Gdetrailer wrote:
Lantley wrote:
While we can certainly debate the size of a typical RV.
Once installed the system is no more massive than my built in Onan 5500 lp.
While most bumper pull RV's do not have built in gensets. There are plenty of RV's that do have built in gensets that have the space to accomodate solar capable A/C.
Man, I got to get some of the stuff you are on..
The solar panels alone to support an A/C unit would require not just the roof, but the sides and more of the average RV and still fall short..
Then the battery capacity even with the best Lithium technology would take several times the space of your Onan plus your entire propane tank and would still fall short.
Your solar not only must be sufficient size to harvest for the A/C but also charge the batteries plus provide support for other RV items.
On the very best clear day at the equator you might get a whopping max solar charging peak of 5 hrs, you get severely less charging. That means your batteries must be able to support not only the normal RV load for nearly 19 hrs but the A/C unit.
Can it be done?
Sure, need space, time and money..
Sticks and bricks with a few acres of land for solar panels and a basement filled with batteries it definitely can be done..
RVs? Not so much, not now and not in the very near future..
Batteries have been around since the 1800's, Lithium technology batteries are pretty new around the late 1990s.. It has taken nearly 200 yrs just to get to the point we are, but for RVs and A/C not there yet.
For an hr or so shot of A/C it could be done for a RV, with the technology we have.. But 24/7 not practical money wise.
If you want bragging rights and cool points with the techno nerds you would win that prize, but once the coolness fades and reality of maintaining such a expensive system the costs will drive you into the poor house.
Batteries are a weak spot, they are a consumable item, they lose capacity with each cycle, they lose capacity if you let them sit, they have a finite life.. So far with all of the lithium based devices I have dealt with over the yrs, the average lithium battery life span is 3-4 yrs.. The marketing folks will tell you otherwise, they have to if they wish to keep their income..
I have dealt with Lithium battery powered portable devices in an 24/7/365 industrial setting, the batteries were the weakest link, they got cycled three times a day.. We replaced them like candy, we bought replacement batteries by the thousands every quarter and we only had 15,000 active devices.. After just 5 yrs, company pulled the plug on the product and sunsetted it forever.
We are not talking an industrial setting or 15K active devices.
What does that have to do with RV's? And you think I'm on some stuff...LOL
You are correct you would have to cover the roof in panels.
But believe or not solar enthusiast are covering their roof in panels.
The roof space is available. The genset compartment of my RV could hold 10-12 batteries easily..
I'm not trying to run A/C 24/7 on batteries. I don't need to.
I don't run my A/C with my Onan 24/7.
Running it overnight would be my goal and recharge during the day.
Worst case one would have a 2000 watt genset available for cloudy days...LOL.
I undesrstand solar A/C is not perfected, but its not a pipe dream either.
Back in 2012 when I factory ordered my genset solar A/C was a pipe dream. However in 2022 it is a viable option.
Give it 10 more years and it will likely be a OEM factory available option.
The one thing I can be sure of is the technology won't stand still.
I've seen enough game changing technology in my lifetime, especilally the last 20 years. That solar powered RV A/C is not that mind boggling at this point.
