ENERGY STAR room AC and dehumidifier sizing data
ENERGY STAR sizes a room air conditioner at 5,000 BTU/h for 100 to 150 sq ft, 12,000 for 450 to 550 sq ft and 34,000 for 2,000 to 2,500 sq ft, assuming 8 ft ceilings. Add 10% for a very sunny room, 600 BTU/h per extra person and 4,000 BTU/h in a kitchen.
Last updated: October 10, 2026.
Built by Jeremy Panasuk.
The area rows are ENERGY STAR's room air conditioner sizing for a single room with 8 ft ceilings. They are not a whole-house Manual J load. The dehumidifier rows are ENERGY STAR minimum capacities for portable dehumidifiers.
The data (24 rows)
Figures as published by ENERGY STAR Dehumidifiers, ENERGY STAR Room Air Conditioners. Sources accessed October 10, 2026. Each row links to the page or document the number was read from.
| Table | Area or condition | Value | Unit | Note | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Room AC cooling capacity | 100 up to 150 | 5,000 | BTU/h | 8 ft ceiling assumed | ENERGY STAR Room Air Conditioners |
| Room AC cooling capacity | 150 up to 250 | 6,000 | BTU/h | 8 ft ceiling assumed | ENERGY STAR Room Air Conditioners |
| Room AC cooling capacity | 250 up to 300 | 7,000 | BTU/h | 8 ft ceiling assumed | ENERGY STAR Room Air Conditioners |
| Room AC cooling capacity | 300 up to 350 | 8,000 | BTU/h | 8 ft ceiling assumed | ENERGY STAR Room Air Conditioners |
| Room AC cooling capacity | 350 up to 400 | 9,000 | BTU/h | 8 ft ceiling assumed | ENERGY STAR Room Air Conditioners |
| Room AC cooling capacity | 400 up to 450 | 10,000 | BTU/h | 8 ft ceiling assumed | ENERGY STAR Room Air Conditioners |
| Room AC cooling capacity | 450 up to 550 | 12,000 | BTU/h | 8 ft ceiling assumed | ENERGY STAR Room Air Conditioners |
| Room AC cooling capacity | 550 up to 700 | 14,000 | BTU/h | 8 ft ceiling assumed | ENERGY STAR Room Air Conditioners |
| Room AC cooling capacity | 700 up to 1,000 | 18,000 | BTU/h | 8 ft ceiling assumed | ENERGY STAR Room Air Conditioners |
| Room AC cooling capacity | 1,000 up to 1,200 | 21,000 | BTU/h | 8 ft ceiling assumed | ENERGY STAR Room Air Conditioners |
| Room AC cooling capacity | 1,200 up to 1,400 | 23,000 | BTU/h | 8 ft ceiling assumed | ENERGY STAR Room Air Conditioners |
| Room AC cooling capacity | 1,400 up to 1,500 | 24,000 | BTU/h | 8 ft ceiling assumed | ENERGY STAR Room Air Conditioners |
| Room AC cooling capacity | 1,500 up to 2,000 | 30,000 | BTU/h | 8 ft ceiling assumed | ENERGY STAR Room Air Conditioners |
| Room AC cooling capacity | 2,000 up to 2,500 | 34,000 | BTU/h | 8 ft ceiling assumed | ENERGY STAR Room Air Conditioners |
| Room AC adjustment | Heavily shaded room | -10% | capacity | ENERGY STAR Room Air Conditioners | |
| Room AC adjustment | Very sunny room | +10% | capacity | ENERGY STAR Room Air Conditioners | |
| Room AC adjustment | Each person beyond two | +600 | BTU/h | ENERGY STAR Room Air Conditioners | |
| Room AC adjustment | Unit used in a kitchen | +4,000 | BTU/h | ENERGY STAR Room Air Conditioners | |
| Dehumidifier capacity | Slightly to moderately damp (50-75% RH); small-medium room (<2,000 sq ft) | 20-30 | pints/day | Portable dehumidifier minimum capacity | ENERGY STAR Dehumidifiers |
| Dehumidifier capacity | Slightly to moderately damp (50-75% RH); large room (>2,000 sq ft) | 30+ | pints/day | Portable dehumidifier minimum capacity | ENERGY STAR Dehumidifiers |
| Dehumidifier capacity | Very damp (75-90% RH); small-medium room (<2,000 sq ft) | 25-40 | pints/day | Portable dehumidifier minimum capacity | ENERGY STAR Dehumidifiers |
| Dehumidifier capacity | Very damp (75-90% RH); large room (>2,000 sq ft) | 40+ | pints/day | Portable dehumidifier minimum capacity | ENERGY STAR Dehumidifiers |
| Dehumidifier capacity | Wet (90-100% RH); small-medium room (<2,000 sq ft) | 30-50 | pints/day | Portable dehumidifier minimum capacity | ENERGY STAR Dehumidifiers |
| Dehumidifier capacity | Wet (90-100% RH); large room (>2,000 sq ft) | 50+ | pints/day | Portable dehumidifier minimum capacity | ENERGY STAR Dehumidifiers |
Download
Download the CSV (24 rows, updated 2026-10-10). Same rows as the table, plus each row's source URL and access date.
Cite this data
Suggested citation:
Panasuk, J. (2026). ENERGY STAR room AC and dehumidifier sizing data. hvac-load-calc.com. https://hvac-load-calc.com/energy-star-sizing-data.html (accessed YYYY-MM-DD). Underlying figures: ENERGY STAR (US EPA) product pages.
BibTeX:
@misc{panasuk2026hvacloadcalc,
author = {Panasuk, Jeremy}, title = {ENERGY STAR room AC and dehumidifier sizing data}, year = {2026},
howpublished = {\url{https://hvac-load-calc.com/energy-star-sizing-data.html}}, note = {Data from ENERGY STAR (US EPA) product pages; accessed YYYY-MM-DD} }
Please cite the original source too. Questions or corrections: jpanasuk@gmail.com.
Sources
- ENERGY STAR Dehumidifiers: https://www.energystar.gov/products/dehumidifiers. Accessed October 10, 2026.
- ENERGY STAR Room Air Conditioners: https://www.energystar.gov/products/room_air_conditioners. Accessed October 10, 2026.
License
All rights reserved. Citation and non-commercial reuse are fine with a link back to this page. The underlying figures belong to the original publishers; this page only compiles them.
Use it with the calculator
Run your own numbers on the homepage calculator. How this site handles sources is on the methodology page. Related guides: how many btu per square foot, what size air conditioner for 300 sq ft room, portable air conditioner sizing, what size dehumidifier for basement.
Compiled with AI assistance from the sources linked above. Spot an error? Email jpanasuk@gmail.com.