The True Cost of Installing an Air Conditioner to operate on Solar Energy
Here’s what you should consider before you buy if you are considering powering your air conditioner using solar power.
| Traditional Split Air Conditioner | DC Inverter Split Air Conditioner | Solar Powered Split Air Conditioner 100 % DC Powered Air Conditioner |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| System Size in BTU | 12,000 | 12,000 | 12,000 |
| Price | $600.00 | $1,100.00 | $2,000.00 |
| Power Requirement | 1,500W | 1,100W | 560W |
| Power Consumption for 12 hours | 18,000Wh | 13,200Wh | 6,720Wh |
| Hours of Sunlight | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Inverter Required | Y | Y | N |
| Inverter Loss | 20% | 20% | 0% |
| Solar PV Plant Size | 3,600W or 3.6KW | 2,640W or 2.64KW | 1120W or 1.12KW |
| 48V battery Bank | Y | Y | Y |
| Deep Cycle Gel Batteries | Y | Y | Y |
| Deplete to 30% | Y | Y | Y |
| Charge Controller Required | Y | Y | Y |
| Battery Bank Size given depletion to 30% and 48V Battery Bank |
300 Ah battery Bank Required | 220 Ah Battery Bank Required | 100 Ah Battery Bank Required |
| System Cost | |||
| Air Conditioner | $600.00 | $1,100.00 | $2,000.00 |
| Solar Panels (installed) | $3.50 | $3.50 | $3.00 |
| Cost of Installed System | $12,600.00 | $9,240.00 | $3,360.00 |
| Inverter Cost | $1,800.00 | $1,320.00 | $0.00 |
| Batteries | $2,250.00 | $1,600.00 | $750.00 |
| Total for Off-Grid System Installed | $17,250.00 | $13,260.00 | $6,110.00 |
Notes:
The DC Powered Split has a lower installation cost as it does not need to be connected to an inverter and can be easily designed as a single string system. Pricing is based on current USA pricing for parts and installation. 12 hours of usage is based on 6 hours during the day and 6 at night. Every situation is different so another scenario may require more or less solar panels and batteries. Assumption of 6 hours of available sunshine. Will vary by country and region.