SOLAR AC AIR CONDITIONER advantage
Thesedays a 1 Ton AC is as cheap as Rs 10,000, however it also consumes electricty worth more than Rs 1,800 month (asuming a 8 hour use with 1.5 Kwh / hour and a 1 KWH being sold for Rs 5)….While the user may be comfortable with both these costs, these are big pollution creators….For every 1500 W of energy used by the AC, nearly 3000 W were produced at the power plant using coal (70% of India’s electricity unfortunately comes from the cheapest & dirtiest means of producing it :COAL).
With 30-40% transimission losses and even metros facing power problems these AC are responsible for the overload….Recently, Coal India has hiked the prices of coal by 11% and ultimately NTPC and distributors will pass on the burden to consumers…Still not bad, but considering that coal reserves are limited (max 100 years), it creates a lot of greenhouse gases and when an environment friendly solution is available why not invest into it !!
THE WORKING PRINCIPLE –
This Air Conditioning system is a system that utilizes the sun as a heat source to assist the energy needed to drive the cooling process of a typical air conditioning system which in turn reduces the electrical consumption required to run the compressor. It is similar to a regular A/C in that the refrigeration takes place by evaporating liquid with a very low boiling point. In both cases, when a liquid evaporates or boils, it takes some heat away with it, and can continue to do so either until the liquid is all boiled, or until everything has become so cold that the sub-zero boiling point has been reached.
The difference between the two is how the gas is changed back into a liquid so that it may be used again. A regular air conditioning system uses a compressor to increase the pressure on the gas, forcing it to become a liquid again through the use of the condenser coil. The change of state of the refrigerant, starts to take place approximately 2/3rd’s of the way down the condenser. This Solar Air Conditioning System uses a different method. It uses the solar heat from the sun to superheat the refrigerant which enables the refrigerant to begin changing state at the top 2/3rd’s of the condenser coil. By using this method it reduces the superheat of compression required to achieve the cooling process in the conventional cooling systems as well as utilizing more of the condenser cooling face of the coil. The conventional air conditioning system is only able to change a portion of the gas into a liquid state so as when the refrigerant enters into the metering device it is a saturated vapor. The Solar A/C process allows more of the refrigerant to change state back into a liquid faster as well as allowing the transformation of more liquid into the metering device.
HOW DOES IT HELP ?
The EER (Energy Efficiency Rating) is one of the most important indexes to value how well and how energy efficient the Air Conditioner is. EER is the steady-state rate of heat energy removal (i.e. cooling capacity) by the product divided by the steady-state rate of energy input to the product measured in watts. (cooling capacity w/ input power w) The higher the EER, the more efficient the air conditioner is.
This 12,000 btu Solar A/C as example, the cooling capacity of which is 3500 W and input power is 920W. We get EER (3.8) by dividing cooling capacity 3500 W by input power 920w. The EER 3.8 for cooling comparing to the normal A/C’s EER 2.5 means energy saving rate of the solar A/C is 34%.
We have test reports to certify this !!
HOW MUCH MONEY CAN I SAVE ?
If a normal air conditioner of 1 Ton is used for average 8 hours per day, its input power is 1500 W, the electricity consumption would be 12 KWH/ day. The solar air conditioner would use only 900 W or about 40% of electricity which means 900W x 8 = 7.2 KWH / day which saves 12-7.2= 4.8 KWH / day and the total saving amount is 4.8×30 = 144 KWH per month. Suppose the price of electricity is Rs 5 /KWH (Rs 10 kwh on diesel generator & Rs 15 / Kwh on solar/nuclear), then the total saved money would be Rs 720 in one month…..typically this gadget can pay for itself in around 8 years….
WILL IT WORK AT NIGHT OR DURING CLOUDY / WINTER DAYS ?
Yes…..4-5 hrs sunshine will have the A/C works and saves for more than 15hrs.
SPECIFICATIONS –
Capacity –
Cooling : 12000 Btu/h OR 3500 W
Heating : 13000 Btu/h OR 3800 W
Power –
Input power Cooling : 920 W
Heating : 930 W
Noise –
Indoor : 40 db (A)
Outdoor: 50 db (A)
Air Circulation : 720 m³/h
Suitable Area : 15~25 m²
EER : 3.8 w/w
Indoor Unit –
Size : 1010 x 325 x200 mm ; Weight – 15 Kgs
Shipping : 1065 x 375 x 255 mm ; Weight – 18.5 Kgs
Outdoor Unit
Net : 930 x 330 x 600 mm ; Weight – 51 Kgs
Shipping : 995 x 390 x 650 mm ; Weight – 56 Kgs
Solar Panel Collector
Dimensions : 1000 x 550 x 87 mm
Weight : 14 Kgs
INSTALLATION –
We suggest you find your local technician to assistant you in installation. The installation method of solar air conditioner is similar to normal air conditioner. The standard distance between outdoor unit and indoor unit is 10-15 meters. The maximum is up to 30 meters. The standard distance between outdoor unit and solar panel is 1.5-3 meters. The panel does not need to be installed directly facing the sun. The detailed installation guide will be provided.
LIFE OF SYSTEM –
Life of the solar A/C is expected to be 20 years.
LIFE CYCLE COST COMPARISON –
Normal A/C – 1 Ton, Split AC –
Initial Cost – Rs 20,000 ( Including Taxes & Installation) ; Running Costs if used for 8 hours for 30 days – Rs 1,800 / month or Rs 21,600 / year or Rs 4,32,000 for 20 years…..Total : 20,000 + 4,32,000 = Rs 4,42,000 == Rs 4.5 Lakhs approx….(maintaineance cost not included)
Solar A/C – 1 Ton, Split AC –
Initial cost – Rs 75,000 ( Incluing Taxes & Installtion) ; Running Cost if used for 8 hours for 30 days – Rs 1,200 / month, Rs 14,400 / year or Rs 2,88,000 for 20 years….Total : 75,000 + 2,88,000 = Rs 3,63,000 == Rs 3.5 Lakhs approx…..(maintaineance cost not included)
These savings are not really very impressive because you get coal electricity at a high subsidized cost by nature and government from coal at Rs 5 / Kwh, however nuclear or solar electricity would have been at Rs 15 / Kwh at which the savings would have been better.
COST COMPARISON WITH SOLAR PANELS –
To save the 5 Kwh this system manages if were to be generated using solar panels would mean a min 1000W of solar panels the cost of which itself would have been more than Rs 1.5 lakhs….Batteries, Inverters, charge controllers could add more…