Reviewer
Priya Natarajan
P.E. Mechanical, LEED AP, energy modeling consultant
Priya is a licensed Professional Engineer in mechanical engineering, which under most state engineering boards requires an ABET-accredited four-year engineering degree, passing the Fundamentals of Engineering exam, four years of supervised engineering practice under another PE, and passing the discipline-specific Principles and Practice of Engineering exam. She also holds the LEED AP Building Design + Construction credential through GBCI, which adds continuing-education requirements (30 CE hours every two years, six of them LEED-specific) on top of the PE renewal cycle.
Her consulting practice builds calibrated energy models for residential retrofits and small commercial projects, mostly using OpenStudio or EnergyPlus with hourly TMY3 weather data. She runs the kind of analysis that quantifies the difference between a SEER2-rated baseline and a high-efficiency upgrade across a full cooling season at the actual building location, then converts that into annual kWh savings and payback under the project's specific utility rate structure. That work is exactly the math behind every efficiency calculator on this site.
Priya reviews the efficiency-rating tools (SEER2 savings, SEER to SEER2 converter, HSPF to HSPF2 converter, EER vs SEER, COP, annual kWh) for both formula correctness and realistic default values. Where the calculator uses a simplification (linear seasonal averages instead of bin-method hourly weather), she flags it in the page prose so users understand the limits of a quick-answer tool versus a full hourly simulation.
Tools reviewed by Priya
Every tool listed below was reviewed by Priya Natarajan against the published code, standard, or manufacturer data it implements. Priya signs off on the math, the inputs that drive it, and the edge cases the result panel flags.
Cost & ROI
Efficiency
Pro tools
Comparison guides reviewed by Priya
Side-by-side comparisons fact-checked by Priya against field experience, install quotes, and manufacturer specs. Each guide covers a real homeowner decision, with the install cost ranges, climate fit, and edge cases verified before publication.
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Lennox vs Carrier
Efficiency leader vs broadest dealer network. Where the SEER2 premium pays back by climate, and the proprietary parts question to ask before signing.
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Trane vs American Standard
Same factory, two badges, one shared warranty. Which series match, why the quotes differ anyway, and how to play one against the other.
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SEER2 14 vs 16
In the south, 14 SEER2 is below code. The real comparison is 14.3 vs 16. Payback math by climate and what is left of the federal credit picture.
Guides reviewed by Priya
HVAC explainers covering the questions homeowners ask most, fact-checked by Priya against field experience and published code.
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Why is my AC electric bill so high?
Why the AC drives the summer bill, how to tell a normal high bill from a system that is wasting power, and the fixes that actually lower it, ranked from the free ones to a new unit.
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Why is my electric bill so high in winter?
Which kind of heat you have decides why the winter bill spiked. The truth about a heat pump’s backup heat, the Emergency Heat trap, what a space heater really costs, and how to tell normal from broken.
How BTU Size uses reviewers
Every tool on BTU Size credits a named technician with field experience in the relevant trade. Reviewers check the math against published code (ACCA, ASHRAE, NEC, NFPA, IECC), against manufacturer engineering data (Carrier, Trane, Mitsubishi, Owens Corning, Slant/Fin), and against the edge cases that show up on real service calls. See the full reviewer roster and methodology.