Solar air conditioning for RV

Can solar power an RV air conditioner?

For RV owners, installing a solar panel on your RV roof is a great way to reduce your energy costs and increase your ability to live off-the-grid. But can solar power really generate enough wattage to power large appliances like your RV air conditioner? So can you power an RV air conditioner with solar?

How to power RV air conditioning?

The essential components you’ll need to consider and properly size as part of a system to power RV air conditioning are solar panels, inverters, and batteries. Installing solar panels on the RV roof or having a movable solar panel suitcase can effectively solve the problem of energy supply.

Do I need a solar panel for my RV?

At minimum, you have the solar panels themselves and a collection of batteries (often known as a ‘battery bank’) that provides power directly to all of your RV’s 12-volt DC electronics. In order to power any 120-volt AC electronics, like your air conditioner, you’ll need to install an inverter as well.

How much solar energy does an RV AC unit use?

If your RV AC unit pulls 150 amps per hour and you run it 4 hours a day, you will draw a total of 600 amp hours (150 amps x 4 hours) per day from your solar battery bank. This is the bare minimum solar energy you would need to power an RV air conditioning unit for four hours each day.