Given our long the cooling season in the San Joaquin Valley, choosing high-efficiency air conditioning systems for your home can increase your indoor comfort and lower your electric bill. The minimum SEER (seasonal energy efficiency ration) for new air conditioners and heat pumps stands at 13 in the United States. The SEER rating gives you a good idea of how efficient an air conditioner is over an entire cooling season. Some features of cooling systems increase the SEER number, including: