Air Conditioner Efficiency Standards: SEER 13 vs. SEER 12

The document compares the impacts of the SEER 13 and SEER 12 energy efficiency standards for central air conditioning units in the U.S. It asserts that SEER 13 provides significantly greater energy savings, lower carbon emissions, and reduced power plant construction compared to SEER 12, while dismissing claims that the higher standard imposes prohibitive costs or size constraints on consumers and manufacturers.

• A SEER 13 standard is projected to save 4.2 quadrillion Btu (quads) of energy between 2006 and 2030, which is equivalent to the annual energy use of 26 million U.S. households and represents a net consumer savings of approximately $1 billion by 2020. In comparison, a SEER 12 standard would save only three quads of energy over the same period.
• Adopting the SEER 13 standard would avoid the construction of 39 400-megawatt power plants and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 33 million metric tons (Mt) of carbon and smog-forming nitrous oxides (NOx) by up to 85,000 metric tons. A SEER 12 standard would only avoid 27 such plants and reduce carbon emissions by 24 Mt and NOx by 73,000 metric tons.
• The cost increase for a SEER 13 unit compared to a SEER 10 unit is between three and eight percent, and the price difference between a SEER 13 and a SEER 12 unit is even smaller, estimated at about 2 to 4 percent.
• Between 1990 and 2000, appliance efficiency standards in the U.S. reduced consumer energy bills by roughly 50 billion dollars and lowered carbon emissions from fossil fuel consumption by nearly two percent.

APA

Environmental and Energy Study Institute (2002). Air Conditioner Efficiency Standards: SEER 13 vs. SEER 12. https://www.eesi.org/papers/view/fact-sheet-air-conditioner-efficiency-standards-seer-13-vs.-seer-12

Chicago

Environmental and Energy Study Institute. Air Conditioner Efficiency Standards: SEER 13 vs. SEER 12. 2002. https://www.eesi.org/papers/view/fact-sheet-air-conditioner-efficiency-standards-seer-13-vs.-seer-12.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |title=Air Conditioner Efficiency Standards: SEER 13 vs. SEER 12 |date=6 March 2002 |url=https://www.eesi.org/papers/view/fact-sheet-air-conditioner-efficiency-standards-seer-13-vs.-seer-12 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{environmentalandenergystudyinstitute2002air, author = {{Environmental and Energy Study Institute}}, title = {{Air Conditioner Efficiency Standards: SEER 13 vs. SEER 12}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2002}, month = mar, url = {https://www.eesi.org/papers/view/fact-sheet-air-conditioner-efficiency-standards-seer-13-vs.-seer-12}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }