One of my favorite episodes of the TV show, “Modern Family,” involves the family taking their old car out for one last sentimental drive before family patriarch, Phil, sells it. During the course of the drive, the family gets out of the car, which then starts rolling backwards. Phil flings himself on the car, while his wife, Claire, yells, “What’s the plan, Phil? What’s the plan?” This catch phrase has been adopted by my family, and we use it whenever we’re confronted with a challenging problem. It’s a question that contractors should probably be asking themselves in regard to DOE’s new energy efficiency standards that take place next year.
Under the new standards, the minimum efficiency of residential equipment will increase approximately 7%, or the equivalent of 1 SEER point. There will also be new energy efficiency ratings used for 3- to 5-ton residential/light commercial, single-phase products that meet the new minimum efficiency standards. Due to a revised test procedure, the new metrics of SEER2, HSPF2, and EER2 will be used instead of SEER, HSPF, EER. The efficiency standards for single split central air conditioners will still be divided into three regions: North, Southeast, and Southwest, but the new SEER2 minimum will be 13.4 in the North (equivalent to 14 SEER) and 14.3 (15 SEER) in the Southern regions.