What are Portable Air Conditioner Efficiency Ratings?

At My Home Climate, we strive to provide you with the answers to all your air comfort questions. Today, we’re going to discuss the two most commonly used energy efficiency ratings for portable air conditioners: Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) and Combined Energy Efficiency Ratio (CEER).

Energy Efficiency Ratio

A portable air conditioner’s EER rating is the ratio of the unit’s cooling capacity to its power consumption.

• The higher a PAC’s EER rating, the lower your electricity costs will be for the same amount of cooling.
• EER ratings were introduced in 1975, and while many units still display these numbers, they are increasingly being replaced with CEER ratings.
• A unit’s EER rating is calculated with the following formula:

Combined Energy Efficiency Ratio

A portable air conditioner’s CEER rating is the ratio of the unit’s cooling capacity to its power consumption while in use combined with its standby/off-mode power consumption.

• As with EER ratings, the higher the number, the more efficient the air conditioner is.
• The CEER rating combines a PAC’s power output during performance with the energy it uses when it isn’t operating.
• This measurement was introduced by the Department of Energy in 2014 to provide a more accurate energy efficiency rating of room air conditioners, which increasingly have programmable and standby functions.
• A unit's CEER rating is calculated with the following formula:

When shopping for portable air conditioners, it’s a good idea to consider both the EER and CEER ratings of the different units in order to get a more accurate idea of energy consumption. Keep an eye out for an ENERGY STAR label to determine which units are especially energy efficient.

Any questions?

My Home Climate is your source for home comfort products and air cooling solutions. If you have any feedback or questions you’d like us to address, please get in touch with us at info@myhomeclimate.com, where you can suggest topics for our next Air Comfort Answers blog. We’d love to hear from you!