Hot-dry (Delhi, Jaipur, Nagpur, Ahmedabad ≈30 BTU/sq ft): extreme sensible heat, huge solar gain, cool nights. Hot-humid (Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata ≈28): lower peaks but relentless latent load — the AC works around the clock condensing moisture. Composite (Lucknow, Hyderabad ≈26): dry summers, humid monsoons; both behaviors in one year. Temperate (Bengaluru, Pune ≈22): mild loads where 0.75–1T units often suffice.
In hot-dry cities, peak-afternoon capacity rules — round up at the margin, especially top floors. In humid cities, runtime quality rules — right-size or even favor the smaller borderline unit, because an oversized AC in Chennai produces the clammy-room problem at its worst. Composite cities should size for the dry-season peak; the unit then runs partial loads through the monsoon, which inverters handle gracefully.
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Usually yes — and it's the standard choice. Step toward 2T only for top-floor rooms under an RCC roof or heavy west-facing glass.
Latent load: condensing monsoon moisture consumes capacity without changing the thermometer much, so the room feels less cool at the same temperature reading.
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