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hvac:solar_ac [2018/05/20 20:20] frater_secessus [but some people are doing it] |
hvac:solar_ac [2024/02/04 17:53] princess_fluffypants [Running A/C off solar] |
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[[lifestyle: | [[lifestyle: | ||
+ | > Running AC on [an inverter] is rich man's game -- HaldorEE((https:// | ||
- | ====== I want to run A/C off solar ====== | ||
- | Understood, we all would like to do that. We wish it were simple and inexpensive enough to be common. | + | ====== Running |
- | Unfortunately, if you are reading this you probably haven' | + | **TL;DR - It is technically possible, but very expensive and complex. Be prepared to spend at //least// $5,000, and probably |
- | * how much power it takes to run the A/C unit continuously | + | More expensive than the A/C system itself is everything you'll need to power it. A/C takes a //huge// amount of electricity; |
- | * how much power it takes to //start// the A/C unit (usually much more than running | + | |
- | * how much [[electrical: | + | |
- | * how much space those panels will require | + | |
- | * how much money those panels will cost to acquire | + | |
- | And that's just considering running the unit in optimum solar conditions in the daytime. | + | If you are reading this you probably haven't done [[electrical: |
- | There is a reason people | + | * How much power it takes to run the A/C unit continuously |
+ | * Even the most efficient 12v A/C units draw upwards of 60 amps at full blast; that's over 700w, // | ||
+ | * Using a 120v system through an inverter will increase that power draw even more. | ||
+ | * How much power it takes to //start// the A/C unit (Usually a lot more) | ||
+ | * Some units have a "soft start" function, using a bunch of capacitors to help the compressor start while smoothing out the massive spike in current draw | ||
+ | * How much [[electrical:solar: | ||
+ | * If it's hot enough to run A/C it's hot enough that you are already losing 25% of your solar panels' | ||
+ | * In order to generate 700w of power to run an average system, you'll need at least 1200w worth of panels. And that's //just to run the A/C unit itself//. That's not giving you any overhead to charge your batteries or do anything else. | ||
+ | * How much space those panels will require | ||
+ | * How much money those panels will cost | ||
+ | * How much money big [[electrical: | ||
+ | * How much money you will spend on the massive runs of finger-thick copper cabling to connect it all together | ||
- | ===== one exception ===== | + | And that's just considering running the unit in optimum solar conditions |
- | The one exception to this dilemma is available if you live in the desert; | + | |
- | ===== but some people are doing it ===== | + | And it's still not going to give great results; it might be okay for taking the edge off on a very hot day (bringing the inside of the van down to 80f while the exterior temperatures are over 95f), but you're not going to be able to keep the van at 68 degrees on a hot day just off of solar. |
- | That's right. | + | 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. |
- | There are people with an in-depth understanding of the issues, and the money and space to make it happen. | + | ---- |
- | If you would like to learn more about how it's been done before, start with [[http:// | ||
- | * [[https://encrypted.google.com/search?hl=en&q=site%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.cheaprvliving.com%2Fforums%2F%20jimindenver%20a%2Fc|jimindenver]] | + | ===== Running A/C off of shore power ===== |
- | * [[https://encrypted.google.com/search?hl=en&q=site%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.cheaprvliving.com%2Fforums%2F+itripper+a%2Fc|iTripper]] | + | |
+ | 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: | ||
+ | |||
+ | See [[https://www.thervgeeks.com/rv-air-conditioner/ | ||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===== But I saw someone on TikTok doing it! ===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | The things you see on [[lifestyle: | ||
+ | |||
+ | - Rich people with extremely expensive vans that they paid professionals to build | ||
+ | - " | ||
+ | - Completely faked and just being shared around to generate views | ||
+ | - All of the above. | ||
+ | |||
+ | There is an extremely small subset of people who have successfully installed A/C in their own van, and been able to use it off-grid for extended periods of time. They are people with an in-depth understanding of the issues and the money and space to make it happen. It does not stand to reason that the average person with average resources and commitment will make the trip from idea to implementation. | ||
+ | |||
+ | There is a reason that most people [[camping: | ||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | ===== I am rich, foolheardy, or both, and still want to run A/C off of solar ===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | Don't say we didn't warn you, but here's some links to people who have done it successfully. Start with [[http:// | ||
+ | |||
+ | * [[https:// | ||
+ | * [[https://www.fordtransitusaforum.com/threads/ | ||
+ | * [[https:// | ||
+ | * [[https:// | ||
+ | * [[https:// | ||
+ | * [[https:// | ||
* [[https:// | * [[https:// | ||
- | * [[https://encrypted.google.com/search?hl=en&q=site%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.cheaprvliving.com%2Fforums%2F+IGBT+a%2Fc|IGBT]] | + | * [[https://www.cheaprvliving.com/forums/ |
- | * [[https://encrypted.google.com/search?hl=en&q=site%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.cheaprvliving.com%2Fforums%2F+BradKW+a%2Fc|BradKW]] | + | * [[https:// |
+ | * [[https://diysolarforum.com/ | ||
+ | |||
+ | Also see | ||
+ | |||
+ | * [[https:// | ||
+ | * [[https:// | ||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | ===== AC vs DC ===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | The biggest decision to make is how you're going to power the A/C system. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== 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: | ||
+ | |||
+ | See [[https:// | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== 12v/24v/48v DC ==== | ||
+ | |||
+ | 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. | ||
+ | |||
+ | **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/ | ||
+ | |||
+ | 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: |