ACiQ Extreme vs GREE Sapphire (12,000 BTU)

The answer

These are two of the strongest cold-climate single-zone systems we track, both rated to -22F and both ENERGY STAR certified, and the choice comes down to one trade: GREE is the more efficient machine, ACiQ is the better-backed one. GREE Sapphire runs SEER2 29.5 against ACiQ Extreme's 25.4 - a genuine 16% edge - while ACiQ carries a 12-year compressor warranty against GREE's 7. If you are optimising the power bill, take the Sapphire. If you are optimising for the decade after the install, take the Extreme.

Side by side

Both are 230V professional installs, so labor is a wash. Compare the installed total in the installation cost estimator.

Where GREE wins: efficiency

SEER2 29.5 vs 25.4, EER2 15.2 vs 13.4, and COP at 5F of 2.0 vs 1.8. Those are not rounding differences. The Sapphire is meaningfully more efficient in cooling, and it holds a better coefficient of performance in deep cold, meaning it converts electricity to heat more effectively on the worst nights.

One counterpoint worth knowing: ACiQ takes HSPF2 10.5 against GREE's 10.0. So GREE leads on the seasonal cooling number and on cold-weather COP, while ACiQ edges the seasonal heating efficiency rating. If the system is primarily a heater for you, that narrows the gap considerably.

Where ACiQ wins: the warranty, and it is not close

ACiQ Extreme: 12 years compressor, 7 years parts. GREE Sapphire: 7 years compressor, 5 years parts.

GREE can reach 10 years parts and compressor, but only through Select Dealer registration on a complete system - a condition attached to who installs it. ACiQ's 12 years is its standard term with ordinary online registration. Even at GREE's best case, ACiQ is still two years ahead on the compressor.

On a system you expect to keep 12-15 years, that difference can outlast the efficiency saving. Our warranty comparison puts both against the market, where 5 parts / 7 compressor is the industry norm - which is exactly where GREE's standard term sits, and well below where ACiQ's does.

Both hold their heat, which is the real point

This is the most impressive thing about both machines and it is invisible on a spec sticker.

Certified heating capacity at 47F / 17F / 5F runs 12,000 / 12,000 / 11,500 for the ACiQ Extreme and 12,200 / 13,000 / 12,200 for the GREE Sapphire. Both are delivering essentially their full rated output at 5F.

Most equipment does not do this. Across the systems we track, the median holds about 77% of its 47F figure at 5F, and some budget units fall to under a quarter. Either of these will still be heating hard on a night when a cheaper system has quietly given up. If you want the wider picture, heating capacity in the cold works through the whole distribution.

The smaller differences

Refrigerant. ACiQ is R-454B, GREE is R-32. Both are current low-GWP refrigerants replacing R-410A, both are A2L, and neither is a reason to choose one over the other - see R-32 vs R-454B.

Noise. 56 dB against 55 dB outdoor. Identical in practice.

Both are ENERGY STAR certified, so both should clear rebate programmes that key on certification. Confirm for your exact model pair before the paperwork depends on it - our ENERGY STAR guide explains why certification and efficiency are not the same test.

Who each is for

The GREE Sapphire buyer wants the most efficient cold-climate system on the shelf and is comfortable that the compressor coverage is industry-standard rather than exceptional. In a cooling-dominated climate with high electricity rates, the efficiency edge compounds every summer.

The ACiQ Extreme buyer wants the longest protection on the most expensive component, and values a 12-year term that does not depend on which dealer installed it. In a heating-dominated climate the HSPF2 edge also lands on their side.

Bottom line

Sapphire for efficiency, Extreme for warranty. Both are genuinely good at -22F, which is the hard part, and most systems on the market are not.

Full specs are on the ACiQ and GREE brand hubs, and the ACiQ review covers where Extreme sits in ACiQ's eight-line range.

Sources

• Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute: AHRI Appendix M1 public detail for ACIQ-12ZPL-HP230C / ACIQ-12W-HH-MD - ACiQ Extreme 12,000 BTU R-454B 208/230V (ACIQ-12W-HH-MD / ACIQ-12ZPL-HP230C), retrieved Jul 26, 2026.
• ENERGY STAR: ENERGY STAR exact row check for AHRI 216032335 - ACiQ Extreme 12,000 BTU R-454B 208/230V (ACIQ-12W-HH-MD / ACIQ-12ZPL-HP230C), retrieved Jul 26, 2026.
• HVACDirect / ACiQ: 12,000 BTU ACiQ Extreme 25.4 SEER2 Single Zone Wall Mount Mini Split Heat Pump System - R454B | 230V - ACiQ Extreme 12,000 BTU R-454B 208/230V (ACIQ-12W-HH-MD / ACIQ-12ZPL-HP230C), retrieved Jul 26, 2026.
• Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute: AHRI public detail for SAP12HP230V1R32AO / SAP12HP230V1R32AH - GREE Sapphire R32 12,000 BTU R-32 208/230V (SAP12HP230V1R32AH / SAP12HP230V1R32AO), retrieved Jul 24, 2026.
• ENERGY STAR: ENERGY STAR exact row lookup for SAP12HP230V1R32AO / SAP12HP230V1R32AH - GREE Sapphire R32 12,000 BTU R-32 208/230V (SAP12HP230V1R32AH / SAP12HP230V1R32AO), retrieved Jul 24, 2026.
• GREE Comfort: GREE DFS warranty statement for units installed after 2021-12-31 - GREE Sapphire R32 12,000 BTU R-32 208/230V (SAP12HP230V1R32AH / SAP12HP230V1R32AO), retrieved Jul 24, 2026.
• GREE Comfort: GREE Sapphire R32 12k submittal - GREE Sapphire R32 12,000 BTU R-32 208/230V (SAP12HP230V1R32AH / SAP12HP230V1R32AO), retrieved Jul 24, 2026.
• GREE Comfort: GREE current Zeno R32 product/catalog page - GREE Sapphire R32 12,000 BTU R-32 208/230V (SAP12HP230V1R32AH / SAP12HP230V1R32AO), retrieved Jul 24, 2026.
• HVACDirect: HVACDirect exact product page for SAP12HP230V1R32AO / SAP12HP230V1R32AH - GREE Sapphire R32 12,000 BTU R-32 208/230V (SAP12HP230V1R32AH / SAP12HP230V1R32AO), retrieved Jul 24, 2026.