question Can I use a solar panel to power a central air conditioning unit? I'd like to be able to power specific appliances like this, as well as use something like this to run laptops, refrigerator, etc. I don't care right now about giving power back, I just want to lower my electric bill. Is this possible? question Can I use a solar panel to power a central air conditioning unit? I'd like to be able to power specific appliances like this, as well as use something like this to run laptops,... » Read More question Can I use a solar panel to power a central air conditioning unit? I'd like to be able to power specific appliances like this, as well as use something like this to run laptops, refrigerator, etc. I don't care right now about giving power back, I just want to lower my electric bill. Is this possible? « Show Less
1937196
in other words, it's just for a stand-alone, maybe pump (using a 110 pump) water a short distance and then only when the sun is shining on them unless you have a battery and an invert-er - to go from dc to ac.
1937197
hi, there is a 'solar community' discussion group on Amazon that you can ask if you want to-http://www.amazon.com/tag/solar/ref=tag_gam_bkt_itdp_4
1937198
Absolutely not. Your HVAC runs @ 220 volts and around 30 to 40 amps. You will need to cover your roof and yard with panels. Then buy a $10k inverter a couple dozen batteries and some 2/0 copper conductors. Don't forget the transfer switch for a 200a service Then your city or county electrical permits.You get the idea.......
59844
I did buy this inverter..it did just what we wanted it to do... we use it for a small solar application on an off grid camp.. our biggest concern was running a small chest freezer converted to a run as fridge with a 5A start up needed. Have not had a problem.
1634289
With a big enough array of panels, yes, but not with just 2. The inverter will give you 110 ac.. but major appliances you will not have enough amps. Laptop works great, but desktops draw too much.. get 4-6 agm batteries in parallel. .. you can put them in series to give you more than 12 volts, but you will need another inverter. .. the one that comes with it is a cheap 12dc sine wave inverter . I user mine for lights and electric horse fences. Good luck
1794685
No, it will operate a few rooms (fridge, lights, TV, freezer, computers). No central A/c or heat unit but can run window A/C, less likely to run washer/dryer because of heat, or electric, etc. because by now, after these items, 7K doesn't go far. I couldn't run the garage, bathrooms, kitchen (except fridge) or outside because it's not a huge capacity generator.
1355613
Hi- not unless you cut off the ground prong. But I don't know if the unit would supply power to anything if it is not connected to ground- that's a question the manufacturer would need to answer. If it did, you could then plug in multiple appliances. You might search for one that's designed for 2 prongs- I think I saw a couple when I was looking for this one. Good luck-
999915
You want the DC "Inverter". This is what makes these little units more efficient. The Inverter allows the AC to run at a range of speeds, and not just on and off like a regular AC system. It keeps room temperatures more comfortable while using less power.
183419
As long as the circuit you are drawing from isn't being used by another appliance that is drawing alot of power it should be fine. This unit will not cool much more than one room though, the portable units are not as efficient as a window unit at cooling.
1978778
If your talking about feeding the negative line into the positive of another panel, wear your taking the 15 watts and dubbing it to 30 and so on. No I have never tried it, so I cant say if it can be done. I use it to charge batteries and then use the power inverters. The solar cell will charge batteries more effectively with low watts (trickle charging) Most batteries have memory, so the faster you charge it, the fast it will discharge, The slower you charge it the slower it will discharge. But if your taking about setting up a couple of cells to one battery, you can if you buy a different regulator, you can get one where you can add several solar cells and a wind generator to one battery. If your talking about feeding the negative line into the positive of another panel, wear your taking the 15 watts and dubbing it to 30 and so on. No I have never tried it, so I cant say if it can be done. I use it to charge batteries and then use the power inverters. The solar cell will charge batteries more effectively with low watts (trickle charging) Most batteries have memory, so the faster you charge it, the fast it will discharge, The slower you charge it the slower it will discharge. But if your taking about setting up a couple of cells to one battery, you can if you buy a... » Read More If your talking about feeding the negative line into the positive of another panel, wear your taking the 15 watts and dubbing it to 30 and so on. No I have never tried it, so I cant say if it can be done. I use it to charge batteries and then use the power inverters. The solar cell will charge batteries more effectively with low watts (trickle charging) Most batteries have memory, so the faster you charge it, the fast it will discharge, The slower you charge it the slower it will discharge. But if your taking about setting up a couple of cells to one battery, you can if you buy a different regulator, you can get one where you can add several solar cells and a wind generator to one battery. « Show Less
403718
Depends on your definition of "runs" and "air conditioner." Can it run an air conditioner indefinitely? No... Not a chance. Can you hook it up to a deep cycle battery and run it for a little while. Maybe. It depends on the Air Conditioner. As SMALL window AC has a 500 watt draw. So for every hour you run a AC you have to spend 5 hours charging it... under ideal conditions. AC for an entire home will be 3000 watts. Can you run that at all? No. You are limited by the inverter at that point which tops out at 1500 Watts (3000 Watts surge)
800893
The unit we purchased has run perfectly for over a year on "solar power"."Solar power" in our case means: 118volt, 60cycle, Modified Sine Wave AC. Sine wave should work also.However; if your AC is square wave, I would suggest more research.
20597
I'm sorry for the delayed response. We are new to Amazon so have just found your question! We don't recommend solar fans as a sole means of running the system since they have limited battery storage and charging potential. After a day of clouds our tests have shown that the fan will stop running in the early morning. However, we do offer a 5 watt solar panel that can be connected to a battery. This option is actually less expensive than the solar fan and works very well. Geoff
2030147
Yes and no. You realize this is just a battery -- used to store DC power. If you want to use AC appliances you will need an inverter to convert the DC to AC. There are small 12V DC appliances designed for camping and truckers, etc. but generally they don't last long and aren't as effective as their AC counterparts. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_inverter
2030145
Yes, as part of a mid size solar/wind system. If you want to use appliances that generate heat, you need more wattage.
974744
You certainly can. Think of those big solar arrays...they are several individual panels connected in a system to provide a certain wattage of output.
1319300
No way, Air Conditioners are the most energy demanding home appliance. To run even that small AC unit you need at least 1500 watts inverter doe to high starting power required, and you also need a huge 1200 Amp deep cycle battery bank, not your car battery and many solar panels to charge your batteries.
815876
Its possible, but definitely not ideal. You can use any panel with a generator depending on the wiring configuration, but this one would be a waste of money if you're not combining it with a Generac generator.
1648403
In my opinion I would work backwards first. AC Energy Needs: What do you need to power? How many watts? Yousay laptops, radio, and possible fan (just kidding). None of those are big energy hogs. So you could probably get by with a system that outputs a continuous 100 watts. On the safe side lets say 150 watts of continuous AC power. OK, so you need an inverter (converts DC power to AC power) that output at least 150 watts of continuous power. There are lots of good inverters in this range. I suggest one that has a built in fan, high conversion efficiency, and an alarm for low power supply voltage. DC Energy Source: Solar panels output DC energy; however, their out put varies with time of day, cloudiness, and much more. You need a continuous power source. In steps the battery, a power reservoir or buffer. We are not talking car batteries here, as they will not handle the deep discharges and recharges that you could subject them to. Deep cycle batteries are what you want. If you read Northern Arizona Wind & Sun's battery FAQ (http://www.windsun.com/Batteries/Battery_FAQ.htm) you will fidn they recommend AGM batteries, such as these: UPG UB12350 Group U1 - AGM Battery - Sealed Lead Acid - 12 Volt - 35 Ah Capacity - I2 Terminal. Charging the battery: In steps the Solar Panel. Simply put you use the solar panel to charge the battery. You will also need to put something in between the battery and the solar panel(s), such a charge controller (avoids over charging) or diode (prevents charge from batteries leaking back through to the panels). Of course, you also need the best direct sunlight you can get. Mostly, that is what you need.