The SACC Reality Index
No manufacturer publishes a table that puts its portable air conditioner next to a competitor's and shows both BTU numbers side by side. This is that table: advertised (ASHRAE) BTU, DOE-disclosed SACC BTU, the derived percentage gap between them, hose configuration, and each maker's own SACC-based room-coverage claim, for current popular models. It is a reference dataset, not a buying guide — pair it with a specific listing's own spec sheet before you buy.
The one thing to know: Every 'gap percentage' on this site is a DERIVED figure we calculate as (advertised BTU minus disclosed SACC BTU) divided by advertised BTU, using only the two numbers each manufacturer has published. We do not run our own cooling tests, and we are not asserting any brand is misrepresenting its product — both figures are legitimate results of two different test procedures. The gap is a transparency measure, not an accuracy accusation.
License & citation
License: CC BY 4.0 — free to use with attribution.
How to cite this dataset
SACC Decoded. "SACC Reality Index" (v1.0). https://sacc-decoded.pages.dev/sacc-reality-index/. Accessed July 30, 2026.
The table
| Model | Advertised BTU (ASHRAE) | DOE SACC BTU | Gap (derived) | Hose config | Maker sq ft (SACC-based) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midea Duo MAP14HS1TBL | 14,000 | 12,000 | 14.3% | Dual (hose-in-hose) | 550 | Manufacturer/retailer listing |
| Whynter ARC-14S | 14,000 | 9,500 | 32.1% | Dual | 500 | Manufacturer spec sheet |
| TURBRO Greenland PAC10KUS | 14,000 | 10,000 | 28.6% | Single | 600 | Manufacturer spec sheet |
| BLACK+DECKER BPACT14WT | 14,000 | 7,700 | 45.0% | Single | 700 | Manufacturer spec sheet* |
| SereneLife SLPAC8 | 8,000 | 4,000 | 50.0% | Single | 215 | Manufacturer/retailer listing |
| LG LP1419IVSM | 14,000 | 10,000 | 28.6% | Single | 450-500 | Manufacturer spec sheet |
| Honeywell HW4CEDAWW0 | 14,500 | 10,000 | 31.0% | Dual | 725 | Manufacturer spec sheet |
| COSTWAY 8000 BTU (ASIN B0C2CJHVR1) | 8,000 | Not disclosed | N/A | Single | 300 (basis unstated) | Retailer listing |
*BLACK+DECKER BPACT14WT: the manufacturer's own product page states 7,700 BTU SACC, but some third-party retailer listings for the same model number show 10,200 BTU SACC — we report the manufacturer figure and flag the discrepancy rather than resolving it ourselves.
What "gap" means and doesn't mean
The gap percentage is derived: (advertised BTU minus disclosed SACC BTU) divided by advertised BTU, using only the two numbers each manufacturer already published. We have not run our own cooling tests on any of these units. A larger gap is not proof of a worse product or a dishonest brand — it reflects differences in hose configuration, compressor technology, and how the original ASHRAE figure was set. Full context in How to Convert ASHRAE BTU to SACC.
The non-disclosure pattern
One row above — the COSTWAY budget listing — has no SACC figure disclosed anywhere on the retailer page we reviewed, despite DOE compliance requirements applying since the 2019 model year. We use a uniform "Not disclosed" token rather than estimating a number. This pattern shows up disproportionately among budget and newer-import listings in our research, and we treat the absence of a SACC figure as a data point in itself — not evidence the unit underperforms, simply evidence the comparison can't be made from the listing alone.
Caveats — read before citing a row
- Room-coverage figures are the maker's own SACC-based claim, assuming a standard ~8 ft ceiling and normal insulation — not our independent measurement.
- Gap percentages are derived, not measured in a lab by us.
- Ratings can change between model revisions and firmware/SKU variants; always confirm the exact model number before relying on a row.
- This table is not a purchase recommendation ranking — see our separate buying guides for picks by room size and hose type.
- We have never physically tested any unit in this table. All figures are compiled from manufacturer and retailer disclosures.
Methodology & versioning
Version 1.0 — published July 30, 2026. Figures are drawn from each manufacturer's own product page where available, cross-checked against major retailer listings (Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, Home Depot), and the DOE test-procedure final rule and Federal Register notices for the regulatory background. We do not test portable air conditioners ourselves; this is a disclosure-and-derivation reference, not a lab result. Corrections: if a manufacturer updates a spec sheet or we find an error, this page and the CSV below are updated in place and the version/date bumped — see How We Evaluate for our full editorial policy.
Machine-readable download: the full table is available as CSV at /sacc-reality-index.csv, a version-pinned copy at /sacc-reality-index-v1.0.csv, and a condensed digest is maintained in /llms-full.txt.
This page is general reference information about disclosed manufacturer ratings, not an independent lab result or a health/safety determination.
Frequently Asked Questions
A version-pinned, source-cited dataset comparing the advertised (ASHRAE) BTU rating against the disclosed DOE SACC (Seasonally Adjusted Cooling Capacity) rating for current popular portable air conditioner models, plus the derived percentage gap, hose configuration, and each maker's SACC-based room-coverage figure. It exists because no single manufacturer publishes a cross-brand comparison of this gap.
Calculated. We take the advertised BTU and the manufacturer-disclosed SACC BTU — both numbers the maker already published — and compute (advertised minus SACC) divided by advertised. We have not tested any of these units ourselves; the gap is a derived transparency metric, not an independent lab result.
No. Both the ASHRAE and SACC ratings are legitimate results of two different DOE-recognized test procedures measuring different things (lab conditions vs. real-world duct/infiltration losses). A wider gap can reflect hose configuration, compressor technology, or simply how the ASHRAE number was originally set — not misrepresentation. We do not accuse any brand of dishonesty in this dataset.
It means we could not find a SACC figure anywhere on that model's manufacturer page or the retailer listing we reviewed, even though DOE compliance requirements have applied since the 2019 model year. We use a uniform 'Not disclosed' token rather than guessing a number, and the pattern of non-disclosure is itself one of this dataset's findings.
Yes. The full table is available as CSV at /sacc-reality-index.csv, with a version-pinned copy at /sacc-reality-index-v1.0.csv that will not change even as we update the live table.