Solar AC in 100 Degree Heat E658

Solar powered mini split AC in 100 degree temps in Arizona
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Music Credits:
Ikson - MMXX (Free Download)
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Music by: / ikson
Seven Grey is a nomadic minimalist who is wandering the world (traveling internationally part of the year and North American in his step van the other part)
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Video edited with Final Cut Pro on MacBook Pro 13 (2015)
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personal blog: www.sevenwanderstheworld.com
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[@JADudley]

I recently installed a mini split on my camper trailer running solar. It has been trial and error for me. I run my generator for an hour to get the batteries up to 100% before peak sun and set the mini split to run at 30% power and it keeps my camper cold at 75° pulling 200-300w and the solar system is pumping out about 600w of power. If I raise the temp to 77° it won’t be as cold however it would only pull about 150w

[@HalkerVeil]

So many people say it's not possible. And yet here it is.

[@SevenWanderstheWorld]

true true!

[@irepairofpc31familykartrac51]

I live in Florida and run a 5,000 Btu ac in my work trailer. It will get to a comfortable 78*. It runs on high cool for 6-8 hours a day with 600 watts solar and 300 ah of battery.

[@matthewknight5641]

I have a 30 foot holiday rambler. I installed a 38 seer 220 volt 9000 btu inovair brand minisplit. It runs off my solar with ease. I use a split phase inverter made by sungold power. It's a 24 volt solar power system with 100 amp charge controller and 1800 watts of solar. The ac is usually using just over 200 watts but uses a little over 600 for the first 10 or 12 minutes then tapers down to between 200 and 300. The inovair uses about half the power of the pioneer and other comparable brands. It costs more but makes 24-7 air-conditioning possible

[@Subgunman]

These AC / heating systems are quite common in Europe, we have 5 in our home but only three are in use during the summer. We keep them in dehumidify mode which is quite economical to run. Average humidity is around 41% at 80° in the summer and it’s quite comfortable in the home. I just received my European equivalent to the P3 Killowatt analyzer, using it on the flat screen for 24 hours to see what it uses in energy for that period. Next use will be on the AC units. It will not give me as much of an accurate idea on usage since the heatwaves have subsided in the Med.

[@AlsanPine]

yeah... you definitely need to insulate your roof. your power consumption will drop quite a bit and evenings will be much easier especially if you go for insulation that has more than r value but also has radiation block.

[@danielsweeney6742]

Seven that is pretty good other than the cost of the equipment the electric is free and it is keeping you comfortable.

[@SycamoreFarmMI]

Some RVers are going with DC air conditioning, so you have a more efficient use of the battery. I'm not sure how much that would help.

[@SevenWanderstheWorld]

I saw that. I'm guessing you save about 20% power. in couple years I think this will be the norm along with 12v fridges for large builds like mine

[@19Photographer76]

Have you thought of also installing a canopy to park the trailer under? You could set it up so the wind goes through it.

[@SevenWanderstheWorld]

that is a good solution but complicates things in that I'd need to get separate solar panels or detach the ones I have and set them up outside the canopy

[@mannyfragoza9652]

just a suggestion to keep your batteries from draining too fast in the Evening. If you have a solar generator you can run a Battery charger to keep the batteries up and recharge the Solar Generator during the day. This also depends on a couple of factors. How many batteries do you have and how big of a solar generator do you need. Or you might be able to get away with just a Solar Generator to run the stuff you need during the Evening.

[@ScottMeister]

Who would've thought (maybe 30 years ago or so...) that you can use the sun to help keep cool!? Ain't technology great? /But yes on the ceiling foam. If you can't place your hand on the ceiling because it's too hot, then THAT'S what the mini split is fighting. Helps with the cold too!

[@SevenWanderstheWorld]

I didn't mention that my solar panels cover about 80% of my roof. those shaded areas are just warm to touch. the exposed areas are very warm. insulation will definitely help for summer and be even more effective in winter to keep the heat trapped inside

[@robertb2468]

That's great that it works in 100 deg AZ heat. I only can fit about 600 watts on my van and don't think I'll be running an ac unit yet.

[@SevenWanderstheWorld]

I had 700w in my Stepvan and ran a small window unit just in afternoons at full sunlight. I image you could do the same off solar. plug into shore power if you ever need overnight (which I did for a couple weeks in florida in my step van)

[@abbe1abbe156]

Dom't run it continuously. Turn on & off periodically and you should be okay.

[@davef.2329]

South FL here. A/C is really hard to do without a helluva lot of battery and solar. A 6K a/c room (with energy-saving fan cutout feature) unit will kill 200Ahs of battery after about 3~3-1/2 hrs of cooling run time after sundown and in the day a 40A controller, a 2200W PSW inverter, and associated solar panels (550W, with a panel, or two aimed for afternoon and late afternoon collection exclusively) will just about do it with enough to keep the batteries up for the evening. If you're not getting enough solar, exclusively, to run the a/c in the later afternoon, it all goes downhill from there, basically forget about it if you're already running down the batteries before sundown. Having a (some) panel (s), that mostly come into play late in the day is a must, even if you've over-paneled the controller a bit. Two, newer 18~19 cu. ft. refrigerators can be done with that amount of solar using a 2200~2500W PSW inverter, as well. Obviously, the a/c and the fridges have to have their own solar power systems.

[@SevenWanderstheWorld]

I don't think it would be viable in florida where the nights would need AC and many days are overcast. the SW desert is quite different with sunny days and extreme temp drop evening and night

[@fauxque5057]

I'm running 3 dual inverter window mount AC units. A 14,000 btu, a 9000 btu, and a 8000 btu. They run fine as long as the sun is out. I'm also running 10 - 390w panels, and 10 - 320w panels. They pretty much max out my LV6548 all in one charge controller. I'm thinking about adding another mini split unit from Signature Solar. What's cool about their units is they run straight from the panels. The AC unit has a built in mpp charge controller. The only problem is they sell out fast when they are in stock.

[@SevenWanderstheWorld]

thx for info on Signature Solar mini split!

[@kadachiman7234]

My motorhome setup = 2.25Kw of solar on the roof (same as yours), 800 AH lithium batteries, 3Kw inverter.......I run my split AC (same style as yours) 24/7. The lowest my batteries have ever gone is 32%, but with the amount of solar on the roof it is back up to 100% by 11am (of course this does depend on the amount of sun available) Turning on and off your AC to conserve battery capacity can end up actually using more as the compressor works harder to cool or warm to get to your set temperature whereas to maintain a set temperature 24/7 often just uses fan speed which is way easier on power use........e.g. my AC is drawing about 420w currently. As you have a current meter use that to experiment a little to see what results you get.

[@Yorky222]

Good to see you Seven.

[@Z_question]

I've been using the LG dual inverter 12000btu it ramps up the power to what's needed to cool and is very easy on the inverter. It uses about a 1/3 less power than my last unit that was full power on then off then on again. AC is a must have in AZ otherwise you melt.

[@SevenWanderstheWorld]

makes me wonder how folks in the 1800 lived in the desert areas around the world without AC

[@gainestruk1]

@@SevenWanderstheWorld They didn't know they needed A/C 😎

[@johnmal5975]

We have been around 98 degrees so far this summer in Tampa. Summers are usually 92. Trust me you feel that 6 degrees. Thankfully its also very breezy around here and is extremely rare to hit triple digits because its a peninsula. We have not been getting our thunder and lighting storms which will provide a 20 degree difference rather quickly. Yup this summer is going to be rough glad I have my solar backup. Great video looks like you got it covered.

[@tikoy1955]

Good informational video.

[@CITAP1]

Good to hear the mini split is doing the job. I always tell people when I install them, get the next size up from the recommended size. It's better to work a larger unit less than to work a smaller unit more. I'd get that last bit of ceiling insulation installed. It'll help you all year, summer and winter. Are you all sold out of Florida yet? Have you bought rental property in your area or just gone into investments. Take care Seven.

[@SevenWanderstheWorld]

1 of 3 sold in FL and 2nd should sell in July. my last will sell in Jan/Feb

[@CITAP1]

@SevenWanderstheWorld I sold my rental, made good on it. Seattle rental rules have become unrealistic and the cities mentality is heavily biased against landlords. Retired now and got out at the right time. Now you need to give 6 months notice to raise rent, if you raise rent 10% or more, tenants can claim hardship and the landlord will have to pay three months rent for the tenant to move. Too many rules in what's none of their business. I might buy investment property far from Seatroit. Maybe see you at Quartzsite next year or passing through your area late February. Take care

[@matthewknight5641]

The problem with oversize is the dehumidifier don't do its job as well. With the variable speed minisplits the need to be sized correctly. My inovair 38 seer 9000 btu is amazing and with minisplits always get the better more expensive ones if you can. Mine uses about half the power of the 20 seer pioneer. I've had both and put a kilowatt meter on both

[@CITAP1]

@matthewknight5641 There are plenty of trade-offs. I would prefer greater cooling heating capacity. Seven is in a dry climate so humidity shouldn't be a major concern. If you will use the mini split a lot, a high seer rating is good but lots of folks might run it 30 days a year so the cost benefit isn't so important. If it's your primary cooling heating source, by all means, spend the extra money. There are a couple over sized units I keep an eye on, and they do produce a good amount of condensate discharge. Take care...

[@matthewknight5641]

@@CITAP1 I agree. One reason I wanted the more expensive is the less energy consumption but yes the more efficient.. or more expensive ones also claim to heat at a much colder temperature. This inovair makes claims of heating even when it in the negative degrees. I find it hard to believe it could still heat with such cold temperatures and haven't had it thru a winter yet but in a few months hopefully I won't need my diesel heater. I have over 20 kilowatts of battery and want another 20 kilowatts soon so hopefully I can make it thru a winter with bad weather and all.

[@Paulholio69]

Good to hear from you. How is that land coming along?

[@SevenWanderstheWorld]

land is slowly progressing! video coming soon on my smaller temp gate install

[@davefroman4700]

To be expected considering you obviously do not have all your insulation in place in the ceiling.

[@williammeszaros3382]

Hey man , where you bean ? How's Arizona treating you ?

[@mkramme]

Looks like a great solution for the heat. I like the idea of a weather station for van/camper use. What unit did you get if I may ask?

[@susananderson9619]

How much cash do I have to save up, to get a split AC installed in my minivan , including the power I need to buy to run it? I'm guessing ...2-3 grand?

[@ds9902]

What part of az you in? I'm in the white mountain of az today it got to 95° and the last 2 days 2 of my chickens have been having it ruff. My place is a 12×12 and I have 5-240w panels on a 24v setup

[@bethg5929]

Had you considered closing curtains over the sliding glass door during the hottest part of the day?

[@SevenWanderstheWorld]

in spring and fall I close the curtains. right now my floor is in full shade as the sun is so high in the sky and my glass door is inset about 14 inches from the roof edge, enough to provide full shade to the door and sun is not coming inside the trailer

[@gingerjolley9027]

What is the btu rating on your mini split? I'm looking at one for my tiny house trailer.

[@b3877896]

In a previous video he said it's a 9000 BTU system.

[@gingerjolley9027]

@@b3877896 thank you :)

[@brazilianredneck]

Great video! Have a couple of questions for you... I see your inside unit is mounted really close to the ceiling. I just received my inside unit yesterday and the instructions say to have it mounted at least 8' from anything (on the top) and to mount it where I first thought (above the rear door, right below the original rear a/c) would give me pretty much no gap above the inside unit. I intend to keep the original rear a/c in the bus, because it works really well and I sure want to have more than one option regarding a/c. Do you think it would work fine like that? I'm currently using my bus (it was a 25 passenger shuttle bus) as my temporary office, and I'm hooked to the grid (120V) and will be in this situation for another year. I intend to build a solar system, as robust as possible and then after that, to start traveling with the bus (all cabinetry is done alread). So I can install the 120V mini split I just bought, run it from shore power for now and eventually to use an inverter to power thec a/c when away from 120V or I could get a 12 or 24V DC a/c, power it from a converter for now and later on, when traveling and boondocking, power it directly from the battery bank. Which idea youvl think is the best? The DC inside unit is taller than the 120V a/c and wouldn't fit above the rear door, I would have to install it somewhere else. Thanks for your time!

[@SevenWanderstheWorld]

I'm not sure the scientific reasons for the 8" request and suspect it might be likely the instruction is for liability issues (if the unit were to have electrical issues etc). I think from physics point of view is should be high on the wall because cool air drops down (not great when it is heating for same reason). you do need to consider where your drain hose will go. mine was spot on perfect at an angle downward to the outside with maybe half inch sticking out. for your bus I would install a mini split with the outdoor unit off the back. maybe make a ext utility area box or deck on the back like so many schoolie builds. I'd guess you could mount mid bus for the interior air handler (mount on a cabinet or somewhere) a mini split will be way better than the built-in units which most schoolie owners remove. check out suntan solar for panels. used panels are great and fraction of price of new. buy as much victron as you can afford. lithium batteries are the way to go... maybe Chin batteries for $300-350 ea 100ah 12v. go with 24 volt system and inverter to 120 and converter to 12v. much better system than 12v native.

[@brazilianredneck]

@@SevenWanderstheWorld Perfect, thank you.

[@JosephStory]

9k or 12k btu unit? My inverter type 8k btu(window unit) has never pulled more than 700 watts.

[@b3877896]

9K

[@SevenWanderstheWorld]

9k... pulls 770w on eco mode and 1150w normal mode maxed.. it can coast maintain at about 200w

[@danrandall794]

30 percent of batteries is nothing. That ceiling insulation will make a world of difference.

[@SevenWanderstheWorld]

agree insulation will make big difference. soon soon!

[@BlueVanDan]

What size air conditioner are you running? Good to hear from you Seven... I've got a 12,500 unit that I haven't even unboxed yet. No infrastructure to set it up so I'm running a 5000 window unit to keep half my bus cool. Using a generator to power it though because I still don't have a pure sine wave inverter to run off my batteries.

[@SevenWanderstheWorld]

9k