SACC vs ASHRAE BTU
SACC (seasonally adjusted cooling capacity) is the cooling figure portable air conditioner makers certify to DOE, under 10 CFR 430, appendix CC. It's lower than the ASHRAE BTU figure on many boxes because DOE's test subtracts the hot outdoor air a portable unit pulls into the room and the heat its exhaust hose gives off. As of 2026-11-03, the median certified SACC is 8,000 BTU/h for single hose models and 10,000 BTU/h for dual hose models.
Certified figures: DOE Compliance Certification Database, as of 2026-11-03. Test method: 10 CFR 430, appendix CC.
Key findings
- 1,378 portable AC basic models are certified to DOE as of 2026-11-03: 1,044 tested single hose and 334 dual hose.
- The median DOE certified SACC is 8,000 BTU/h for single hose portable ACs and 10,000 BTU/h for dual hose models (DOE data as of 2026-11-03).
- Only 1 of 1,044 single hose portable ACs certifies 12,000 BTU/h SACC or more, against 136 of 334 dual hose models (as of 2026-11-03).
- 403 portable ACs certify exactly 10,000 BTU/h SACC and 341 certify exactly 8,000, the two most common figures in DOE's database (as of 2026-11-03).
- The median CEER is 7.3 Btu/Wh for single hose portable ACs and 12.5 for dual hose models (DOE data as of 2026-11-03).
- 208 of 1,378 DOE portable AC basic models are filed under two or more brand names. One, basic model NPL-06C/X1E, is filed under 24 brands (as of 2026-11-03).
Source: DOE Compliance Certification Database (portable ACs), data as of 2026-11-03.
Single hose (1,044 models)8,000
Dual hose (334 models)10,000
BTU/h, DOE data as of 2026-11-03. The axis marks the room size each figure covers on ENERGY STAR's sizing chart.
What does DOE's test measure that ASHRAE's doesn't?
A figure labeled ASHRAE comes from the industry's own test, which measures the cooled air leaving the unit. A portable AC in a real room loses some of that. A single hose unit blows room air out through its hose, which pulls the same volume of hot outdoor air back in through gaps under doors and around windows. And the hose itself runs hot and warms the room.
When DOE wrote its test in 2016, it found the industry method (ANSI/AHAM PAC-1-2015) "do[es] not fully account" for those losses, and that DOE's own testing measured net cooling "generally well below" what the industry method suggested (DOE final rule, June 1, 2016). So appendix CC runs the PAC-1 test and then subtracts infiltration air and heat from the duct surface. Any claim about a portable AC's energy use or efficiency has had to rest on that test since November 28, 2016.
| Condition | Outdoor air | Indoor air | Weight in SACC |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peak day | 95°F dry bulb, 75°F wet bulb | 80°F dry bulb, 67°F wet bulb | 20% |
| Typical day | 83°F dry bulb, 67.5°F wet bulb | 80°F dry bulb, 67°F wet bulb | 80% |
Source: 10 CFR 430, appendix CC. DOE took the 20/80 weights from NOAA hourly climate data for 44 states and its household energy survey (2016 final rule).
The figure DOE gets is SACC, in BTU/h. Efficiency is CEER (combined energy efficiency ratio), in Btu/Wh, and it counts standby and off mode energy as well as cooling. Since January 10, 2025, a new portable AC must meet a minimum CEER that rises with its SACC (10 CFR 430.32(cc)).
How much cooling do certified portable ACs really deliver?
| SACC (BTU/h) | Single hose | Dual hose | Median CEER | Room it covers | Per hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 6,000 | 158 | 0 | 6.2 | Under 150 sq ft | 15¢ |
| 6,000 to 7,999 | 194 | 3 | 6.7 | 250 sq ft | 17¢ |
| 8,000 to 9,999 | 352 | 52 | 7.3 | 350 sq ft | 20¢ |
| 10,000 to 11,999 | 339 | 143 | 7.9 | 450 sq ft | 23¢ |
| 12,000 or more | 1 | 136 | 12.8 | 550 sq ft | 17¢ |
Room: the smallest SACC in the row on ENERGY STAR's room AC sizing chart. Per hour: median watts while cooling (SACC divided by CEER) at 18.16 cents/kWh (US average residential price, August 2026), EIA Electric Power Monthly, table 5.6.A.
Most of the market sits in two rows. 482 units (35%) certify 10,000 to 11,999 BTU/h, and 404 (29%) certify 8,000 to 9,999. Both rows are piled on round numbers: 403 models file exactly 10,000 and 341 file exactly 8,000. The highest certified SACC on file is Tripp Lite SRCOOL24KE at 16,000 BTU/h.
Is a dual hose portable AC better?
On certified figures, yes. A dual hose unit pulls its condenser air from outside through a second hose, so it drags far less hot air into the room (DOE's test still charges a dual hose unit for any it does pull in). The median dual hose model certifies 10,000 BTU/h, 25% more than the single hose median of 8,000. Above 12,000 BTU/h it's almost all dual hose: 136 models against 1.
Dual hose models are also more efficient on paper, with a median CEER of 12.5 against 7.3. The most efficient on file are Whynter ARC-1030WN (dual hose, CEER 14.7, tied with 6 others) and Foshan Hanyang HYAC-TG7 (single hose, CEER 13.4).
How many square feet will a portable AC cool?
Go by SACC, not the box. ENERGY STAR's room AC sizing chart (ENERGY STAR) is the standard reference. Applied to certified SACC:
| Room up to | BTU/h needed |
|---|---|
| 150 sq ft | 5,000 |
| 250 sq ft | 6,000 |
| 300 sq ft | 7,000 |
| 350 sq ft | 8,000 |
| 400 sq ft | 9,000 |
| 450 sq ft | 10,000 |
| 550 sq ft | 12,000 |
| 700 sq ft | 14,000 |
| 1,000 sq ft | 18,000 |
ENERGY STAR adjusts the chart for the room: cut capacity 10% for a heavily shaded room, add 10% for a very sunny one, add 600 BTU/h for each regular occupant past two, and add 4,000 for a kitchen. So a very sunny 350 sq ft bedroom needs about 8,800 BTU/h of SACC, not 8,000.
How much does a portable AC cost to run?
Divide SACC by CEER to get watts while cooling. A 10,000 BTU/h single hose unit at the median CEER of 7.3 draws about 1,370 W, which is 25¢ an hour at 18.16 cents/kWh (US average residential price, August 2026). The same SACC at the dual hose median CEER of 12.5 draws about 800 W, or 15¢ an hour. Run 8 hours a day for 30 days, that's $59.71 against $34.87. The compressor cycles once the room is cool, so these are upper figures. Each model page works it out for that model's own SACC and CEER.
Questions
What does SACC mean on a portable air conditioner?
Seasonally adjusted cooling capacity: the BTU/h figure makers certify to DOE. "Seasonally adjusted" refers to the 20/80 weighting of a 95°F day and an 83°F day. It counts the outdoor air the unit pulls into the room and the heat from its hose.
What does "14,000 BTU (10,000 BTU SACC)" mean?
14,000 is the industry (ASHRAE) rating and 10,000 is the DOE certified SACC of the same unit. Size the room by the 10,000: ENERGY STAR's chart puts 10,000 BTU/h at rooms up to 450 sq ft. The two numbers come from different test standards, and neither is wrong for what it measures.
How many square feet will a 14,000 BTU portable AC cool?
It depends on its SACC, not the 14,000. At 10,000 BTU/h SACC it's about 450 sq ft. At 12,000 it's about 550 sq ft, and at 14,000 SACC about 700 sq ft. As of 2026-11-03, 137 of 1,378 certified portable ACs reach 12,000 BTU/h SACC.
Is SACC more accurate than the ASHRAE rating?
For sizing a room, SACC is the figure to use. DOE built SACC to include the losses a portable unit has in use, after finding the industry method left them out.
Will portable ACs stay under DOE rules?
In May 2025 DOE proposed withdrawing portable ACs as a covered product (Federal Register document 2025-08577, May 16, 2025). As of 2026-11-02 it was still a proposal, and makers were still filing SACC. If it becomes final, the figures already certified stay on this site with their dates.