Keeping Your Home Cool and Energy Efficient In The Summer

Make yourself comfortable!

Once you’ve got your home air sealed and insulated, then it’s time to find the most energy efficient cooling system to install in your home. You’ll really be able to see the benefits of your investment when you realize you can heat and cool your home with a much smaller unit.

While “cooling” and “air conditioning” are often used interchangeably when referring to the systems that keep interior temperatures more comfortable in hot weather, “air conditioning” is the more accurate term. As air is cooled, it also loses some of its moisture, which means air that is conditioned to be cooler is also dehumidified. Listed below are the most common air conditioners available.

Types of air conditioners

Central air conditioning

Provides cool, conditioned air to your entire house via a ductwork system. The ductwork also pulls warm air back to the cooling evaporator coil to be re-cooled. In most homes, a heat pump HVAC system distributes both air conditioning and heating.

Ductless “mini-split” heat pumps 

Offer the same whole-house air conditioning as central AC systems but without ductwork. In ductless heat pumps, compact air handler units are mounted on walls and ceilings to deliver conditioned air to different rooms.

Portable air conditioners 

Are small, box-shaped AC units mounted in windows or wall opening to cool and dehumidify the air in a single room. Some portable air conditioners are designed to operate as freestanding units positioned next to a window.

Evaporative “swamp” coolers

Also known as evaporative coolers or evaporative air conditioning systems, are available as portable freestanding units as well as central air conditioning systems. 

Sizing and rating air conditionersAlan working on AC

Central air conditioning systems utilize a sizing convention called the “ton,” which equals the amount of heat absorbed by one ton of ice melting over a 24-hour period. Common household air conditioning systems generally fall within the 1.5 and 5 ton range.

Portable air conditioners, conversely, are sized according to their BTU rating, which is equal to the energy produced by a single match. Generally speaking, portable air conditioners will have a cooling capacity between 5,000 and 10,000 BTU. One ton of cooling capacity is equal to 12,000 BTU. 

EER and SEER ratings are used to describe an air conditioner’s efficiency. The Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) denotes the efficiency of a cooling system when the outdoor temperature is at a specific level (usually 95 degrees F). Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) is used to measure the efficiency of a cooling system over an entire cooling season. The higher the rating, the more efficient the unit.

Air ConditionerThese days, 21 SEER systems are about the highest you can get, and 16 SEER systems are considered very good. An older air conditioning unit may only be 10 SEER or less, which means you can cut the amount of electricity you use for air conditioning in half just by making an AC upgrade! 


No other New Orleans company can provide the solutions and services that Sunlight Contractor does. From evaluations and estimates to energy conservation and production, we’re your one stop shop for energy efficiency. Call or email Sunlight Contractors today for a complete home energy audit. Let’s get started on your home energy savings plan!




Houston, Texas location: Sunlight Contractors, LLC 713-854-0066 Serving Greater Houston area: CONROE, SPRING, THE WOODLANDS, MAGNOLIA, CYPRESS, GALVESTON, RICHMOND, SANTA FE, NORTH HOUSTON, AND MORE.

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