To power a 3-ton air conditioner for 8 hours a day, you’ll need roughly 3000 Watts (3kW) of solar panels, as a rule of thumb. This small solar system would have 8 to 12 home solar panels.
Based on their run time and the quantity of solar power required to run them, the following table predicts the energy consumption of 3-ton air conditioners:
As previously stated, a more precise estimate can be derived using the 3 ton AC unit’s typical daily energy usage and the average quantity of sunlight received by your solar panels on a daily basis (Peak Sun Hours).
The following formula can be used to express this:
How many solar panels are required to power a 4 ton air conditioner?
For each ton of cooling capacity, 1200 watts of solar panels would be required, assuming irradiance of 4 Peak-sun-hours/day. For each hour of projected operation time, a 100Ah battery is recommended per Ton. This will allow the system to work in low-light conditions and will also serve as a reservoir for motor surge current.
Before we create a solar system to power an air conditioner, we need to know the following:
- Why do air conditioners come in tons?
- AC wattage rating (kW)
- What is the difference between surge current and power factor?
- Is the air conditioner going to be on for a long time?
- Is it necessary to use batteries to run your air conditioner?
- What kind of batteries are ideal for storing solar energy?
- How much electricity are solar panels capable of producing?
- You’re going to employ different solar panel sizes.
- Choosing the right size inverter (and why you need one)
How many solar panels do I need for three air conditioners?
To run a 3-ton air conditioner, how many solar panels do I need? A 3-ton air conditioner uses approximately 3000 to 3500 watts of power. So, only to run AC with so much energy output, 14 250-watt solar panels will be required.
How much energy does a 3-ton air conditioner use?
As a general guideline, a three ton central air conditioner consumes 3500 watts per hour, whereas a 12,000 watt window unit consumes 1200 watts per hour.
For a 2 ton air conditioner, how many solar panels do I need?
The maximum wattage requirement for a conventional 1 ton AC, which is used by most small companies and residences, is roughly 1300 watts or 13 kW.
We would recommend a 1.6 kVA solar power system for this application, assuming a 0.85 power factor. A 2.4kVA solar panel can be utilized to match the 1900 watts or 1.9 kW requirements of higher powered ACs such as 1.5 tons. If this isn’t enough and you need to run a 2 ton air conditioner, you’ll need a 3 kVA solar panel with a wattage need of roughly 2500 watts or 2.5 kW for maximum power delivery.
What is the power consumption of a 3.5 ton AC?
If you don’t have ducts in your home, portable air conditioners are a good option. They’re also popular in duplexes and apartment buildings. Their wattage consumption per hour is higher than that of most other systems. They consume approximately 2,900 to 4,100 watts per hour.
Window Air Conditioners
If your home has a completed attic or basement that isn’t served by ducts, a window air conditioner can be a good option for cooling. Air conditioners in windows consume between 500 and 1,400 watts per hour. They cool an area of 200 to 800 square feet.
Central Air Conditioning Systems
Cool air is delivered by ducts in central air conditioning systems. They need power to run motors, fans, a compressor, and electronic controls. A 3.5-ton air conditioner is installed in a standard 2,000-square-foot home. When in cooling mode, this AC unit consumes around 3,500 watts per hour. In the fan-only mode, a central air conditioner consumes around 750 watts per hour. This is around ten times the amount of electricity used per hour by a ceiling fan.
Is it possible to run an air conditioner on solar power?
As weather conditions worsen due to rising global warming and rising levels of air pollution, an increasing number of individuals are installing air conditioners. As a result, air conditioners are more widespread in homes, schools, workplaces, and other commercial establishments. Not only that, but air conditioners are utilized 24 hours a day, seven days a week in hospitals, theaters, and other places. Installing a Solar System at Medical Institutes for a 20% ROI and lower electricity expenses was the subject of our last blog. Due to the high wattage of air conditioners, increased use has resulted in high power bills, and consumers are looking for ways to cut their electricity costs.
People are considering installing solar panels to power their air conditioners in order to save money on their electricity costs. Is this, however, feasible? Is it possible to run air conditioners on solar panels? The answer is a resounding YES.
Off-grid and on-grid solar systems are the two most common types of solar systems.
Solar panels, inverters, and batteries make up an off-grid solar system. This system is capable of operating without the use of a grid.
On-grid solar systems, on the other hand, comprise of solar panels and an inverter, and appliances will not operate if there is no energy.
To manage high loads, make sure to use inverters with a high kVA rating. If your AC demand is significant, you should also install extra solar panels with a higher kW rating.
Both of these technologies are capable of running air conditioners. However, even if there is no energy, an off-grid solar system can keep the air conditioners operating (as batteries store the excess power generated by the sun, which helps in running the appliance even when there is no supply from the grid). On-grid solar systems with capacities ranging from 3 kW to 10 kW may readily run air conditioners. Large commercial office spaces (with electricity rates as high as Rs. 1 lakh) to houses can all benefit from an on-grid solar system (with bills of Rs.5-10k per month). People can also take advantage of net metering rules to receive a credit on their electricity bills.
- Government approvals – A company that installs an on-grid rooftop solar system is eligible for a number of government incentives and subsidies. As a result, relevant government approvals and documentation, such as legitimate identity evidence and property papers, are required in order to obtain the same. On-grid solar systems for domestic use are eligible for a 20% subsidy, with a capital subsidy of up to INR 20,000 per kilowatt. To be eligible for the benefit, the eligible party must have a grid-connected, battery-free system and be a domestic consumer.
- Rooftop space – Installing an on-grid system is simple and can be done on the rooftop by oneself. Rooftops of commercial complexes, housing societies, community centers, government organizations, and private institutions, among others, can be used for such installations. With its flexible structure design, it can be mounted on both the ground level and the rooftop.
- For every kilowatt of installed power, a minimum of 100 square feet is required.
- Maintenance – When compared to an off-grid solar system, an on-grid solar system requires less maintenance and has a longer lifespan.
According to MNRE, the benchmark cost of grid-connected rooftop solar in India is Rs. 60 per watt.
Though still a tiny market in India, the concept of using solar energy to power air conditioners is likely to grow significantly in the future. Solar power appears to be a reasonable and economical option to reduce electricity costs in nations like India, where there is enough sunlight to generate big amounts of solar energy while equipment such as air conditioning consume enormous amounts of energy.
How many solar panels are needed to run an air conditioner?
To power a 1 ton AC on solar panels for 8 hours a day, you’ll need a minimum of 5 325 Watt solar panels, and to run it for 12 hours a day, you’ll need 7 325 Watt solar panels.
Is it possible to run a 1.5 ton air conditioner on solar?
Its 1 kW Solar AC module can generate enough electricity for a small 2-3 bhk house to run one air conditioner (up to 1.5 ton), as well as a refrigerator, TV, fans, and lights throughout the day.
How much space can a 3 ton air conditioner cool?
You can now respond to this question. A 1.5-ton air conditioner can cool 900 square feet.
It’s also simple to figure out how many square feet a 3-ton air conditioner can cool. 36,000 BTU is the equivalent of 3 ton. A 3-ton air conditioner cools approximately 1,800 square feet when using the 20 BTU per sq ft rule of thumb. The top central air conditioners with prices for 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 ton AC units can be found here.
A single ton of air conditioning can cool 600 square feet. Here’s how to figure out which of these 12,000 BTU mini splits is the best to utilize.
The most common query about tonnage, BTU, and area (square footage) is as follows:
How Many Tons Of AC Per Square Foot? (Tonnage Per Square Foot)
In a nutshell, if you want to cool down a 600 square foot area, you’ll need:
In general, 1 ton of air conditioning is required for every 600 square feet. This is merely a guess.
To figure out how many tons of air conditioning you’ll need, utilize the ‘tonnage per square foot’ formula. The formula is as follows:
You can enter the space and determine how many tons of air conditioning you’ll need per square foot.
When calculating the tonnage, have a look at these 1-4 ton mini-split air conditioners:
- 1 ton (12,000 BTU) single zone mini split air conditioners 600 square feet is the estimated size.
- Dual Zone Mini Split Air Conditioners: 2 Tons (24,000 BTU) The approximate size footage is 1,200 square feet.
- 3 Tons (36,000 BTU) 3-Zone Mini Split Air Conditioners 1,800 sq ft is the estimated square footage.
- Mini Split Air Conditioners with 4 Zones: 3 Tons (36,000 BTU) 1,800 sq ft is the estimated square footage.
- Mini Split Air Conditioners with 5 Zones: 4 Tons or 48,000 BTU 2,400 sq ft is the estimated square footage.
I hope this information is useful. If you have any further queries, please leave them in the comments section below.