Solar Powered Air Conditioning

[johnson36]

Have any of you managed to buy or build a solar powered air conditioning unit ?

[jubby]

Have any of you managed to buy or build a solar powered air conditioning unit ?

Wow, I'd guess about $10,000 outlay for the Solar Panels . Hopefully someone will correct me.

[johnson36]

Have any of you managed to buy or build a solar powered air conditioning unit ?

Wow, I'd guess about $10,000 outlay for the Solar Panels . Hopefully someone will correct me.

I wan't meaning to just use solar panels to produce electricty to power a normal aircon unit. I was thinking more like the LPG gas aircon units and using the sun through a frenell lens to warm the bit up that the gas normally would. Would still need some electric from panels but only to operate the fan.

The LPG aircon units work similar to the fridges you find in motorhomes and RV's and are very economical.

Thats another thing has anyone bought or made a LPG powered aircon unit ? it would be very ecomical to run ( i think )

I am only guessing but I think an LPG fridge / freezer could be converted to a small aircon unit, I would like to know if anyone has had a go or if it is at all possible.

[thatguy]

Very interesting, don't give up

[Bisto]

Very interesting we need more info is it possible.

[Naam]

Have any of you managed to buy or build a solar powered air conditioning unit ?

Wow, I'd guess about $10,000 outlay for the Solar Panels . Hopefully someone will correct me.

I wan't meaning to just use solar panels to produce electricty to power a normal aircon unit. I was thinking more like the LPG gas aircon units and using the sun through a frenell lens to warm the bit up that the gas normally would. Would still need some electric from panels but only to operate the fan.

The LPG aircon units work similar to the fridges you find in motorhomes and RV's and are very economical.

Thats another thing has anyone bought or made a LPG powered aircon unit ? it would be very ecomical to run ( i think )

I am only guessing but I think an LPG fridge / freezer could be converted to a small aircon unit, I would like to know if anyone has had a go or if it is at all possible.

technically it is not a big deal to do that. the cooling capacity however would be miniscule and perhaps sufficient to cool a dog house. theoretically bigger units can be built but the cost would by far outweigh the result.

[sorensen]

Have any of you managed to buy or build a solar powered air conditioning unit ?

Wow, I'd guess about $10,000 outlay for the Solar Panels . Hopefully someone will correct me.

You are right.......very expensive way of cooling.

SANYO_Solar_Power_Air_Conditioning.pdf

[tjo o tjim]

Gap stores were doing it in the US for a while with Yazaki absorption chillers. They scale up to about 5 tons in a single unit, and use thermal solar collectors for a heat source. It isn't the worst possible solution, but there are more effective ways of being green. At a residential scale it really isn't appropriate in my mind.

[T_Dog]

Here is a concept that someone in Thailand should try out. It relies on the ground a meter or more deep being much cooler than the living environment. The sun heats the air in the chimney which rises, and that creates a vacuum in the house which pulls in the earth-cooled air. This was used by the Greeks and there is a lot of info on the internet (even ThaiVisa), although very little actual performance data. Would be worth a try I think. Mold and condensation in the tubes would have to be dealt with, but you can find articles on that as well.

http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Solar_chimney

Search on this as well as Earth Tubes and there is a lot to chew on......

[jubby]

Sorry, I thought you mean't a conventional electric powered Unit.

I get what your saying about LPG and fridges. I'm sure you could think up a way of powering an aircon unit by burning wood if you so desired because its just an heat source thats required . but electricity does seem to be the easiest, cheapest and simplest option still unfortunately.

But maybe in 10 years we'll all have Solar powered Aircon units.

[Beardog]

Have any of you managed to buy or build a solar powered air conditioning unit ?

Wow, I'd guess about $10,000 outlay for the Solar Panels . Hopefully someone will correct me.

I wan't meaning to just use solar panels to produce electricty to power a normal aircon unit. I was thinking more like the LPG gas aircon units and using the sun through a frenell lens to warm the bit up that the gas normally would. Would still need some electric from panels but only to operate the fan.

The LPG aircon units work similar to the fridges you find in motorhomes and RV's and are very economical.

Thats another thing has anyone bought or made a LPG powered aircon unit ? it would be very ecomical to run ( i think )

I am only guessing but I think an LPG fridge / freezer could be converted to a small aircon unit, I would like to know if anyone has had a go or if it is at all possible.

technically it is not a big deal to do that. the cooling capacity however would be miniscule and perhaps sufficient to cool a dog house. theoretically bigger units can be built but the cost would by far outweigh the result.

I was just thinking that you were the man to answer this question. If anyone on TV would know the math it is you!

Hows the new puppy?

[johnson36]

I see Sanyo are producing a high performance solar panel with a DC to AC inverter and a airconditioning unit.

Does any one know the price ?

http://uk.sanyo.com/aircon/Products/Introduction/

[manarak]

I studied a little that issue and the cost in this thread:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Money-saving...en-t291118.html

I stopped researching because it became very clear that the cost is huge and cannot compete with the power cost of 3.5 baht / KWH.

[moe666]

There is a solar powered cooler it is called an evaporative cooler. Water is pumped over pads and the heat of the sun evaporates the water and as the air is drawn in it is cooled passing thru the water. Opps will not work in Thailand humidity to high.

Thaditional Thai houses being built high off the ground, loose floor boards, and high peaked roofs with a vent in the top are designed to create a draft nothing new there.

Go green and pay 100 percent more.

[Naam]

I was just thinking that you were the man to answer this question. If anyone on TV would know the math it is you!

Hows the new puppy?

new puppy (girl) needs to pee every now then. tries to be friendly with old puppy (boy) but he doesn't like her as he is not the center of attention anymore.

[stevehaigh]

Have any of you managed to buy or build a solar powered air conditioning unit ?

Wow, I'd guess about $10,000 outlay for the Solar Panels . Hopefully someone will correct me.

I wan't meaning to just use solar panels to produce electricty to power a normal aircon unit. I was thinking more like the LPG gas aircon units and using the sun through a frenell lens to warm the bit up that the gas normally would. Would still need some electric from panels but only to operate the fan.

The LPG aircon units work similar to the fridges you find in motorhomes and RV's and are very economical.

Thats another thing has anyone bought or made a LPG powered aircon unit ? it would be very ecomical to run ( i think )

I am only guessing but I think an LPG fridge / freezer could be converted to a small aircon unit, I would like to know if anyone has had a go or if it is at all possible.

interesting, do you have a design somewhere?

[jaideeguy]

I like that concept on absoluteastronomy.com.......especially since I have a useless hand dug well near the house and can feel the much cooler air down in the hole. water table is only 2 mt deep w/o heavy rains.....so can see that I would have to raise the cool air intake above the highest water levels. Piping [cool air intake] could be pvc, or cement??

[T_Dog]

I like that concept on absoluteastronomy.com.......especially since I have a useless hand dug well near the house and can feel the much cooler air down in the hole. water table is only 2 mt deep w/o heavy rains.....so can see that I would have to raise the cool air intake above the highest water levels. Piping [cool air intake] could be pvc, or cement??

Jaideeguy, There might be some adaptations of this concept, like just using fans rather than a solar chimney to pull the air through. That way you get rid of the cost of running the compressor at least.

To answer your question on material, I think I would use PVC to ensure no cracks or leaks develop, and to make mold cleaning easier. I would run several tubes 4" or larger. Things to consider:

-Design in a low spot where you can plumb in a condensate holding tank that you could pump dry occasionally. (Each tube would have to have the lowest spot drain to this tank.) You could even put in a float switch on the pump so it turns on automatically.

-If you can't go deep enough for a condensate holding tank, run a drain tube up from the lowest point of each air tube. The condensate could collect in the air tube until you pump it out.

-Run nylon rope through each tube so you can pull a "mold cleaning pig" through occasionally.

-Design an above ground air intake filter house that keeps insects and animals out.

-Use enough parallel air tubes that ensure the air flow is quite slow to allow heat transfer to occur. (Another words, air moving fast wouldn't get cooled very much.)

If you have the land, trying out this concept would not be very expensive. Here is an article another gracious ThaiVisa member sent me. Keep me informed if you go down this road!

earth_tubes.pdf

[johnson36]

I like that concept on absoluteastronomy.com.......especially since I have a useless hand dug well near the house and can feel the much cooler air down in the hole. water table is only 2 mt deep w/o heavy rains.....so can see that I would have to raise the cool air intake above the highest water levels. Piping [cool air intake] could be pvc, or cement??

Hi Jaideeguy.

Take a thermometer down the well and see what temperature you have there, with some homemade cooling tubes you should be able to get air of approximately that termperature going in to the house. As T_dog said probably 4" pvc pipe would be ok and not to expensive. To start the experiment without building a solar chimney you could have a fan set up at the end of the pipe inside the house to pull the cooler air in, if you leave a couple of upstairs windows open the warmer air should be able to escape.

[johnson36]

http://www.solarventi.com/dokumentation/sh...l_one_layer.htm

http://www.solarventi.com/dokumentation/sh...kol_hungary.htm

Edited September 1, 2009 by johnson36

[jaideeguy]

I've already got the solar chimney in the form of two18 inch spinners on my roof that are spinning constantly to let the heat of the attic escape.........instaled in the hopes of cooling down the house but can now see that altho it does vent the heat up, the hot air is only replaced by the ambient temp outside.

The idea of a small exhaust fan to suck the cooler air out of the well may be the way to go. Could even do it without excavating for pipe if you used a small fan.

I'll take some temps and see what actual differences are. It is now 87 degrees [f].....sorry, my thermometer is amerikan.

[mc2]

if your area is windy, perhaps consider wind turbines. for $500 you can get one that generates 400 watts.

http://www.amazon.com/Sunforce-44444-12-Vo...3684&sr=1-1

[manarak]

great - I'll need only 400 of those wind turbines to cover my needs! (if it stays windy of course)

Seriously, the alternative or green energy solutions don't cut it.

Far too expensive to see a positive return (with power at 3.5 baht/kwh) and just think about the temptation of 10 million baht worth of solar panels laying on a roof when nobody is home?

I read on the forum about some programs of the Thai power companies introducing high and low price times, like high in the day, when there is a high demand by industry and low on nights and weekends when mostly private people are using the power (so there is an effective oversupply at these times).

These programs might be worth a look.

The main problem remains that there is no way to store power well enough.

[jaideeguy]

Just did a temp comparison and well temp about an inch from water level touching cement ring was 79 degrees [f] and temp in my office is 88 [f].........maybe I should move my office to the well??

[johnson36]

http://www.greengaragedetroit.com/index.ph...tle=Earth_Tubes

[thatguy]

http://world.honda.com/news/1998/p980312.html

[johnson36]

Just did a temp comparison and well temp about an inch from water level touching cement ring was 79 degrees [f] and temp in my office is 88 [f].........maybe I should move my office to the well??

I think cooling pipes need to be burried in the earth to get the temperature down to 50 something degrees. Maybe if the pipes were sealed and submerged in a water filled well that may work good.

Do you have any water at all in the well ? if so whats the temperature ? I assume the pipes would cool to about the same if submerged, and the temperature of the air greatly reduced. The 4" pipes could be run up the inside wall of the well a take air from a shaded place. I am thinking may be three or four 4" pipes as used for toilet waste. There might be some pipe of a smaller diameter that could be made like a coil and placed at the bottom of the well. I think the longer the pipe the better.

Where the 4" pipes enter the house I think the small extractor fans you buy for bathrooms could be fitted to the pipes and wired in reverse to pull air in. The bathroom fans we buy in Uk fit pefectley to the end of 110mm pipe. These fans only use 20 watts of power, and you can probably buy lower wattage ones.

Heres one example: http://www.screwfix.com/prods/15927/Heatin...O-_-FAN-_-15927

Edited September 2, 2009 by johnson36

[Gary A]

Prices for solar set ups are still out of sight;

Solar home system ; size 400 Wp

* suitable for small size home

3 tubes of 18 W fluorescent lamp + radio + TV + fan + 20 liter refrigerator

Approximate energy produced 1 kWh per day

I priced this system and it was 125,000 baht. You would never get a payback.

[Naam]

I've already got the solar chimney in the form of two18 inch spinners on my roof that are spinning constantly to let the heat of the attic escape.........instaled in the hopes of cooling down the house but can now see that altho it does vent the heat up, the hot air is only replaced by the ambient temp outside.

The idea of a small exhaust fan to suck the cooler air out of the well may be the way to go. Could even do it without excavating for pipe if you used a small fan.

I'll take some temps and see what actual differences are. It is now 87 degrees [f].....sorry, my thermometer is amerikan.

what's your well size (diameter and depth)?

[bangkokumpalumpa]

here is a thought for that well

instead of using the air from there, make up a simple heat exchanger system.

ok think of two radiatiors, one in the water and the other on your wall. now pipe them together and fill with antifreeze. add a SMALL inline pump and add a fan on the one on the wall.

this should give you the same effect and a very easy to build.