solar powered ac unit about a quarter of all energy used in the average American home. The energy used to cool our homes and businesses pumps 117 million metric tons of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere every year. These gases contribute to global warming and other environmental and health issues.
One way to cut your cooling costs and carbon footprint is to install a solar powered air conditioner. This is a special system that captures solar energy with photovoltaic panels, typically mounted on the roof, and uses it to power all the constituent parts of an air conditioner. Some systems use a heat pump, which generates electricity while changing refrigerant between liquid and gas. Other systems connect to indoor evaporative air-conditioning units or circulate cool air through ducts.
Sun-Powered Comfort: How Solar Air Conditioners Are Changing the Cooling Game
Solar air conditioning is possible, practical, and beneficial for both homeowners and businesses. You can even get a 26% federal tax credit to offset the costs of installing this cutting-edge technology.
The best solar powered air conditioners work off-grid, meaning they don’t rely on the electricity grid for power. You’ll need a battery bank to store energy produced by the photovoltaic panels, and an inverter to convert this energy to usable electricity for the AC. Some systems will also connect to the grid for a backup, so you’ll have access to power even when it’s not sunny outside. Other systems may be hybrid, utilizing grid electricity to run fans and solar power to run the compressor.
