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Appliances › Heating & Cooling

What size power station runs a window ac (12,000 btu)?

A mid-size window unit — wants a 1,800 W+ surge rating and real capacity for any run time.

1,100 Wrunning watts
1,800 Wstartup surge
70%duty cycle
3,422 Whfor 4.0 h

Need to run it alongside other things? Add it to the full sizing tool with the rest of your load.

What size you need for 4.0 h

You need about 3,422 Wh — and 4 units fit. The smallest sufficient is the EcoFlow DELTA Pro; we never push more capacity than your load can use. Surge to clear: 1,800 W.
The math
Running watts (everything on at once) = 1,100 W
Surge watts (worst single startup + the rest running) = 1,800 W
Average draw (cyclic loads counted by their duty cycle) = 770 W
Watt-hours = 770 W × 4.0 h ÷ 90% usable reserve = 3,422 Wh
1
EcoFlow DELTA Prosmallest that fits
3,600 Wh 3,600 W cont · 7,200 W surge expandable ~4.2 h on this load $$$
The whole-home contender on wheels — 3,600 W, expandable to 25 kWh, panel-ready with a transfer switch.
LiFePO4 · AC + EV charging; expandable to 25 kWh · 99 lb
Check price at EcoFlow → Full specs
2
Anker SOLIX F3800
3,840 Wh 6,000 W cont · 9,000 W surge expandable ~4.5 h on this load $$$
A 6,000 W, 240 V system for whole-home backup including a well pump and electric range, expandable to ~27 kWh.
LiFePO4 · 120/240 V; expandable to 26.9 kWh · 132 lb
Check price at Anker SOLIX → Full specs
3
Goal Zero Yeti PRO 4000
3,993 Wh 3,600 W cont · 7,200 W surge expandable ~4.7 h on this load $$$
Goal Zero’s LiFePO4 flagship — 4 kWh, 3,600 W, whole-home with the transfer switch and tanks.
LiFePO4 · Fast AC; expandable to ~27 kWh · 104 lb
Check price at Goal Zero → Full specs
4
EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3
4,096 Wh 4,000 W cont · 8,000 W surge expandable ~4.8 h on this load $$$
A 4 kWh, 4,000 W (120/240 V) system built specifically for whole-home backup.
LiFePO4 · AC/solar/EV; expandable to 48 kWh · 113 lb
Check price at EcoFlow → Full specs
🔗 The "Check price" buttons are brand-direct affiliate links. Once our brand affiliate programs are approved these will earn a commission — at no extra cost to you, and it never changes which unit we recommend. Disclosure.

Can a specific unit run a window ac (12,000 btu)?

20 of the units we track deliver enough watts to run a window ac (12,000 btu). Check a specific one for the runtime and the full verdict:

Goal Zero Yeti 1000 Core
983 Wh · 1,200 W cont
runs it
EcoFlow DELTA 2
1,024 Wh · 1,800 W cont
runs it
Anker SOLIX C1000
1,056 Wh · 1,800 W cont
runs it
Jackery Explorer 1000 v2
1,070 Wh · 1,500 W cont
runs it
Bluetti AC180
1,152 Wh · 1,800 W cont
runs it
Jackery Explorer 1000 Plus
1,264 Wh · 2,000 W cont
runs it
Goal Zero Yeti 1500X
1,516 Wh · 2,000 W cont
runs it
Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus
2,042 Wh · 3,000 W cont
runs it
EcoFlow DELTA 2 Max
2,048 Wh · 2,400 W cont
runs it
Bluetti AC200L
2,048 Wh · 2,400 W cont
runs it
Bluetti AC200MAX
2,048 Wh · 2,200 W cont
runs it
Anker SOLIX F2000
2,048 Wh · 2,400 W cont
runs it

Common questions

What size power station do I need to run a window ac (12,000 btu)?

A window ac (12,000 btu) draws about 1,100 W running, with a startup surge near 1,800 W. So you want a unit with at least 1,100 W continuous output and 1,800 W+ surge. For 4.0 h of runtime that's roughly 3,422 Wh of capacity — the EcoFlow DELTA Pro is the smallest unit that clears all of it.

How many watts does a window ac (12,000 btu) use?

About 1,100 W while running, spiking to roughly 1,800 W on startup. It only draws power about 70% of the time, so over an outage its energy use is well below 1,100 W × the hours — which is why a modest battery lasts longer than you'd expect.

Sources: Window AC (12,000 BTU) wattage — Standard appliance-wattage / generator-sizing charts (representative values; verify your nameplate); station specs — manufacturer published specifications (compiled 2026-06-15; approximate). Informational only — a computed sizing estimate from published appliance-wattage charts and manufacturer station specs. It is not an electrical guarantee. For hardwired or whole-home backup, transfer switches, or any permanent install, consult a licensed electrician.