My home solar system, I live off grid with air conditioning all powered by solar. it occurred to me I can have air conditioning without expensive batteries array if I only wanted a/c in the day time. I have since bought batteries for night time a/c usage I’ll share with you both systems. I do have a battery for my refrigerator at night and they system need one battery to work. My 100 amp, 24 volt battery is good for 2 hours of a/c with no power input.
Day time air conditioning powered by solar.
Solar panels.
Inverter charge controller combination “see pic below”
One Battery
Air conditioner
I have the 3000 watts, my a/c is only 1100 watts. Know that these devices have a limitation 1200 watts on the built in outlets yet there is a way to export the power to a custom made outlet via the outputs. https://www.vevor.com/s/24v-inverter
a/c output
Solar panels
Wires connecting battery to inverter
AWG stands for American Wire Gauge. It’s a standard system for measuring the diameter of round, nonferrous, electrically conductive wires. Lower AWG numbers correspond to thicker wires, while higher AWG numbers indicate thinner wires. This system is commonly used in the United States and Canada.
0 AWG size wire will do most loads, you need to do some math to make sure you get it correct. The wrong wire being too small could start a fire and this is important to get right.
I make my own cables. The buss bar merges the batteries of 6 awg to the battery at 1/0 awg.
The power from the solar going into the Inverter / charge controller is limited with a DC circuit breaker. https://www.amazon.com/Miniature-Circuit-Isolator-Magnetic-Disconnect/dp/B09BRB38Y1?pd_rd_w=PwKQh&content-id=amzn1.sym.c059d191-c5ca-4dcf-9149-1b498928668e&pf_rd_p=c059d191-c5ca-4dcf-9149-1b498928668e&pf_rd_r=Q20PC4FRWEJRQJDDJCJR&pd_rd_wg=lOm0p&pd_rd_r=3d26b3cc-d32f-4791-ad8c-a567d57bd221&pd_rd_i=B09BRB38Y1&psc=1&ref_=pd_bap_d_grid_rp_0_22_t
The shunt tells me how much power is going into and out of the batteries.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DFQ8VTFP?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1
Used solar panels, are about $35 for 200 watts. 5/01/2025 prices.
craigs list link: https://palmsprings.craigslist.org/search/sss?purveyor=owner&query=solar%20panel#search=2~gallery~12
Look on facebook markeplace.
Why so cheap? many government buildings replace the panels ever 10 years because for the same space they can get more power with newer panels. Panels don’t wear out, they are just lower watts per square foot. The installers get to keep the panels and resell them is what is going on. Often you’ll find people with pallets of the same panels at great deals. Watts are watts.
