Estimate cooling capacity from room size and project factors.
Enter the room size and conditions to estimate a practical cooling-capacity target in BTU per hour.
Rounded to a practical capacity target.
Compare the recommended BTU/h with the manufacturer’s rated cooling capacity. Do not rely only on marketing labels such as “HP,” which can vary between products.
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Estimate a practical room air-conditioner cooling-capacity target in BTU per hour using room size and common adjustment factors.
PlanCalq starts with the ENERGY STAR room-area cooling-capacity chart. The shade/sun, additional-occupant and kitchen adjustments follow that guidance; the high-ceiling adjustment is a separate PlanCalq planning heuristic, not an ENERGY STAR-prescribed formula.
The result is rounded to a practical BTU/h target so it can be compared with the rated cooling capacity shown on actual air-conditioner specifications.
Area-based BTU baseline × sun/shade factor × ceiling factor+ 600 BTU/h for each regular occupant beyond two+ 4,000 BTU/h when kitchen mode is selectedPlanCalq converts room area to square feet, looks up a base capacity from the sizing chart, applies the room-condition adjustments you select and rounds upward to a practical capacity target.
Learn the difference between theoretical quantity, recommended quantity, purchase quantity and estimated cost so you can use calculator results responsibly.
GuideRenovation budget planningBuild a practical renovation budget by separating scope, material quantities, purchase units, labour, contingency and project-specific costs.
No. Oversized equipment can cycle too quickly and may control humidity poorly, while undersized equipment may struggle to reach the target temperature.
Higher solar heat gain increases the cooling load. The calculator includes a simple adjustment for heavily shaded or very sunny rooms.
No. Whole-building and central-system sizing should use a proper heat-load calculation that accounts for the building envelope, climate and ventilation.