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--- hvac:solar_ac [2023/08/28 09:27]
princess_fluffypants Rearranging sections a bit
+++ hvac:solar_ac [2025/12/24 22:58] (current)
@@ Line 6: / Line 6: @@
 ====== Running A/C off solar ======
-**TL;DR - It is technically possible, but very expensive and complex. Be prepared to spend at //least// $10,000.**
+**TL;DR - It is technically possible, but very expensive and complex. Be prepared to spend at //least// $5,000, and probably closer to $10,000.**
-More expensive than the A/C system itself is everything you'll need to power it. A/C takes a //huge// amount of electricity; to operate successfully off grid you'll need at least 8-12KwHr of lithium batteries, 800-1200w of solar, and the required massive charge controllers to run it all.
+More expensive than the A/C system itself is everything you'll need to power it. A/C takes a //huge// amount of electricity; to operate successfully off grid you'll want at least 8-12KwHr of lithium batteries, 800-1200w of solar, and the required massive charge controllers to run it all. If you want to run the A/C //overnight//, be prepared to double that battery bank size.
 If you are reading this you probably haven't done [[electrical:12v:dailypowerrequirements|the math]].  Prepare for some unpleasant news, because at this point you may not be familiar with:
@@ Line 30: / Line 30: @@
 Especially because (rather paradoxically) running A/C off of solar requires that you park your van in the sun; which means the inside of the van will get //MUCH// hotter than it would if you simply parked in the shade. This puts you in a weird catch-22 where you can't run the A/C without parking in the sun, but parking in the sun means you have to run the A/C much harder than your solar can sometimes keep up with.
+----
 ===== Running A/C off of shore power =====
 This is very practical, and it's how RVs have been doing it for many years. The A/C systems run natively on 120v AC(Alternating Current) and are getting power from a [[electrical:generator|generator]] or [[electrical:shore_power|shore power]].
+v AC units are vastly more common, and much cheaper than the 12v or 24v DC units. These are usually roof-mounted, smaller ones can be had for as little as $500 and are very common in the rest of the R/V world. If you have a a big enough inverter, it's possible to run them off of a house battery bank as well (although you'll suffer some efficiency losses).
 See [[https://www.thervgeeks.com/rv-air-conditioner/|this article]] for a good overview on what may be needed.
+----
 ===== But I saw someone on TikTok doing it! =====
@@ Line 42: / Line 49: @@
   - Rich people with extremely expensive vans that they paid professionals to build
-  - "Influencers" who spend a weekend or two in the van every month and only in the most ideal situaitons
+  - "Influencers" who spend a weekend or two in the van every month and only post pictures or stories from the most ideal situations
   - Completely faked and just being shared around to generate views
   - All of the above.
@@ Line 50: / Line 57: @@
 There is a reason that most people [[camping:snowbirding|snowbird]] (follow good weather) and use [[hvac:roof_vent|roof vents]] to control [[hvac:dehumidifier|humidity]] and temperature.
+----
 ===== I am rich, foolheardy, or both, and still want to run A/C off of solar =====
@@ Line 70: / Line 78: @@
   * [[https://www.reddit.com/r/vandwellers/comments/p1ejqw/hey_party_animals_anyone_know_of_a_place_that/h8d7zbm/|daficco's advice on installing a mini-split]].
-==== AC vs DC ====
+----
-**120v AC** (Alternating Current) systems are vastly more common, and much cheaper. These are usually roof-mounted units, smaller ones can be had for as little as $500 and are very common in the rest of the R/V world. So if you have a a big enough inverter anyway it can be cheaper to go that route. It also gives you the option of easily powering the unit off of [[electrical:shore_power|shore power]] or a generator during the times where you have access to such things.
+==== 12v/24v/48v DC Units ====
-**12v/24v/48v DC** units do exist and can give some efficiency gains as you don't need to run them through an inverter, but they are very expensive.
+AC Units that can operate directly on DC current off of your house batteries give some efficiency gains as you don't need to run them through an inverter, but they are very expensive. Higher voltage systems allow you to use much thinner cables for power, which can be a significant cost savings over longer runs.
-All-in-one roof units offer a much simpler installation and are usually around $2,000; Dometic has their [[https://www.dometic.com/en-us/outdoor/rv-and-van/rv-air-conditioners/dometic-rtx-2000-262673|RTX 1000/2000]] units as a good start. The relative ease of install comes at the expense of taking up quite a bit of roof space (and consequently reducing your space for solar panels).
+**All-in-one roof units** offer a much simpler installation and are usually around $2,500; Dometic has their [[https://www.dometic.com/en-us/outdoor/rv-and-van/rv-air-conditioners/dometic-rtx-2000-262673|RTX 2000]] unit as a good start for most vans. The relative ease of install comes at the expense of taking up quite a bit of roof space (and consequently reducing your available space for solar panels). They're heavy as well, and generally you'll need to reinforce the roof to hold the weight.
-Split units separate the evaporator/condenser/compressor into separate parts which have to be plummed together. This can offer a lot more flexibility in terms of where to mount stuff, but also makes the installation much more complex. [[https://www.cruisencomfortusa.com/|Cruis-n-comfort]] and [[https://undermountac.com/|UnderMountAC]] are the two most common split options, and will generally run $4,000 for the units themselves.
+**Split units** separate the evaporator/condenser/compressor into separate parts which have to be plumbed together. This can offer a lot more flexibility in terms of where to mount stuff, but also makes the installation much more complex. [[https://www.cruisencomfortusa.com/|Cruis-n-comfort]] and [[https://undermountac.com/|UnderMountAC]] are the two most common split options, and will generally run $4,000 for the units themselves.
-Beginning in about 2023, cheap Chinese 12v mini-split systems have started to come down to almost acceptable prices ($1k in the USA, or as little as $500 if you can wait the 1-2 months for shipping from China). Reports on them have been mixed; similar to the Chinese knock-off [[hvac:heating|diesel heaters]] they come with almost no instructions and often missing a few minor parts (most users report some fittings or couplings being missing, or needing to crimp their own lines). Warranty and installation support is non-existent, but if you can fiddle your way through the psudo-DIY installation some people have reported positive results.
+Beginning in about 2023, cheap Chinese 12v mini-split systems have started to come down to almost acceptable prices ($1k in the USA, or less if you can wait the 1-2 months for shipping from China). Reports on them have been mixed; similar to the Chinese knock-off [[hvac:heating|diesel heaters]] they come with almost no instructions and often missing a few minor parts (most users report some fittings or couplings being missing, or needing to crimp their own lines). Warranty and installation support is non-existent, but if you can fiddle your way through the psudo-DIY installation some people have reported positive results.

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