In this video
- A roughly 2,500-square-foot commercial building is cooled entirely on solar power on an 87-degree Las Vegas afternoon, with no grid electricity used.
- Solar-ready mini-splits use variable-speed fan motors, variable-speed compressors, variable refrigerant flow, and electronic expansion valves for high efficiency.
- These units let you plug solar panels directly into the air conditioner itself, rather than routing everything through a separate battery or inverter system.
- The main unit is a 12,000 BTU mini-split maintaining 75 degrees indoors, thermostat set to 78, with a 45-degree evaporator coil.
- Units can still run on standard grid power at night or on cloudy days, so solar operation is optional rather than mandatory.
Questions this video answers
Can a mini-split air conditioner run directly off solar panels without batteries?
Yes. Airspool's solar-ready mini-splits let you plug solar panels directly into the unit, and the variable-speed compressor and fan motor adjust output to match whatever solar power is available, no battery bank required.
How many square feet can a 12,000 BTU mini-split cool?
In this video, a 12,000 BTU solar mini-split keeps a roughly 2,500-square-foot commercial space at 75 degrees on an 87-degree Las Vegas afternoon, running entirely on solar.
What makes a mini-split efficient enough to run on solar power?
Variable-speed fan motors, variable-speed compressors, variable refrigerant flow, and electronic expansion valves let the unit ramp its output up and down to match available solar power instead of cycling on and off at full blast like a standard AC.
Do I still need grid power if I install a solar air conditioner?
No, it's optional. The unit can run on standard alternating current from the grid at night or on cloudy days, but you don't have to plug into the grid at all if you don't want to.
Can solar air conditioning work for a commercial building, not just a house?
Yes. The video shows a roughly 2,500-square-foot commercial building in Las Vegas cooled entirely on solar power during a warm September afternoon.
How much can solar air conditioning save on commercial cooling bills?
Commercial cooling can run around $250 per 1,000 square feet per month on utility power, and solar-ready heat pumps can offset that cost by running on free solar energy instead of grid electricity that can price anywhere from about $0.12 to $0.60 per kWh.
Transcript
Read the full transcript
Hi, I'm Dave, and today's topic is how to cool or heat your home, office, building, shed, garage, etc. for free. The trick to doing it is with solar-powered air conditioning. This building is around 2,500 square feet on this side, and it's being cooled right now entirely off of solar.
We're in Las Vegas. It's late afternoon, 87 degrees. It's September, so it's starting to feel like fall here.
All these units, including the ones that are ducted and the ones without any ductwork, share some commonalities. They all have variable-speed fan motors, variable-speed compressors, variable refrigerant flow, and electronic expansion valves, so they're super efficient. They also allow you to plug solar panels directly into them.
This unit is our main unit — a 12,000 BTU mini-split. The coil here is running around 45 degrees. It's set at 78, and it's maintaining 75 degrees right now, so it's running totally off of solar.
It will run off of alternating current when it's cloudy or at night, as an option, but you don't necessarily have to plug into the grid if you don't want to — that's just an option.
So these are the panels, and those are the units, and here is beautiful, mostly sunny, downtown Las Vegas. Thanks for your time. If you have any more interest in solar-powered air conditioning, subscribe to our YouTube channel, Airspool.
