Solar Powered Mini Split

[gatchel]

Anyone used one of these for cooling?

http://www.solarpanelsplus.com/dc-air-conditioning/

I am interested in any feedback you guys maye have.

 

[HoosierBuddy]

Very interesting concept.

For a garage, I'd consider "one better" and eliminate the power storage alltogether. Someone should make a minisplit that will run 100% of the time IF:

1. Thermostat is calling for cool. AND
2. Enough sunlight power is available to operate.

That wouldn't work for a darn in the house, but would be just the ticket in a well insullated garage. You store your "energy" in the form of cool air in the garage instead of chemical energy in a battery. Cheaper. Simpler. More efficient.

Phil

 

[Zick]

How much?

 

[green.bubbly]

I do not get this. Down here in Louisiana, during the summer, we run the AC almost non stop. This unit draw 5 kilowatts of power so you would need enough solar panels to provide that much power. The batteries would be useless as they would only charge during the day which is when the AC is running.

Or am I just missing something here.

 

[slopecarver]

The batteries would act as giant capacitors smoothing out the power. I also assume the batteries would be needed to handle the starting load.

 

[Teken]

I would love to hear some feed back about this sort of heating / cooling also.

 

[Boyd]

How much?

Yea, how much?

 

[ForceFed70]

The amount of solar panels and batteries required to make this work would be very expensive.

Min of 4 high capacity 12V batteries = $800

18,000 BTU is going to require approx 2000Watts to run.

For 10hr of runtime daily, you would need at least 1000W worth of solar panel = $4,000
For 5hr runtime daily = $2000 worth of panels.

So you're looking at at least $3000 for just the batteries and panels alone.

 

[gatchel]

I am not usre on the cost yet. I thought it was a good idea but like anything else, it may take a long time before the electrical savings = the added costs. I am not an HVAC guy but thought it would be interesting to see what others in the trade thought.

 

[toyotadriver]

Neat idea for use in an off the grid house. Solar houses only work due to conservation of energy. If you had a VERY well insulated house this unit might offer a means of cooling in an off grid home.

 

[jam0o0]

i did some math for a system like this for an RV. it seems like if you go off the manufacturers' specs for the window a/c unit, that you need to cover the entire roof of the structure you want to cool in solar panels. you need the batteries. they store the energy the solar panels make between cooling cycles.

in an RV environment away from power hook ups it's a great way to get rid of a generator. as long as startup money is generous. it's gunna cost a LOT.

in a house that is attached or close to the grid it makes NO sense. what is it gunna cost you to run a window a/c every month? $50? so run it 10 months of the year. $500 a year. in ten years you still will be paying off the batteries, solar panels, charge controller, cabling, inverter. o yea and after ten years your batteries will be dead, the panels will be at 75% life expectancy.

 

[Teken]

That was my thinking as well that the ROI was either too many years out. Or that the ROI would pretty much never happen given the consumable items in the system.

 

[787B]

Funny, they say "Hi-SEER", but then they don't actually tell you what the SEER is.

 

[mhm993]

Wouldnt you be ahead if you put up solar panels, and inject "electrons" back into the grid, reducing your energy bill all the time that it's sunny? And buy an efficient split for when you want comfort.