Solar Air Conditioner – Various Kinds of Solar Air Conditioning
There isn’t
a large variety of solar air
conditioners on the market today. One of the most popular designs is
based on the use of absorption chillers. This technology makes use of
solar thermal energy. Water, or some other fluid, that has been heated
by the sun’s energy is pumped through the chillers. Glycol, which is a
simple antifreeze solution, is one of the fluids that are most commonly
used. The solar energy is
delivered to the chiller through a carefully designed system of pipes,
pumps and controllers. This type of
solar powered air conditioner
is not only dependable and safe, but is very simple in its design.
Unlike conventional air conditioners, they use no harmful CFC
(Freon, etc.). Many of these units don’t even have moving parts. That’s
a huge advantage! These units have the best return on your investment.
They are also very inexpensive to operate.
Hospitals,
office buildings, and hotels have been cooled for decades using this
technology. In fact, this technology has been used in the United States
since early in the 20th century. Absorption chiller AC units
are also very popular in Asian countries. In Japan, up to 40 percent of
all commercial air conditioners are constructed with this type of
technology. The high price
of electrical is a big reason for the popularity of this type of air
conditioner.
Another
element in this solar powered air conditioner is a small cooling tower
that is normally positioned on the roof of a building. It’s through this
cooling tower that heat is exhausted. It acts as a heat exchanger.
Another advantage to this kind of system is that it can be used to heat
your home in the cooler months of the year.
There is a
totally different kind of solar air conditioning system available. That
is one that is operated straight off of photovoltaic solar panels.
Unlike standard solar power home systems that require an inverter to make the solar
power usable, this air conditioner runs on straight Direct Current (DC)
voltage. Securusair offers a 48 volt DC operating solar air conditioning
system. The unit has four 12 volt deep cycle batteries that are charged
by four photovoltaic panels mounted on the roof of the house. These are
standard 200 watt panels. The fact that the unit has no power inverter
makes it much more efficient.
The features
on this solar powered air conditioner include a brushless DC permanent
magnet motor. The advantage of this is, you never have to change
brushes, cutting down on the potential of maintenance. Due to this
quality motor, the unit runs extremely quietly. The output in cooling
power is up to 18,000 BTU. What is better yet is the purchase price is a
low as $3,500. Since the unit is battery powered, it can be run at any
time. You have the cooling power available even when the sun isn’t
shinning, yet it is a solar air conditioner. That is one advantage this
unit has over the solar absorption chiller AC unit. Check this out! The
unit can also be used as a solar air heater. What a deal.