Home / Comparisons / 12,000 BTU wall-mounted heat pumps
GREE EXTRÊME R32 and HITACHI airHome 800, the figures side by side
Two 12,000 BTU R-32 wall units, ENERGY STAR cold-climate certified and offered by AirGreen. Their certified heating curves cross: one delivers more heat down to −15 °C, the other at the −30 °C test point. This page shows where, by how much, and what no source says in between.
GREEEXTRÊME R32 12,000 BTU
GWH12AVDXE-D6DN***/I / GWH12AVDXE-D6DNA1B/O · AHRI 215386290
Same certified values: GREE AIRY R32 (same AHRI certificate), GREE SAPPHIRE R32 and KINGHOME AIRY R32.
View the product page
HITACHIairHome 800 12,000 BTU
RAK-XJ12PHAA / RAC-XJ12WHAA · AHRI 215911631
No other known name for this certificate in AirGreen’s lineup.
View the product pageWhat the electricity costs, in dollars, winter and summer
AirGreen estimate for the same 12,000 BTU/h zone in Montréal, on Hydro-Québec Rate D, taxes included. Both heat pumps are calculated exactly the same way, with the same method as on all our comparison pages; only their certified efficiencies change. Electric baseboards serve as the reference point. The airHome 800 is certified at 12,500 BTU/h in cooling: the calculation uses the common rated size, 12,000 BTU/h.
How this amount is calculated
- Heat needed over the winter. A zone whose heat loss reaches 12,000 BTU/h ( kW) at −23.1 °C, Montréal’s design temperature: kW × 24 h × 4,167 degree-days ÷ (18 − (−23.1)) = kWh of heat for round-the-clock heating, all winter. Heating degree-days (base 18 °C) and design temperature: Natural Resources Canada, HOT2000 climate data, Montréal Intl station. With fewer hours a day (“Heating” slider), the heat is reduced in the same proportion, for the heat pump as for the baseboards: a simplification that does not account for recovery after a temperature setback.
- Electricity for heating. Heat pump: heat × 3.412 ÷ Region V HSPF2, the AHRI certificate value published by NEEP. Region V is the coldest in the standard, and its calculation includes the electric backup expected when the heat pump is no longer enough. Electric baseboards: 1 kWh of electricity for 1 kWh of heat.
- Electricity for cooling. 12,000 BTU/h ÷ SEER2 × hours a day × 60 days ÷ 1,000: the method of Hydro-Québec’s air-conditioning calculator, with the seasonal SEER2 efficiency from the AHRI certificate. The number of hours is a scenario, adjustable above from 1 to 24 h. At 24 h, the calculation assumes rated capacity all day long: that is a maximum, since a variable-speed unit slows down once the room is at the right temperature.
- Price. Hydro-Québec Rate D in effect April 1, 2026: 7.065¢ per kWh up to 40 kWh a day, 11.142¢ beyond; the average price, 9.104¢, is the one Hydro-Québec’s calculators use. GST and QST included. Network access charges, the same with or without a heat pump, are not counted.
AirGreen method v1.1, November 9, 2026. An estimate is for comparing units under the same conditions. The actual bill depends on the house, insulation, settings and use; this amount is not a promise.
Which one keeps what, at what temperature
Each round point is a NEEP-certified value, at the same temperatures for both units: 8.3, −8.3, −15 and −30 °C. At maximum capacity, the airHome 800 is ahead down to −15 °C, the EXTRÊME R32 at −30 °C. COP at full capacity changes order twice. No certificate says at what exact temperature the curves cross.
Why HSPF2 and the −30 °C point tell different stories
Le HSPF2 sums up a full heating season. The U.S. federal method that defines it (Appendix M1) builds it from tests at 8.3 °C, −8.3 °C and, depending on the unit, −15 °C, weighted by the number of hours a typical region spends at each temperature. The −30 °C point published by NEEP is a separate test: it is not part of that calculation.
For this pair, the airHome 800, certified higher at maximum capacity at 8.3, −8.3 and −15 °C, also has the higher HSPF2. The EXTRÊME R32 keeps more capacity, and a higher COP, at the −30 °C test point: a result HSPF2 does not reflect, since that point is not part of it. Both readings are accurate; they answer different questions.
HSPF2, AHRI certificate
Region IV
Region V, colder
Bars out of 14. The higher the HSPF2, the more heat the season delivers per kilowatt-hour, under the standard’s conditions.
NEEP test point, same temperature for both
Maximum capacity
COP at this capacity, and electricity used
Capacity out of 10,000 BTU/h, COP out of 2.5. Share of the 8.3 °C maximum capacity still available at −30 °C: 52% for the EXTRÊME R32 (8,500 ÷ 16,200) and 32% for the airHome 800 (6,000 ÷ 19,000).
In Montréal, where the crossing zone falls
1991–2020 climate normals, Montréal–Trudeau (Environment and Climate Change Canada): January mean −9.2 °C, January mean daily minimum −13.5 °C. Design temperature −23.1 °C: Natural Resources Canada, HOT2000, Montréal Intl station. The January mean and mean minimum fall between −8.3 and −15 °C, two points where the airHome 800 is certified higher at maximum capacity. Nights near the design temperature fall in the zone where no certificate settles it.
Below −15 °C: every published figure, at its exact temperature
NEEP certifies both units at −15 °C and at −30 °C, at the same temperatures. In between, only HITACHI publishes capacities in BTU/h, in its brochure. Each figure sits at its exact temperature, with its source; elsewhere, the cell shows the two published values on either side of the temperature.
On this page, the certified points at −15 and −30 °C are not connected: the two lines would cross at a temperature no source publishes. The only dotted line connects the two values in the HITACHI brochure.
What each manufacturer writes, line by line
GREE Canada EXTRÊME R32 brochure (document 032025) and GREE Airy Inverter R32 service manual, which covers the same model numbers; HITACHI airHome 800 brochure (Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air Conditioning, December 2024), technical catalogue and installation manual IA2693:A. Base pan heater: data each manufacturer declared to NEEP.
EXTRÊME R32: heating stated down to −30 °C; 72 W base pan heater, runs below 1 °C outdoors or during defrost.
airHome 800: heating stated down to −30 °C; adaptive defrost; 150 W base pan heater, runs at 0 °C outdoors.
EXTRÊME R32: down to −29 °C outdoors.
airHome 800: down to −20 °C outdoors.
EXTRÊME R32: “G-AI Learning”; vertical and horizontal louver swing.
airHome 800: Smart Eco, SleepSense, motion sensor, weekly timer.
EXTRÊME R32: Wi-Fi (app not named); YBE1FB1F remote.
airHome 800: Built-in Wi-Fi, airCloud Go app, voice control; RC-BGH1FA0N remote; airPoint Room H700 wall control optional.
EXTRÊME R32: “low-voltage start-up”; restarts with the last settings after a power outage (service manual).
airHome 800: adjustable restart, resumes the last mode or disabled (technical catalogue).
EXTRÊME R32: washable filters; “G10 Inverter”, two-stage variable-speed compressor; anti-corrosion coated fins.
airHome 800: PM2.5 activated carbon filter, stainless steel pre-filter, FrostWash 3.0, Mold Guard 2.0.
Dehumidification per the brochures: 1.4 L/h (EXTRÊME R32) and 3.0 L/h (airHome 800); see the installation table.
How loud each one is, per its manufacturer
GREE publishes eight levels for the EXTRÊME R32, with no speed names. HITACHI publishes five speeds for the airHome 800, from SL (the slowest) to HH. Both give a sound pressure in dB(A).
How to read these figures. dB(A) measures a noise level as the ear perceives it: the lower the figure, the quieter the unit. Each point is a fan speed published by the manufacturer, from the slowest to the fastest.
Why this is not a ranking. HITACHI measures in an anechoic chamber, 1 m from the supply grille. GREE publishes neither the distance nor the measurement conditions. A difference of a few dB(A) can come from the method as much as from the unit.
Indoor unit, in the room
Cooling, every published speed
Outdoor unit, outside
Highest published speed
Measurements taken by each manufacturer with its own method: read them separately, not as a ranking.
Sources: GREE Canada EXTRÊME R32 brochure (document 032025) and GREE Airy Inverter R32 service manual, which states these are sound pressure figures and also publishes sound power (29 to 53 dB(A) indoors, 65 dB(A) outdoors); HITACHI airHome 800 brochure (December 2024) and airHome 800 technical catalogue, which describes the measurement conditions.
On the wall, in the piping, outdoors
Is your wall wide enough?
Unit width only, to scale. The side clearances required by the installation manual come on top; the installer confirms them on site.
Piping length
Colored band: precharged length. Dark mark: published maximum. Gold mark (EXTRÊME R32): the 65.6 ft in the GREE service manual, more conservative than the brochure. Additions per the manufacturer: 0.2 oz/ft (GREE) and 0.11 oz/ft (HITACHI).
Indoor units to scale
Width × height × depth per the manufacturers. The airHome 800 is 3.14 in wider; the EXTRÊME R32 is taller (13 21/32 vs 11.57 in). HITACHI prints 11.73 in next to 294 mm; 294 mm is 11.57 in, the value used here.
| Installation | EXTRÊME R32 | airHome 800 |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum piping length | 131.2 ftEXTRÊME brochure. The GREE Airy R32 service manual gives 65.6 ft for the 12,000 BTU: to be confirmed at quote time. | 100 ft |
| Precharged length | 24.6 ftGREE AIRY R32 brochure and service manual; add 0.2 oz/ft beyond that. The EXTRÊME brochure does not give it. | 49 ft (15 m)Installation manual IA2693:A; add 0.11 oz/ft beyond that. Factory charge 2.65 lb. |
| Maximum height difference | 82 ftEXTRÊME brochure. Service manual: 32.8 ft. | 65.6 ft |
| Liquid – gas line diameters | 1/4 – 1/2 in | 1/4 – 3/8 in |
| Outdoor unit W × H × D, weight | 34 3/8 × 21 27/32 × 14 51/64 in, 78.3 lb | 33.46 × 25.59 × 11.73 in, 91.0 lb |
| Indoor unit, weight | 33.1 lb | 30.07 lb |
| Electrical protectionPer the manufacturer | MOP 15 A (MCA 11 A) | MOP 25 A (MCA 14 A) |
| Dehumidification | 1.4 L/h | 3.0 L/h |
| Outdoor unit base pan heaterDeclared by the manufacturer to NEEP | Yes, 72 WRuns below 1 °C outdoors or during defrost. | Yes, 150 WRuns at 0 °C outdoors. |
| Outdoor unit clearances | From 30 to 200 cm depending on the sideGREE R32 outdoor unit manual X40270A_2, p. 8, figure; the side for each value is read on the figure. | From 100 to 700 mm depending on the side, at least three sides openInstallation manual IA2693:A, figure. |
| Stated heating / cooling range | −30 to 30 °C / −29 to 50 °C | −30 to 24 °C / −20 to 46 °CBrochure table; the cover page says +22 °C and +45 °C. |
What people ask about these two wall units
Which one heats more on a January night?
At −15 °C, NEEP certifies 15,200 BTU/h at maximum for the airHome 800 and 12,200 BTU/h for the EXTRÊME R32. At −8.3 °C: 16,800 and 13,000 BTU/h. These are temperatures where both are measured under the same conditions.
And at −30 °C?
Both have a NEEP test point at −30 °C: 8,500 BTU/h at maximum for the EXTRÊME R32, with a COP of 1.75, and 6,000 BTU/h for the airHome 800, with a COP of 1.06. Same temperature, same method: these two figures compare directly.
At what exact temperature do the curves cross?
No source says. The certificates put the airHome 800 ahead at −15 °C and the EXTRÊME R32 ahead at −30 °C. In between, HITACHI publishes 13,500 BTU/h at −20 °C and 10,500 at −25 °C in its brochure; GREE publishes no capacity in BTU/h at those temperatures. Drawing a straight line between two certified points to find the crossing would be making it up.
Why does the airHome 800 have the higher HSPF2 if it gives less at −30 °C?
HSPF2 is calculated from tests at 8.3, −8.3 and, depending on the unit, −15 °C, weighted by the hours spent at each temperature. The −30 °C point is not part of that calculation. Both figures are certified; they describe different things.
Which one is quieter?
The manufacturers publish 19 to 43 dB(A) for the EXTRÊME R32 and 30 to 48 dB(A) for the airHome 800 in cooling. HITACHI measures at 1 m in an anechoic chamber; GREE does not publish its measurement conditions. These figures place each unit; they do not rank them.
GREE EXTRÊME, GREE AIRY, GREE SAPPHIRE: what is the difference?
These models have the same AHRI and NEEP certified values at 12,000 BTU; the EXTRÊME and the AIRY even share certificate 215386290. The indoor unit, remote, app and warranty can differ by name.
The GREE brochure says SEER2 28.0: why does the page say 29.5?
GREE Canada brochure no. 032025 prints 28.0. AHRI certificate 215386290, carried by NEEP and ENERGY STAR, shows 29.5. When sources disagree, this page follows the certificate.
Are they eligible for rebates?
Eligibility depends on the official list in effect on the date of purchase. This page promises no amount; the current list is checked at quote time.
All AHRI and NEEP values
| Certified value | EXTRÊME R32 | airHome 800 |
|---|---|---|
| Cooling | ||
| Rated capacity at 35 °C | 12,000 BTU/h | 12,500 BTU/h |
| SEER2 | 29.5 | 25.0 |
| EER2 | 15.2 | 14.5 |
| Heating, same conditions | ||
| HSPF2 Region IV / V | 10.0 / 8.0 | 11.5 / 8.7 |
| 8.3 °C: min. / rated / max.BTU/h | 3,270 / 12,200 / 16,200 | 4,700 / 12,500 / 19,000 |
| 8.3 °C: COP min. / rated / max. | 5.04 / 4.53 / 3.77 | 2.81 / 3.13 / 3.26 |
| −8.3 °C: min. / rated / max.BTU/h | 2,800 / 13,000 / 13,000 | 4,500 / 11,000 / 16,800 |
| −8.3 °C: COP min. / rated / max. | 4.32 / 2.06 / 2.06 | 1.78 / 2.93 / 2.15 |
| −15 °C: min. / rated / max.BTU/h | 2,600 / 12,200 / 12,200 | 3,500 / 10,500 / 15,200 |
| −15 °C: COP min. / rated / max. | 4.23 / 2.00 / 2.00 | 1.39 / 2.09 / 2.12 |
| Coldest point — same temperature for both, not highlighted | ||
| Test temperature | −30 °C (−22 °F) | −30 °C (−22 °F) |
| Capacity min. / max. | 2,600 / 8,500 BTU/h | 1,760 / 6,000 BTU/h |
| COP at maximum capacity | 1.75 | 1.06 |
| Power at maximum capacity | 1.42 kW | 1.66 kW |
| Listings and refrigerant | ||
| ENERGY STAR / cold climate (NEEP) | Yes / Yes | Yes / Yes |
| ENERGY STAR directory, markets listed | United States | United States |
| AHRI certificate · NEEP record | 215386290 · 389444 | 215911631 · 484774 |
| RefrigerantGWP per the IPCC (AR4); ASHRAE 34 class | R-32 · GWP 675 · A2L | R-32 · GWP 675 · A2L |
higher marks the highest value for the same measurement, under the same conditions. It is not a recommendation. Capacities and COPs per point are not highlighted: the order changes depending on the point.
Both are on the AirGreen website.
To choose for your room, talk to our team: bring the room dimensions, the available wall width, the distance to the planned outdoor location and your current heating.
Where each figure comes from
Data checked November 9, 2026. Performance: AHRI certificates and the NEEP database. Dimensions, sound, piping and features: per the manufacturer. When a source contradicts the AHRI certificate, the certificate prevails.
Trademarks. GREE, EXTRÊME, HITACHI and airHome are trademarks of their respective owners. Logos are used only to identify the products compared. AirGreen is a dealer for both brands; this page is not produced, sponsored or endorsed by the manufacturers.
Photos: AirGreen and manufacturers, for identification.
Does a figure look wrong? Write to us : any data point reported is checked again.