Hey everyone, I'm totally new to solar setups and need some advice! I have a small room that measures 10 feet by 12 feet, and in it, I've installed a 1.5-ton split air conditioner. I also have a PC with an 800W power supply, but it typically draws around 500 watts at most. Besides these two, I just have a 20W bulb. So I'm wondering if a 2kW solar panel setup would be sufficient to run both my air conditioner and PC, or if I should consider increasing the capacity?
3 Answers
Short answer: probably not for simultaneous long-term use. If your AC is drawing 1.5kW or more, and especially since you're also running the PC, you may need additional panels or a larger battery for backup. Solar output can fluctuate a lot based on the season and weather.
For sure! Planning for energy use during cloudy days or nights is critical.
For a solar setup, you really need to think about your battery size and the solar input you can expect. If your current system isn’t sized correctly, you may struggle, especially when the sun isn’t shining. Particularly, without a good battery storage, you may find that 2kW isn't quite enough depending on your daily usage.
That sounds viable! Just make sure to consider the inverter losses too.
Right! I was thinking of starting with a 200Ah tubular battery. It'll be tight, but I can upgrade down the line.
The efficiency of your setup will depend largely on how long you're actually running the AC and the PC each day. For instance, if your AC runs for about 8-9 hours and the PC for 6-7 hours, you're looking at some heavy energy usage. Also, factors like your location and your specific battery situation play a role. So it might be a bit tricky to get a solid estimate without all the info!
True! I'm running the AC mainly for about 4 months during the hottest part of the year and the PC can stay on pretty much year-round.
That's good to know! The more consistent the usage, the easier it is to calculate your energy needs.
Yeah, during the peak solar hours, you'd have some surplus power, but what about the other times? Gonna need a solid backup plan.