Modifying aircondition to solar

[guruji]

HI guys anyone knows if it's possible to modify a normal aircondition to one works with solar energy?.
Thanks.

[ben8807]

You cannot modify an existing heat pump for solar power. The most you can do is get a solar panel array and inverter to feed your AC. Even then you will need a grid tie system because of the load an AC unit uses when started. That means in actuality you are getting solar power for your house that also happens to feed your AC. (seen a couple sites claiming this was a "solar AC" system.)

There are however other options. I've seen a couple companies producing solar (hot water) powered absorption chillers. Google "solar absorption chiller" and you should find what you are looking for. I thought about these for a while but the current cost of these systems makes a return on investment a very long term thing.

Wait 5 years. By then the technology should be more affordable than a conventional AC unit on electricity.

[guruji]

Hi Ben8807 thanks for response. About the heat pump that you said is it possible to use a solar fed stirling engine turning that pump?
Thanks

[triffid]

back in the 1990's I heard of the french using solar power(heat) to run an icebox.They used a closed system that used charcoal to attract the heat and methanol alcohol to be the liquid that was circulated through the system to produce a chill.The methanol would collect at the bottom of the box and come in contact with the charcoal.The heat of the sun would evaporate the methanol causing it to collect in a tank on top of the icebox,then a valve could be opened to allow the recycled(gravity fed) methanol to flow through the coils inside the icebox and on down to the tank where the charcoal was.
Triffid

[ben8807]

There are any number of absorption/adsorption chillers possible. The problem is lack of off the shelf parts for a project this small. Running a heat pump of a stirling is possible, but then you have to buy/build a stirling engine for your needs, also converting heat to mechanical to a heat pump is very inefficient. Save the R&D work, either stick with what you've got or buy a premade system. Sol Aire makes them as do some other companies. Way too pricy for me right now. Started building a bench top silica adsorption unit myself, but the results were dismal and didn’t give me enough hope to start going large scale. May continue the research, but I’m going to be using a liquid desiccant next time.

Give it 5-10 years, it will change drastically. As the technology becomes more accepted the price will go down.