Oct 09, 2016 02:18 PM
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(Updated Oct 09, 2016 02:18 PM)
DETAILS OF SOLAR BASED AIR CONDITIONERS
Air Conditioner in any setup, may it be a house or office or a working place, contributes almost 30% of energy consumption. Many efforts are being done to increase the efficiency of air conditioner and reduce the power consumption. All the different technologies available and applications of air conditioner were studied by us. We have used solar energy to reduce the power consumption and also have completely eliminated use of Grid Power(Electricity) for operating Air Conditioner.
Solar Hybrid Technology
In this technology solar thermal energy or Solar Photovoltaic(PV) Energy is used in combination with normal electricity. Both the variants are suitable in the regions where electricity is regular and stable. Selection of the variant depends on the application and the financial aspect. The basic equipment is AC(alternating Current) based similar to any traditional air conditioner with slight alterations.
Solar Thermal Hybrid Air Conditioner
Here the solar thermal energy is used in combination with electricity to reduce the working of compressor. Water is used to work as heat transfer fluid. Since the heated water is in closed loop the thermal energy is available in night also. This feature makes it suitable for day& night application. It is one of the most economical solar based hybrid option& saving is up to 50% .The details of technology is attached.
Application Area: Residential user, Call Center, 24 hrs work place
Advantages: Savings are available 24x7 days. Effective even at high temperature as compared to traditional air conditioner. Simple technology, installation& maintenance can be done by regular technician, no need of any special training. No need of extra space for solar component.
Limitations: Being thermal based works better in hot condition. Needs regular Electrical supply, not a standalone unit. Water level needs to be maintained.
Solar PV Inverter Hybrid Air Conditioner
The DC current developed by Solar PV panel is combined with normal electricity to operate the Air conditioner. The logic used is to prefer solar energy for operation and for the shortfall use Grid Power(electricity). The Air Conditioner used is inverter air conditioner which does not have torque load and basically requires less power as compared to any Star Air Conditioner. Therefore while designing the equipment solar power factor was taken very small as compared to any traditional Solar converted air conditioner. Since it is a Solar PV based system, the solar energy contribution is available during day time only. Energy saving is up to 80% during sunny days. Due to hybridization with electricity Solar PV panel used are less in number as compared to 100% Solar Air Conditioner.(Solar Panel required to charge battery bank is not needed)It is best the product for regions where grid power is regular, stable and AC is used during day time only. It is slightly costly as compared to thermal one but very economical as compared to 100% Solar AC.
Application Area: Day time user, Offices, Educational institutions.
Advantages: High Savings are available as compared to Thermal. Being an Inverter air conditioner even in absence of Sun light benefits of inverter technology is available. Auto switching& balancing to Grid power, no need of manual adjustment. Simple technology, installation& maintenance can be done by regular technician, no need of any special training. Base equipment is from Daikin, Hitachi or any international brands available in India with national Service network.
Limitations: Being Solar panel based needs extra space for panel installation regular cleaning of Panel is required.
In spite of being costly it has an added advantage(If you are not using Air Conditioner, Solar Panel can be used to charge battery of your inverter.)
Solar PV Thermal Hybrid Air Conditioner
This product is developed is by us and is unique. It is the result of our continuous research on process product development .After studying the performance of our above two models we combined the power of Solar photovoltaic energy with Solar thermal energy and the results were very encouraging. We were able to use the strength of both models and minimize the weakness. By using Solar Panel, Glass tubes were removed and restriction of installation of outdoor unit in south direction was removed. Water level maintenance was an issue during summer in thermal Unit. It is removed by introducing level sensor and chip control, somewhat like automatic washing machine. Power of Solar Panel is available to charge inverter battery, if air conditioner is not in use. Glass tubes are imported from China, but by using PV Panel, 100% made in India, Glass tube is replaced. All other benefits are similar to Solar Thermal hybrid model.
100% Solar Dependent Technology
The current generated by solar panel is DC and also battery stores DC current only. Since both the sources i.e. Solar panel and the battery are DC based, we have used DC based equipment. This makes the total system very energy efficient as compared to inverter based system because there is almost 20% energy loss in conversation from DC to AC.Here the energy generated from Solar panel is used to operate the Air Conditioner and balance goes to charge the battery. When the solar energy starts reducing during evening, the short fall is sourced from battery. Night operation is completely battery based. In India we have 325 days solar radiation available and cover seasons when air conditioning is needed.
This product is best suited in regions where electricity is not available and air conditioning is a must. In remote telecom tower DG is used to generate power and charge battery bank.Opertion cost is very high and diesel spillage is almost 7%. AC is a very critical component in the total tower system and consumes+ 30% of energy of DG/Battery bank. Here 100% Solar is very useful. The return on investment is less than 3 years in such type of application. It significantly reduces the diesel consumption. Many times transportation of diesel becomes very difficult. Initial investment is high in installing 100% solar air conditioner but critical applications like above justifies the procurement. With reduction in Solar Panel price, and improvement on battery storage technology, this version will have a large market share.
Application Area: Remote places where electricity is not available or electrification is not possible, like offshore installation, remote mobile towers, Areas with unstable power supply.
Advantages: Independent operation does not need electrical supply. In case air conditioner is not being used the power generated can be used for alternate applications using inverter.
Limitations: Initial investment is high. New technology needs confidence building .Battery bank needs to be replaced within 3 to 5 years(Depending on the usage).Panel needs regular cleaning.365 days working requires alternate power to charge battery, particularly in Rainy season or in winter when Solar radiation is less as compared to Summer.
Energy saving is based on location and availability of solar radiation. Unit consumption is based on trials done at our place and may vary as per site conditions.
All the parts supplied by Daiken and Hitachi.
