Cooling Cost Calculator

Cooling Cost is evaluated from Home Size, Annual Cooling Degree Days and AC SEER Rating. The calculation reports Annual AC Energy Use, Annual Cooling Cost and Peak Month Cost.

Results

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About the Cooling Cost Calculator

Cooling Cost is treated here as a quantitative relation between Home Size, Annual Cooling Degree Days, AC SEER Rating and AC System Size and Annual AC Energy Use, Annual Cooling Cost, Peak Month Cost and vs. Old 8-SEER System.

The calculator uses a multi formula configuration. Each reported value is read as a direct evaluation of the stored rules with the declared field formats and units.

Formula basis:
AC watts = (tons x 12,000 BTU/hr) / EER
Annual hours = CDD x 24 x 0.30 (load factor)
Annual kWh = watts x hours / 1,000
Savings vs. 8 SEER = old system annual cost - new system annual cost

Interpret the outputs in the order shown by the result fields. Optional inputs affect only the outputs that depend on those variables.

Formula & How It Works

The calculation applies the following relations exactly as recorded in the metadata:

AC watts = (tons x 12,000 BTU/hr) / EER
Annual hours = CDD x 24 x 0.30 (load factor)
Annual kWh = watts x hours / 1,000
Savings vs. 8 SEER = old system annual cost - new system annual cost

Each output field is produced by substituting the supplied inputs into the relevant relation and then applying the declared rounding or text format.

Worked Examples

Example 1: 2,500 sq ft home in Phoenix (4,500 CDD), 4-ton 14-SEER AC, $0.13/kWh (APS)

Inputs

home_sqft: 2500 cdd: 4500 seer: 14 tons: 4 elec_rate: 0.13
Annual AC Energy Use: 126,955 kWh/year. Annual Cooling Cost: $16,504/year. Peak Month Cost: $4,126/month. vs. Old 8-SEER System: $12,378/year less

With Home Size = 2,500, Annual Cooling Degree Days = 4,500, AC SEER Rating = 14 and AC System Size = 4 as the stated inputs, the result is Annual AC Energy Use = 126,955 kWh/year, Annual Cooling Cost = $16,504/year and Peak Month Cost = $4,126/month. Each value corresponds to the declared output fields.

Example 2: Upgrade 14-SEER to 26-SEER in Atlanta (2,500 CDD), 3-ton, $0.15/kWh

Inputs

home_sqft: 2000 cdd: 2500 seer: 26 tons: 3 elec_rate: 0.15
Annual AC Energy Use: 28,484 kWh/year. Annual Cooling Cost: $4,273/year. Peak Month Cost: $1,068/month. vs. Old 8-SEER System: $9,613/year less

With Home Size = 2,000, Annual Cooling Degree Days = 2,500, AC SEER Rating = 26 and AC System Size = 3 as the stated inputs, the result is Annual AC Energy Use = 28,484 kWh/year, Annual Cooling Cost = $4,273/year and Peak Month Cost = $1,068/month. Each value corresponds to the declared output fields.

Example 3: New York City apartment window AC (1,500 CDD), 1.5-ton 12-SEER, $0.22/kWh

Inputs

home_sqft: 800 cdd: 1000 seer: 13 tons: 1.5 elec_rate: 0.22
Annual AC Energy Use: 11,393 kWh/year. Annual Cooling Cost: $2,507/year. Peak Month Cost: $627/month. vs. Old 8-SEER System: $1,567/year less

With Home Size = 800, Annual Cooling Degree Days = 1,000, AC SEER Rating = 13 and AC System Size = 1.5 as the stated inputs, the result is Annual AC Energy Use = 11,393 kWh/year, Annual Cooling Cost = $2,507/year and Peak Month Cost = $627/month. Each value corresponds to the declared output fields.

Example 4: Houston (3,500 CDD), 3-ton 16-SEER AC, $0.13/kWh (Reliant), vs. old 8-SEER

Inputs

home_sqft: 1800 cdd: 3500 seer: 16 tons: 3 elec_rate: 0.13
Annual AC Energy Use: 64,800 kWh/year. Annual Cooling Cost: $8,424/year. Peak Month Cost: $2,106/month. vs. Old 8-SEER System: $8,424/year less

With Home Size = 1,800, Annual Cooling Degree Days = 3,500, AC SEER Rating = 16 and AC System Size = 3 as the stated inputs, the result is Annual AC Energy Use = 64,800 kWh/year, Annual Cooling Cost = $8,424/year and Peak Month Cost = $2,106/month. Each value corresponds to the declared output fields.

Common Use Cases

  • Calculate annual air conditioning electricity costs
  • Compare savings between AC SEER ratings
  • Estimate AC cost by climate zone