Beginning in 2023, all new residential central air-conditioning and air-source heat pump systems sold in the United States will be required to meet new minimum energy efficiency standards.
The most recent minimum energy efficiency standards for these equipment types went into effect in 2015, and for the first time, separate standards were set for cooling central air conditioners sold in the northern parts of the United States and those sold in the southern parts.
The new standards continue to set different cooling efficiency levels for air conditioners in the south, and they also require an increase in the heating efficiency of all air-source heat pumps.
The Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) of 1975 first gave the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) authority to develop, revise, and implement minimum energy conservation standards for appliances and equipment. EPCA requires DOE to periodically amend energy conservation standards for certain equipment, but only if the amendments are energy-saving, technologically feasible, and economically justifiable.
The National Appliance Energy Conservation Act of 1987 established the first minimum efficiency requirements for central air- conditioning and heat pump equipment sold in the United States. These standards went into effect in 1992, and later updates went into effect in 2006 and 2015.
In Southeast states, including Tideland territory, the minimum SEER rating in 2023 will be increased from 14 SEER to 15 SEER for AC units with below 45,000 BTU cooling output. AC units with 45,000 BTU or higher cooling capacity will have a minimum of 14.5 SEER rating in 2023. Higher SEER ratings indicate more energy- efficient equipment.
In addition, the new standards require an increase in the heating efficiency of air-source heat pumps—measured by the equipment’s heating seasonal performance factor (HSPF). The minimum HSPF will be 8.8 HSPF compared with the 8.2 HSPF required by the previous standard that dated back to 2015.
As a result of the new heat pump standards, Tideland’s heat pump rebate requirements will also be raised. For heat pumps manufactured after Jan. 1, 2023, we will provide a $75 rebate for 16 SEER ratings, $150 rebate for 17 SEER ratings and higher, and a $300 rebate for geothermal (water source) heat pumps.
It is estimated that 76 million primary occupied U.S. homes (64% of the total) use central air- conditioning equipment, and about 13 million homes (11%) use heat pumps for heating and cooling. When defining the new standards, DOE calculated that, in total, households using central air conditioners or heat pumps will collectively save as much as $12.2 billion on energy bills during the 30-year period following implementation of the standards.
