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Short guide for planning and estimating air conditioning.
BTU: British thermal unit. The quantity of energy required to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit.
The higher the BTU output, the more powerful the heating or cooling system.
When shopping for heating or cooling systems, the BTU numbers should primarily be used as a comparison between systems. Larger and more expensive systems should provide significantly higher BTUs than smaller ones.
The following guide is based on a room with normal insulation and two person occupancy.
- Add 500 btu/h per person over two people.
- Add 4,000 btu/h if the area is a kitchen.
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Area to Be Cooled
in Square Feet |
Approximate Cooling
btu/h Required |
| 100-150 |
5,000 |
| 150-250 |
6,000 |
| 250-300 |
7,000 |
| 300-350 |
8,000 |
| 350-400 |
9,000 |
| 400-450 |
10,000 |
| 450-550 |
12,000 |
| 550-700 |
14,000 |
| 700-1000 |
18,000 |
| 1000-1200 |
21,000 |
| 1200-1400 |
23,000 |
| 1400-1500 |
24,000 |
| 1500-2000 |
30,000 |
| 2000-2500 |
34,000 |
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Example: 20’ x 30’ office = 600 square feet
5 people will occupy the office
Using the chart, 14,000 but/h are recommended + 500 btu/h for each person over two (3 x 500 = 1,500 btu/h.)
Total needed for 600 square foot office with 5 people:
14,000 + 1,500 = 15,500 btu/h
Note! It is better to supply two units half the size located at either end of the building to provide more even distribution.
The chart is provided for ESTIMATING PURPOSES only.
Requirements vary based on part of the country, heating/cooling loads, etc...
If a more accurate figure is required, please ask a qualified engineer.
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