City rooftops – an ideal place for photovoltaic power plants

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City rooftops – an ideal place for photovoltaic power plants

The Current State of Solar Powered Air Conditioning

That’s what this post addresses.

There are two ways to achieve solar power air conditioning.

1. If you outfit a home with a photovoltaic solar power system with enough capacity, it will supply plenty of power to run any air conditioner you choose – central AC, ductless AC, window AC, portable AC, etc.

This is not what this article is about.

2. Air conditioners designed specifically to work with solar energy. This is the focus of the content below.

Solar Air Conditioner FAQs

These cover the basics. Afterwards, we discuss the three power options for solar powered ACs, the cost of solar air conditioning and top solar air conditioner brands.

What is a solar powered air conditioning system?

It’s an air conditioner powered by energy harvested from the sun. It is sustainable, and with every year that passes, solar energy becomes more affordable.

Current cost averages $2.50 to $3.00 per watt. A 6,000 watt system costs about $15,000 to $18,000 for panels, battery, inverter and wiring. That size system would power most homes, not just the AC. We’ve pegged the cost of solar AC only at $6,000 to $10,000.

Not all solar powered air conditioners require batteries and/or an inverter. They are DC or Direct Current air conditioners.

How many panels will I need?

It depends on the capacity of the air conditioner.