FreeNo signup
Air Conditioner BTU Calculator
Estimate room air conditioner cooling capacity using the ENERGY STAR sizing table, with adjustments for sunlight, occupants, and kitchens.
- Cooling capacity
- 6,000 BTU/h
- Cooling capacity in kW
- 1.758426
- Base capacity from area
- 6,000 BTU/h
How the calculation works
Base capacity comes from the ENERGY STAR floor-area table. Sunny rooms add 10%; shaded rooms subtract 10%. Add 600 BTU/h per occupant beyond two and 4,000 BTU/h for a kitchen.
Inputs
- Room area
- Area unit
- Sun exposure
- Occupants
- Is this a kitchen?
Calculation details
The table assumes an approximately 8-foot ceiling and covers 100–2,500 ft². High ceilings, large windows, or significant heat gains require a separate load calculation.
The result estimates cooling capacity, not electrical consumption. One kW of cooling is approximately 3,412.142 BTU/h. At interval boundaries, the lower interval's capacity is used.
Related calculators
- Appliance Energy Calculatorappliance energy calculatorOpen →
- Brick Calculatorbrick calculatorOpen →
- Concrete Block Calculatorconcrete block calculatorOpen →
- Concrete Calculatorconcrete calculatorOpen →
- Drywall Calculatordrywall calculatorOpen →
- Electricity Cost Calculatorelectricity cost calculatorOpen →
Other sections
Updated: 2026-10-02