SEER

What is SEER?

Definitions of SEER:

SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) is the measure of efficiency by which the cooling process of air conditioners and heat pumps is rated. The higher the SEER number, the greater the efficiency—and therefore greater energy savings. Today, U.S. regulatory agencies require all new products to have a 13.0 SEER rating or better.

Source: http://www.residential.carrier.com/knowledge/efficiency/ratings.shtml

When buying an air conditioner, look for a model with a high efficiency. Central air conditioners are rated according to their seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER). SEER indicates the relative amount of energy needed to provide a specific cooling output. Many older systems have SEER ratings of 6 or less. The minimum SEER allowed today is 13. Look for the ENERGY STAR® label for central air conditioners with SEER ratings of 13 or greater, but consider using air conditioning equipment with higher SEER ratings for greater savings.

http://www.energysavers.gov/your_home/space_heating_cooling/index.cfm/mytopic=12440?print

in english

Seer is how they rate air conditioners - kind of like how light bulbs have numbers. The rating reflects how good the air conditioner is at using energy. The air units with lower seers use MORE energy (so it's a converse relationship - they're opposite. As the number goes UP energy use goes DOWN - as the number goes DOWN the unit uses MORE energy). So. If you are looking to upgrade, remember to look for a higher seer. The lowest you should look into is 13, but for the tax credit the seer needs to be above 16.