JimK-NY wrote:
adamis wrote:
I am surprised there are so many skeptics when it comes to running AC off of solar.
This is not a matter of opinion or wishful thinking just do the math. Pick an A/C unit you think will work. Look at the specs for the wattage. That will probably be in the 700 watt range. That will mean each 100 AH of battery will last you a bit less than 2 hours. You also need to look at the amount of power you can expect from how every many solar panels you think you can fit on your roof. I would recommend using this calculator: http://www.where-rv-now.com/Notes/Solar/index.php
Remember that will be the absolute max you can obtain. I would not count on more than about half that output to compensate for other uses and for occasional clouds and shade. Do the calculations yourself to see if your plans make sense. Again this is not a matter of opinion.
So I'm not sure what you are saying. As stated, people are already doing this. Now, I get that unless you have a very efficient AC or a lot of solar capacity, the battery will be tapped and at some point will run down to where it won't work. Depending on solar and battery capacity, this could happen in an hour or two, or day or two or week or two.
But it isn't a simple matter of saying AC unit requires 700w of power so you need 700w+ of solar. First, AC only draws that much power when compressor is running. With a duty cycle of 30% to 50% that is a significant reduction in power actually being used. There are also two speed units that have an eco mode to pull less power. 700w is peak power running at full blast. Maybe in Las Vegas in July will you be doing that but most of where we camp it's more in the 100 deg range. 99% of my camping have been in the 100 deg or less range.
The question isn't a matter of can it be done, that has been answered by many already doing it. The real question is, how long and what cost to make it effective for the vast majority of the individuals use scenarios. I feel confident that 600w of solar and 400AH of battery will work more than sufficiently for my needs.
