PV Gap

Willard Said:

Where can I get a solar powered air conditioner to replace my rooftop evaporative cooler/ swamp cooler? Thx,PB

We Answered:

the cost on solar panels would be prohibitive. you would have to have enough panels to produce enough power to run the a/c unit, and depending on what size a/c would determine how many panels would be required. photo/voltaic panels that produce that much energy are very,very expensive. also most panels produce dc current, air conditioning units are, for the most part a/c current.

Barbara Said:

Can I buy a solar powered air conditioner?

We Answered:

The central air unit is the same it doesn't care where the power comes from. They draw a lot of power so you would need a pretty good solar panel. You can buy a solar powered swamp cooler though.

Nina Said:

Are Solar Powered Air Conditioners(Cooling) available in India?

We Answered:

there is in pakistan.check in big factorys.

Miguel Said:

I saw an ad for a solar powered air conditioner that hangs on the car window.?

We Answered:

It's not an air conditioner, It's a solar powered fan that ventilates hot, stagnate air out of your car. they cost about 20 bucks.

Marsha Said:

Solar Powered Air Conditioner?

We Answered:

Doable but expensive. Your better off buying a portable/fixed solar powered evaporative cooling unit.

It would be fairly easy and reasonable money wise, to run the A/C fan off of solar.

You could run other items off of solar, like lights, etc.

But the best overall solution is to install a grid tied system. You can start as small as you want(or what the power company dictates) and then add on. It's expensive to generate your total need. For my house where I live the system is over $55,000.00. But you can offset it.

A grid tied system generates power for the electrical company and that power goes into the electrical grid. The power company installs a new meter, if necessary that spins in both directions. So, if your system is producing more power than you are using, the meter spins backwards. Should you generate a surplus of power your bills will show a credit and/or the power company will pay you a rate per kilowatt hour of power.

Along with your grid tied system and transfer switch to disconnect you from the grid, you can also install a battery bank. The system can keep your batteries charged and send power to the grid. When the power goes out, you can disconnect from the grid and use your batteries to keep essential items running(refrigerator, lights, a well pump for water, etc)

For backup power you'd probably be better off with a generator system. But for small outages, batteries could get you buy.

Solar power can be affordable. If you are a do-it yourselfer you can make an inexpensive system for $300 or less that you can run a light, fan, laptop, etc off of. You could most likely power your most used room for a reasonable amount of $$.