Solar Air Conditioning Pros And Cons
A solar power air conditioning
unit can be used anywhere the sun shines.
It has very low operating and maintenance expense.
Other than low amperage fan motors and small pumps that move the
thermal transfer fluid from the collectors to the chiller and back,
there is very little electrical energy consumed.
What little electrical energy needed can be supplied by solar
panels if one desires to do so.
There isn’t a compressor required, so that is a big savings on
energy consumption.
Even though solar air
conditioning units work great, you may still have a need to keep a
traditional gas or electric heating system.
This kind of system can also be tied into a conventional water
heating system, and utilized there.
A simple solar conversion valve can be installed that connects an
existing water tank to the system.
This can be a big savings on general water heating for daily use.
The biggest drawback of any solar device is that the sun doesn’t shine
in the evening hours and during certain types of weather, the sun may be
obscured. However, even when
it is cloudy, it is possible to get some solar production.
Cold temperatures can sometimes pose a challenge during the
winter months, and it may be required to use an anti-freeze to protect
the system, in some areas.
Although solar panels on an absorption chiller AC unit are made of very
durable material, in the event that a tube is broken during a hail
storm, or other event, the tube can easily be replaced at a minimal
cost. If one did break, it
would typically only disable the single tube, instead of the entire
collector. There is also no
system leak, as a result of a broken tube.