New
Government Standard Mandates 13 SEER in 2006
As
of January 1, 2006, all air conditioning systems manufactured
will be required to meet a minimum SEER of 13, as part of a
program mandated by new laws designed to help the United
States reduce its dependency on foreign sources of energy.
Initially,
this changeover will be somewhat painful to consumers,
as
this will require replacing whole systems instead of just
condensing units, and in most cases, will also require the
replacement of refrigerant copper lines. In addition,
the prices for even low-end brand name equipment will be
considerably higher.
There
are 2 ways to look at this issue before the changes go into
effect. If you are concerned only about the price for
replacement equipment, now is the time to make your move, as
"cheap" systems will not exist after this
year. If you are a landlord, and your tenants pay the
electric bill, you will probably fit into this
category. However, if you value energy savings and
lower prices on your utility bills, then you should appreciate
this aspect, even though the new prices for installation may
not be to your liking.
As
of the date of this writing, oil prices have skyrocketed to
$60.00 per barrel, and with peak oil being shown to be a
reality and not just a theory, utility prices will continue to
rise at a relentless pace, until they reach a level that makes
mass development of alternative fuels an economically viable
option for producers. Until a critical tipping point for
alternative sources of energy is reached, and even beyond
that, conservation is going to be an extremely important issue
in virtually every industry. The new 13 SEER standard
for the HVAC industry is only the beginning
of the changes you are about to see in the next few years.
