Can I cool my house with Solar energy?

[TechladyLLP]

Hello everyone,

last year in May we were flooded (Nashville,TN) and our AC no longer works. Last summer we got by with some borrowed window units (very INEFFICIENT old ones) The Core is bad and the part alone is over $800. This is an older unit in the first place and is not so efficient. So, I am hoping there is a way to use our money more wisely on something more efficient. It is a 2 level home. The upstairs is our main living area and is about 1,000 sq ft. Downstairs stays much cooler (not a basement). It's our master suite and office area.

I've seen such solutions as earth tubes (won't work for us), samp coolers and the little modified coolers with frozed water jugs and a fan (obviously will need a freezer to keep it supplied). I would love to find something better. Are there efficient low amp, etc AC units that could run off solar?

My long term goal is to get off the grid totally. I already have a Tripplite PV1200 inverter that I will put in the mix. It came out of an ambulance I own. I can't seem to find a manual for it though. My plan is to use it and just start with one or two panels, batteries,etc. and then add on as I have time and money.

Obviously, even with and efficient AC I will need more than a couple panels. I have 1000 watts worth of cells on hand now.

Any thoughts or reports on your existing cooling system would be very much appreciated. It is ov course important to get a plan in mind as I am designing my solar system.

Thanks again.

[Sunking]

If you want to get off grid you have to give up Air Conditioning, electric cooking, and electric hot water. It can be done with solar off grid battery but you would be paying 10 times more for electricity the rest of your life paid up front in cash every five years and would need an addition to your home to hold all the batteries. There is no system that can survive a flood.

You money is best spent remodeling your home and upgrading all appliances, or selling your home and moving to a better more efficient home.

[russ]

Earth tubes won't work for hardly anyone - They are a big thing on some green sites but not on any that are serious sites.

1) The surface area of tube required is very large - as in humungous
2) You would have an air quality problem most likely - mold and mildew

Swamp coolers work where you have a low humidity.

The ice based coolers are more novelty than anything else.

Like Sunking says - off grid is an expensive way to go.

Russ

[Naptown]

I would suggest replacing your AC or heat pump with a very high efficiency one and this time placing it on a platform above the flood water height.
As far as building your own solar PV panels it is not a good idea. You will not be able to hook them up to anything such as grid tied and you will have the insurance on your house most likely cancelled or a claim denied in the event of a fire. Insurance companies insist on a UL or equal certification and that is much more costly to get as a diy'er than it would cost to buy commercially available modules and components, if you could even get it.
There are lots of threads on here about diy PV that say pretty much the same thing I just said.

[Mike90250]

There are roof top, household AC units, my folks have 2 on their house. I'm sure they come in high efficency versions.

New, dual glaze windows with good seals, and door seals, and a dozen tubes of cauk, will "tighten" up your house and reduce a lot of air leaks.

Chilling your house into a meat locker, will never happen on a budget. You can use AC to drop the temps some, and reduce humidity (again, my folks run 2 dehumidifers in their basement, 24/7 in the summer) to get it from feeling like you live in the middle of a swamp, to something bearable.

Roof mounted solar panels, and high mounting a Grid Tie inverter, will get the expensive parts above most floods, but if you are having trouble replaceing a $800 AC unit, I'm not sure how you will fund $30,000 of solar.
1Kw of solar can barely run an efficent energy star fridge. (390KWh /year)

[cs1248]

For now...

Hello everyone,

last year in May we were flooded (Nashville,TN) and our AC no longer works. Last summer we got by with some borrowed window units (very INEFFICIENT old ones) The Core is bad and the part alone is over $800. This is an older unit in the first place and is not so efficient. So, I am hoping there is a way to use our money more wisely on something more efficient. It is a 2 level home. The upstairs is our main living area and is about 1,000 sq ft. Downstairs stays much cooler (not a basement). It's our master suite and office area.

I've seen such solutions as earth tubes (won't work for us), samp coolers and the little modified coolers with frozed water jugs and a fan (obviously will need a freezer to keep it supplied). I would love to find something better. Are there efficient low amp, etc AC units that could run off solar?

My long term goal is to get off the grid totally. I already have a Tripplite PV1200 inverter that I will put in the mix. It came out of an ambulance I own. I can't seem to find a manual for it though. My plan is to use it and just start with one or two panels, batteries,etc. and then add on as I have time and money.

Obviously, even with and efficient AC I will need more than a couple panels. I have 1000 watts worth of cells on hand now.

Any thoughts or reports on your existing cooling system would be very much appreciated. It is ov course important to get a plan in mind as I am designing my solar system.

Thanks again.

You need an airconditioner friend. I have rental units where 3
condensers were stolen last year. There are hundreds of older condenser units surplus, most are scrapped. When AC guys change out complete units the old ones,some, like new, are offered on sites like Ebay or Craighs list My AC freind gave me 3 and I paid him to connect and charge them...so far so good.
The guys on this site have a broad sense of lots more than solar.
Read all the posts and you'll find out what's not possible with solar...info that's not available mainstream.Charles

[TechladyLLP]

Thanks for all the input. I have been looking at portable AC/heater units. Around $500 for 12000 to 14000 BTU (Like Whynter ARC14SH) Seems like a more efficient choice than repairing the out dated central unit. BTW, I didn't say I couldn't afford the $800 part, just thinking that our money might be better spent on something more efficient. I could see getting 2 of these units. 1 upstairs and 1 downstairs. Have any of you used a portable unit before. They area getting good reviews it seems.

[Sunking]

Thanks for all the input. I have been looking at portable AC/heater units. Around $500 for 12000 to 14000 BTU (Like Whynter ARC14SH) Seems like a more efficient choice than repairing the out dated central unit. BTW, I didn't say I couldn't afford the $800 part, just thinking that our money might be better spent on something more efficient. I could see getting 2 of these units. 1 upstairs and 1 downstairs. Have any of you used a portable unit before. They area getting good reviews it seems.

What is the SEER rating? to determine the power (watts) an air conditioner uses the formula is BTU/SEER.

So if the unit is 12,000 BTU with a SEER of 10 then 12,000 BTU / 10 SEER = 1200 watts. Now if the SEER is 14 then....

[TechladyLLP]

I would suggest replacing your AC or heat pump with a very high efficiency one and this time placing it on a platform above the flood water height.
As far as building your own solar PV panels it is not a good idea. You will not be able to hook them up to anything such as grid tied and you will have the insurance on your house most likely cancelled or a claim denied in the event of a fire. Insurance companies insist on a UL or equal certification and that is much more costly to get as a diy'er than it would cost to buy commercially available modules and components, if you could even get it.
There are lots of threads on here about diy PV that say pretty much the same thing I just said.

Hmmm... That's disappointing! So why can't I hook up my DIY Solar Panels to a Grid Tie?

[Sunking]

Hmmm... That's disappointing! So why can't I hook up my DIY Solar Panels to a Grid Tie?

Electrical codes and insurance. To apply for the permit and pass inspection you have to use listed parts like listed by UL. Your home owners insurance policy will not cover any damages if you use non listed parts.

[russ]

Not to mention that if someone makes a grid connection without permission from the utility they will be in deep doo-doo and disconnected if discovered.