In Singapore, air conditioning accounts for a fraction of all electricity used. This may increase as the population continues to grow. If you want to minimize your carbon emissions and reduce your energy bills, running your AC using solar energy can be a great idea. Unfortunately, determining the right number of panels that you need may be challenging. This article discusses a few factors that will help you find out how many panels you need to run your AC. You can also view website for more information.
1. The Size of Your AC Unit
To determine how many solar panels you need to run your AC, it is crucial that you begin with the size of your unit. People often think that the more panels they add to their system, the better off they will be when it comes time to power up their AC. The only problem with this is that too many panels can cause the grid to crash, making it impossible for your AC to run. Therefore, you should choose Residential Solar panels that will work with your Enovatek air conditioner without overwhelming other electronics on the grid.
Larger units require more power than smaller units. They generally have interior components that need more energy to run, such as a larger compressor. If you have such a unit, you’ll have to attach more panels to make it work properly. If your AC is a smaller unit, the size of the compressor matters when determining how many panels you need.
Compressors generally weigh between 20 and 100 pounds, depending on the size of your AC. An AC unit with a compressor weight of 30 to 45 pounds requires at least one solar panel, while those with a compressor weight of 40 to 60 need two or more. Those weighing 60 to 90 may require three or more panels. The higher the compressor weight, the more panels are needed to power it. However, if your AC is a window unit, you may only need one panel because these types of ACs run no more than 1000 watts.
2. The Size of Your Home
The square footage of your home plays a significant role in how many panels you will need to power your Enovatek air conditioner. Homes that are more than 1500 square feet can run two or more ACs simultaneously, especially if they have larger compressor units. The number of panels you will need can be determined by multiplying the size of your home, in square feet, by one or two percent. Multiplying 1500 by 1% gives you 15 panels; 7000 sq feet multiplied by 2% is 140 panels. If you own a business that has larger ACs and more than 1500 square feet, you may need up to 200 panels. On the other hand, if your home is smaller than 1500 square feet, a single solar panel can power your air conditioner if it has a smaller compressor unit and fewer interior components that require power.
3. The Percentage of Sunlight that Hits Your Roof Every Day
The percentage of sunlight that hits your roof is called solar access, and it’s measured using the number of hours that sunlight falls on a given area. Some tools can also help you to calculate your solar access. If you decide to go the manual way, you need to know how long the panels will stay under direct sunlight each day because this directly affects how much power they will produce.
12hrs = Full sun
So if your panels have solar access of 8 hrs, they will produce 50% more power than if they had solar access of only 4hrs. That means that if you’re in a region with less solar access, you’ll need more panels.
Other factors that affect the amount of sunlight hitting your roof include shade from trees or neighboring buildings, orientation, the tilt of the roof, and precipitation. If your roof faces towards the south or is in a location where sunlight hits it most directly, you’re lucky. If not, this isn’t such great news for you. You can determine this number by using Google Earth and zooming into the area that needs the solar-powered air conditioning unit. Look at satellite images to see what direction the roof faces and how much of it is exposed to sunlight. Don’t forget to consider any large trees or buildings that might shade the roof from the sun during certain times of the day because they’ll affect the number of solar panels you’ll need.
4. The Average Temperature in Your Area
The temperature in an area (and outside of the solar panel’s operating range) will affect how many panels are needed. If you live in a hotter climate, you’ll need more panels than someone who lives in a cooler climate. Also, if it gets hot for extended periods, you’ll still need to run your Enovatek air conditioner.
Additionally, if you’re living in an area with cooling seasons that last longer than others, you’ll want to pay close attention to this as it will affect how many panels you’ll need. During this season, you need your AC to warm you throughout the day. If there’s less sunshine, you’ll need many panels to run your AC. For example: If the average high is 85F and the average low is 70F during this time, it’s probably a good idea to get more than one panel to run your AC efficiently.
Summing Up
The number of solar panels you need to run an air conditioner depends on many factors. You should do some research and math before you decide how many panels you’ll need. If you do it right, you’ll get maximum efficiency out of your AC.