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hvac:solar_ac
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hvac:solar_ac [2023/08/28 05:35] princess_fluffypants [120v AC** (Alternating Current) systems] |
hvac:solar_ac [2024/02/05 14:25] (current) princess_fluffypants [12v/24v/48v DC Units] |
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| ====== Running A/C off solar ====== | ====== Running A/C off solar ====== | ||
| - | **TL;DR - It is technically possible, but very expensive and complex. Be prepared to spend at //least// $10, | + | **TL;DR - It is technically possible, but very expensive and complex. Be prepared to spend at // |
| - | More expensive than the A/C system itself is everything you'll need to power it. A/C takes a //huge// amount of electricity; | + | More expensive than the A/C system itself is everything you'll need to power it. A/C takes a //huge// amount of electricity; |
| If you are reading this you probably haven' | If you are reading this you probably haven' | ||
| 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. | 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 ===== | ===== 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: | 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: | ||
| + | |||
| + | 120v AC units are vastly more common, and much cheaper than the 12v or 24v DC units. These are usually roof-mounted, | ||
| See [[https:// | See [[https:// | ||
| + | |||
| + | ---- | ||
| ===== But I saw someone on TikTok doing it! ===== | ===== But I saw someone on TikTok doing it! ===== | ||
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| - Rich people with extremely expensive vans that they paid professionals to build | - Rich people with extremely expensive vans that they paid professionals to build | ||
| - | - " | + | - " |
| - Completely faked and just being shared around to generate views | - Completely faked and just being shared around to generate views | ||
| - All of the above. | - All of the above. | ||
| Line 50: | Line 57: | ||
| There is a reason that most people [[camping: | There is a reason that most people [[camping: | ||
| + | ---- | ||
| ===== I am rich, foolheardy, or both, and still want to run A/C off of solar ===== | ===== I am rich, foolheardy, or both, and still want to run A/C off of solar ===== | ||
| Line 70: | Line 78: | ||
| * [[https:// | * [[https:// | ||
| - | ===== AC vs DC ===== | + | ---- |
| - | + | ||
| - | ==== 120v AC (Alternating Current) systems ==== | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | These units 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: | + | |
| - | ==== 12v/24v/48v DC ==== | + | ==== 12v/24v/48v DC Units ==== |
| - | 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. | + | 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 $2,500; Dometic has their [[https:// | + | **All-in-one roof units** offer a much simpler installation and are usually around $2,500; Dometic has their [[https:// |
| **Split units** separate the evaporator/ | **Split units** separate the evaporator/ | ||
| - | 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: | + | 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: |
hvac/solar_ac.1693215357.txt.gz · Last modified: 2023/08/28 05:35 by princess_fluffypants
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