alberta. The previous rating and testing requirements used in the province were SEER/EER.
Seasonal energy-efficiency ratio (SEER) means the total cooling in BTU provided by a central air conditioner or heat pump during its normal annual usage period for cooling, divided by its total electric power usage in watts-hours during that same period, according to the issued STANDATA.
A STANDATA refers to a province-wide variance, interpretation or information bulletin related to safety codes and standards, which is issued by the Public Safety Division of Municipal Affairs in Alberta.
Energy-efficiency ratio (EER) for refrigerating equipment or a heat pump in the cooling mode represents the ratio of net cooling capacity in BTU/h to the total rate of electric input in watts under designated operating conditions, according to the province.
The new rating system, SEER2/EER2, will apply to air conditioning units and heat pumps manufactured after Dec. 31, 2022, existing appliances are not covered by the new rating system.
Subsequently, contractors will only see the SEER2/EER2 ratings on the equipment manufactured after Dec. 31, 2022.