Solar Power Air Conditioning

Solar power air conditioning

With summer here in full swing and people looking for ways to cool down in an efficient, cost-effective way, its time to consider solar power air conditioning.

There are two new A/C units that run on solar power, and help save energy and money.

The first is the SplitCool DC18 solar air conditioner from Solar Panels Plus.  Perhaps the best aspect about this device is not that its solar powered, but that it uses direct current (DC).

Generally speaking, solar energy must be converted from direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC) which is what you get when you plug into a socket.  The SplitCool DC18 is a 48 volt DC air conditioning unit with a variable speed compressor.

Use of DC means that no inverter is needed to operate the unit.  Not only does this save on the overall cost, but users also don’t experience the 15-20% power loss typically encountered during inversion. This makes this air conditioner far more efficient that a high-SEER AC unit connected to solar panels through an inverter.

Next, there is another solar power air conditioning unit from HotSpot Energy.  This alternating current (AC) product is the ACWH18 Air Conditioner Water Heater.  The HotSpot is a 18,000 BTU ductless mini-split heat pump that runs on 220v AC power.  It is a SEER 18 EnergyStar certified unit with an integrated heat recovery circuit allowing it to make hot water as a byproduct of running the AC.  A heat recovery circuit recovers heat that would normally discarded, and uses it to make hot water at temps up to 140F.  About 100 gallons of solar hot water can be produced each day.

The typical user with a 7-month cooling season will save $1,000 per year in electrical and water heating savings, compared to a customer running a SEER 13 unit and using a standard water heater. Even more exciting is the fact that a purchase of the solar power air conditioning unit will qualify for a federal tax credit.

Tags: solar cooling, solar power air conditioning, solar power cooling, solar powered air conditioning

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Solar Air Conditioning for Phoenix Arizona Urban Light Rail

One of my favorite solar power application is to use energy from the sun for solar air conditioning.  The same heavenly body that heats up the planet can also keep us cool and comfortable.

Light rail stations in Phoenix Arizona are cooled with solar power

In Phoenix, Arizona in the desert southwest of the United States, the A/C in their urban light rail stations is powered by sunlight.  This is welcome news for the people that live in this region.  During summer months, daytime temperatures can climb past 115 degrees F.  At the urban light rail stations in Phoenix, solar powered coolers can be activated with the touch of a button.  The chilled air produced can lower temps by 40 degrees.

The solar air conditioning system will automatically shut off after 15 minutes of operation to conserve energy.  Solar A/C is available at the urban light rail stations from May through September – Arizona’s hottest months.

Arizona’s light rail cooling system was initiated by Mayor Phil Gordon, who brought the idea back after a visit to Dubai. Phoenix has partnered with local utility NRG Energy, which agreed to fund the $300,000 project. NRG will operate and maintain the system.

Tags: light rail, solar air conditioning, solar cooling, solar phoenix, solar power, solar powered coolers, urban light rail

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