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Last Updated on August 23, 2024 by Paul Clayton
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Can Solar Panels Power an RV Air Conditioner?
In all the time you spend on the road in your motor home, the sun shining over your head, the wind blowing in your face, the thought must have popped up in your mind on more than one occasion.
‘Can you run those dang rooftop ACs on solar energy?’
It sounds like it’s just the way it was meant to be. The AC is perfectly positioned on the roof to soak in all the sun offers. There are no recurring costs for electricity at camping grounds or costly fossil fuel to power the generator.
Key Takeaways:
-
- Feasibility: Solar panels can power an RV air conditioner, but several factors influence this, including the number of panels, efficiency, cost, and specific conditions.
- Components Needed:
- Solar Panels: Convert sunlight to electricity; more efficient and larger panels are required.
- Battery Bank: Stores electricity for use during non-sunny periods; must have adequate capacity and power rating.
- Inverter: Converts DC from panels to AC for appliances; larger inverters provide more leeway and efficiency.
- Cost Analysis:
- High initial costs, including panels, batteries, and inverters.
- Savings from avoiding campsite electricity fees can offset these costs over time.
- Challenges:
- Weather dependency: Sunlight availability is crucial.
- Space constraints: Adequate roof space for panels and storage space for batteries are necessary.
- Financial considerations: Weighing upfront costs against long-term savings and environmental benefits.
- Alternative Solutions:
- Powering only some appliances with solar energy.
- Using flexible panels or portable solar suitcases to mitigate space issues.
- Adjusting energy consumption habits to maximize solar efficiency.
Off-the-grid living at its best. We have been asked that question by newbie RV enthusiasts a million times. This question is even more relevant now because solar technology has improved significantly in the past few years.
People would have laughed at you for your wishful thinking a decade ago. You could have powered a few bulbs, maybe.
But now, with larger inverters, better batteries, and more efficient solar panels, it might be possible.
Today, we give you the answers that you were always looking for.
We will discuss the costs, challenges, pros, and cons of using solar energy to power your RV’s most power-hungry appliances.
For those looking for a quick answer as to whether solar panels can power an RV air conditioner, the answer is yes. However, several factors influence the answer, including the number of panels, cost, efficiency, appliances, and other conditions. Read on to find out more.
Can Solar Panels Power an RV Air Conditioner?
How a solar panel works
In theory, solar panels sound like the simplest devices. When placed in the sun, they capture the sun’s energy and convert it into electricity.
However, converting sunlight into usable energy that can power appliances in your RV is much more complex.
- The sun is a massive nuclear reactor that releases photons, which are essentially tiny packets of energy. In about 8.5 seconds, these photons reach the earth. And as unbelievable as it sounds, in just one hour, we get enough solar energy to power our entire planet for one year. Now, think of the positives of harnessing that energy endlessly. We would no longer burn toxic fossil fuels. The environment would be a lot cleaner. And we would have an endless supply of energy for eternity. That’s the theory. Let’s talk about the challenges.
- A solar panel contains photovoltaic cells that capture photons and knock the electrons loose. These electrons then travel from the positive to the negative end of a battery, completing the circuit and generating electricity. However, a solar panel creates DC energy, which must then be sent to an inverter to be converted into AC energy to power your appliances.
So, you have the key components to complete a solar grid: an array of solar panels, a battery to store the electricity, and an inverter to convert it into DC.
There are other components, too. But these are the most important ones that you cannot do without.
How many solar panels do you need to install?
The big question is how many solar panels you need to power the rooftop AC.
Unfortunately, there’s no definite answer to this as many variables, some of them unpredictable, can affect the output of a solar panel.
But we can always get a ballpark figure and use that as a reference to work with.
A solar panel designer will perform an energy audit for your RV, but you can also do it yourself. It’s a fairly simple calculation.
Check the average draw of all the electrical appliances in the RV and multiply it by the number of hours each one runs in a day. This gives you the total number of hours consumed.
For example, to power a 13.5K rooftop air conditioner for 5 hours a day, you need at least 700 amperes per hour (ah) from the battery, provided no other appliance runs simultaneously.
To generate 700 ah, a solar panel would need to generate approximately 110 amperes per hour for 7 hours per day.
This can work on a bright and sunny day. On a cloudy day, though, the chances of such a high output every hour are slim, which means a lot more would be needed.
That’s approximately 1500W or a 1.5KW solar panel that we are talking about.
The approximate cost for a solar panel in the United States is $3.05 per watt. That means one single 1500W panel(s) would cost $4575. You can find cheaper panels, but beware—you get what you pay for!
After deducting the 30% Federal ITC discount, provided that there is no other state incentive or rebate, the cost comes to around $3202.
That’s just the cost of the solar panel array, mind you, to run one AC for 5 hours every day.
The Battery Bank
Considering that one AC draws around 150 amps, you need at least 150 ah to power
the rest of the appliances on cloudy days or at night.
This means that you need a large battery bank that can store the electricity generated by the panel.
Battery capacity is determined by kilowatt-hours (kWh). The good news is that you can stack multiple batteries to increase a bank’s storage capacity.
However, it’s not limited to the storage capacity alone. It would be best to consider the power rating, the amount of electricity the battery can provide to the appliances simultaneously. This is determined in kilowatts (kW).
A battery with a high storage capacity but a very low kW rating can provide the bare minimum electricity needed for small appliances for a long period, like an entire day.
Or, one with low capacity but a high kW rating can power all the appliances in the RV for just a few hours.
Then there’s the Depth of discharge (DoD) to consider. This is the maximum amount of power a battery can draw before it must be recharged again.
So, if you have a 20kW battery with a 90% DoD, you can only draw a maximum of 18kW. Even that would be maxing it out.
Ideally, you would have a battery bank double the electricity capacity you draw daily. This would allow you to store enough electricity to last through the night and on cloudy days.
The Inverter
The inverter converts the DC energy produced by the solar panel into AC energy.
Traditionally, the solar industry used string or central inverters to power all the appliances in a home or in an RV.
You had one single box to deal with, which was cheaper. Maintenance was as easy as flipping a switch, and the grid would shut off.
But string inverters aren’t the most efficient devices. It automatically tries to optimize for the weakest solar panel in the array, dragging the other panels’ performance down.
That’s why the industry quickly transitions into tiny inverters under each solar panel.
This allows the user to derive the maximum potential of every solar panel.
So, assuming that you will install one micro-inverter only for the air conditioner, you will need at least a 3.5 – 4K W inverter for the AC alone, as you can never max the inverter out. It would be best if you had some leeway.
You can install a soft start as a workaround and opt for a smaller inverter. But if you are going solar full-time, we highly recommend a larger inverter rather than cutting corners.
The finances
Those numbers are just approximated, mind you.
But we’ve made a list of some of the appliances one can expect to find in an RV.
We calculated the total consumption for running 1 x 10000 BTU air conditioner for 8 hours, 5 x 60 watt LED bulbs for 10 hours, 1 20 CU refrigerator for 24 hours, 1 LCD TV for 10 hours, and 1 Laptop for 5 hours per day, assuming that you get at least 5.5 hours of sun each day.
To power those, you need 533 kWh/mo. That’s 14 solar panels, each producing about 300 W.
Based on the above pricing, the cost would be $12,078.
Add to that the cost of installation, battery, cables, soft start, and a battery monitor, and you suddenly find yourself spending a staggering amount of money.
What if you have two or three air conditioners in the RV?
Is it worth the cost?
Before you jump on the Solar bandwagon and commit to making a huge investment, you need to ask yourself a few questions.
The answers will allow you to make a more informed decision.
Q. What’s your primary motivation for switching to solar energy?
A. Is it saving money that you pay for utility at camping sites? If yes, do you camp for more than 5-6 days at a time at places that don’t have campsites with electrical hookups? Most part-time campers don’t. They usually take their RVs out for a spin on weekends or stick to regular campsites. And if that’s the case, then you
can very well survive on a fully charged battery for two to three nights.
But if you go dry camping for 5-6 days at a time or are a full-time RVer, you can consider switching to solar energy or at least try powering some of the appliances with solar panels. Saving even $40 a night that you would otherwise pay at campsites can save you $1200 a month. You can easily recoup the upfront costs with the savings that you make over a year.
Are you switching to solar just because everybody else seems to be doing it? Many people have made this rookie mistake only to regret their decision later. We highly recommend you research and consider all the pros and cons before jumping into it.
Do you wish to reduce your carbon footprint? As ‘green’ as it sounds, switching a few appliances to solar energy will make very little difference. But if you are committed to living off the grid, research and read up on the details.
Q. Will you mainly be traveling in areas with ample sunlight?
A. Solar panels are weather-dependent. It can only produce sufficient electricity to power all the appliances in a large RV if there are five to six hours of direct sunlight each day. That’s the bare minimum, mind you. Will you travel only in areas with five to six hours of direct sun? If not, always carry a backup source of electricity, like a generator, with you. The last thing you need is to be caught without power while miles away from civilization.
Q. Do you have the roof space needed to install the panels? Is there sufficient room to store the battery bank?
Rooftop space is usually unused, and a solar panel is a great way to use it. But most RVs don’t have the room for panels and battery storage to run power-guzzling appliances all day.
Also, anything else up there might be an obstruction, like antennas, the rooftop AC you are trying to power, or vents. Flexible panels (pricier) can help you work around the obstructions. Check if you have sufficient room in the storage bays for the battery bank. It will be permanent fixtures, mind you.
The other option is a solar suitcase, a portable solar panel with a charge controller. That will be more expensive but will save on roof space.
Q. Are you willing to switch some of your energy consumption to solar?
Many users these days install panels to power a part of their RV lifestyles with solar energy. If you have three ACs, for example, power one with solar energy and connect the other two to the generator or shore power. Not only does this tick all the above-mentioned boxes, but it also reduces the initial investment by more than half. This can also lengthen the time you can last on batteries while camping.
Q. Are you willing to give up on a comfort or two?
You often cannot afford the system you need to go off the grid completely. You may not have the room needed for the panels, or it would be unaffordable. This would mean giving up on the idea entirely or sacrificing a few comforts you might be used to.
For example, if you can avoid using a microwave or a hairdryer, both power-hungry appliances, you can still create a solar grid that can power your AC for a few hours each day. Can you run the AC only on the hottest days and not every night? Can you install a ceiling fan that can be used in synergy with the AC to improve its efficiency and to reduce its runtime?
The pros and cons of going solar
All said and done, here are some pros and cons of switching to solar panels to power your RV.
Pros
• Clean, renewable source of energy
• Environment-friendly
• Unlimited access to electricity even in case of a natural disaster (Provided you live in an area with ample sunny hours each day)
• Very little maintenance cost if any
• You can explore areas that aren’t covered by the grid as long as it’s legal to camp there
• Perfect for boondocking
• Save money by dry camping. Avoid paying the rent for the campsite as well as for electricity
Cons
• Huge upfront costs depending on how much energy you are looking to generate
• Will work only in areas with good direct sunlight
• Can be a challenge on cloudy days
• May not
Can you imagine traveling around the country without ever stopping for gas?
It might seem like sci-fi, but the future is already here. A German RV company called Dethleffs developed the latest electric RV innovation.
This RV motorhome was specifically built to be taken on the open road. Barely an inch of the RV that isn’t covered in solar panels exists, so you shouldn’t worry about running out of juice or struggling to find a charging station. This RVV has 334 square feet of thin-film solar panels, delivering 3,000 watts of energy.
The RV has a 107-horsepower electric motor built on the company’s Iveco Daily Electric chassis. However, the rather diminutive 228-Ah sodium-nickel-chloride battery limits you to 100 miles on a full charge. The upside is that the battery is fully expected to last 1,500 charges or 250,000 km.
This RV isn’t just a traditional motorhome—it’s an e-home! It features many smart features, such as driver assistance, smart windows, and a first-class heating and cooling system.
The e-home utilizes Victrom Energy products for solar gear, including panels, chargers, and inverters. The solar panels will charge the RV batteries, and you can run a host of appliances and charge your phone and laptop.
Dethleffs Managing Director, Alexander Leopold, said:
Dethleffs know this means a lot more than just putting bodywork on an electrically driven chassis. By implementing a fully electric power-train there are many challenges and equally opportunities for the entire vehicle. One significant opportunity is to do without any additional type of energy sources for the vehicle. This means that a motorhome with electric drive will also supply all the on-board services with electricity for the living area instead of gas, for example – and that is why solar power production becomes very important.
We think the RV has a sleek, modern look. The interior features wireless charging stations, infrared heating panels installed on the floors and walls, bespoke furniture, and tinted windows to reduce heat during the warmer summer.
The modern heating system can capture warm air from outside, store it, and use it to warm the interior once the cooler evening temperatures kick in.
There’s even a starlight projector to bring the night sky indoors.
It’s the perfect vehicle for slowly making our way around the country.
Closing thoughts
That’s it. Although our calculations are high, we didn’t want to come in low. This may be a good investment for the full-time RVer, but it may be out of range for the weekender who wants to be off-grid.
Remember, solar panels can run most of your RV without the heavy expense of running AC.
That summarizes our brief guide on powering your RV air conditioner using solar panels. We hope that this suffices as a starting point for your research.
If you have anything to add or feel we’ve missed, holler in the comments box. We’d love to hear from you.
*The cost and calculations information provided is for general purposes only. All information is provided in good faith at the time of writing. We make no representation or warranty of any kind, expressed or implied, regarding the accuracy, adequacy, validity, reliability, or completeness of any information on this website.
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