Powering A/C from Solar

With the growing popularity – and diminishing prices - of green energy solutions such as solar panels, it’s no surprise that more people have become interested in powering major household systems through solar technologies. But can Solar PV really provide enough power to run a heat pump, water heater or air conditioning system?

Much depends on the power requirements of each system, as well as the amount of wattage produced by your solar panels.

The initial surge of energy needed to power up an air conditioning system is higher than what is required to keep it active when the compressor is off. Wattage requirements to power a 2-ton A/C system, says one expert, can run about 2500 Watts, or 2.5kW.

Depending on the tonnage of the A/C system and a room’s specific heat load, the system could consume 1 to 2 units of electricity during an hour. Seeing as a 1 kW solar panel should produce anywhere from 5 to 7 units per day, running an A/C system off solar would probably eat through that supply in a matter of 4 or 5 hours. If other appliances are also running off the solar setup, then more kWs would need to be produced by the solar panels, increasing installation costs.

There are some air conditioning systems that work off Solar Thermal (an absorption chiller), which is said to be more efficient than Solar PV. Some of the Thermal units are comparable to efficient electric models. However, running an A/C unit off solar presents problems if you live in a climate where you would want to keep the machine operating through the night.

Obviously, solar power is not ideal for every situation. The best way to determine if your living space is a candidate for solar air conditioning is to consult an expert, consider alternatives and then make an informed choice. To do that, contact AC World today!