How Colin Runs His Air Conditioner With Solar Power
Colin was on the fence about a solar and battery setup. Then he told us something that decided it all “If we had the solar panels and the battery, I knew I’d use the air conditioning rather than be a tight arse.” So here’s how he runs his air conditioner with solar power and how you can too.
Colin and his wife are light electricity users. Their bills were already small. On paper, he wasn’t sure the numbers stacked up. Comfort was the point.
This story covers:
- why Colin added solar and battery storage for his home before the air con went in
- how a home solar system with battery lets you run cooling without bill guilt
- what changed when Matthew from Lenergy turned up in person
- what Colin’s setup actually includes
Why did Colin add solar before the air conditioning?
Originally the numbers were on the fence for Colin “I didn’t think economically it would be worthwhile because we’re only a small volume electricity user. There’s only my wife and I. Our bills were fairly small, so the economics of it were probably not good enough.”
It was the freedom to use the energy he needed that drove Colin. “We’re getting air conditioning installed. If we had the solar panels and the battery, I knew I would use the air conditioning rather than be a tight ass and not turn it on to save money.”
That is the real value of running an air conditioner with solar power in a lot of homes. When the cooling runs on power you already made, you stop rationing it. You turn it on when the day is hot, and you leave it on. The quiet bill anxiety that makes people sit in a warm room to save a few dollars simply goes away. That peace of mind is what Colin was buying.
How does running an air conditioner with solar power work?
The idea is simple. Through the day, your panels make power and your air con uses it. On a sunny Goulburn afternoon, a system like Colin’s makes far more than the cooling needs, with plenty to spare. A battery then stores what you do not use, so the air con keeps running into the evening on your own stored energy rather than grid power at peak times. For a home like Colin’s, the cooling can run right across the hottest part of the day and well into the night without leaning on the grid.
What made Colin choose Lenergy?
Colin got three quotes. Two things set Lenergy apart, and both came down to Matthew showing up.
“Matthew was by far the best person of contact. He always had enough time to speak. He came exactly when he said.”
Colin’s property has a heritage overlay, which limits where panels can go. One company never visited. “It was phone only. They used a satellite picture of the house and put panels on the front and back in the picture, but there’s a heritage overlay and they wouldn’t be able to put the panels where they sit anyway.”
Matthew came out and saw the problem straight away. “He knew straight away that you wouldn’t put panels there. And the Lenergy system was more economical. You got a lot more bang for your buck.”
Matthew also explained how a larger, cheaper battery worked with the subsidies available at the time. That helped Colin cut through what he calls “information overload.”
What was the install like?
“That was very easy. They told me the day they were going to be here.” One delay came up when another job ran over, which Colin took in his stride. “They kept me fully informed.”
He rates the office team highly, even if the name escapes him. “The lady in the office is really super helpful. She’s really top notch.”
His verdict on the whole job says it plainly. “There’s always going to be hassles. It’s just a matter of how seamless they are. So that was pretty seamless.”
Would he recommend Lenergy? “Yeah, I would. No problem at all. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them.” He left a review within a couple of days of the install.
What is in Colin’s solar and battery system?
Colin’s setup is built to carry a home through hot days and warm evenings:
- 7.92 kW of solar, using 18 Suntech 440 W panels
- a 30.72 kWh home battery (29.184 kWh usable)
- a 6 kW single-phase inverter
That is a large battery for a two-person household, and that is the point. Sizing up means more stored power for the evening, so the air con and everything else can keep running long after the sun goes down. If you are working out your own numbers, start with what size solar system you need, then match it to how to choose a battery size.
Read next: Mistakes to Avoid When Buying a Solar Battery, the questions worth asking before you commit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can solar panels generate enough power to run air conditioning?
Yes, in most cases. A modern air conditioner is not a heavy load for a properly sized solar system. On a sunny day, a setup like Colin’s 7.92 kW system makes far more power than the cooling needs, so the air con runs on solar with plenty to spare. How many panels you need depends on your home, your climate and how much cooling you run, so it is worth sizing the system to your place rather than guessing.
Do I need a battery as well as solar panels to run my air con?
Not to run it during the day. Solar alone can power your cooling while the sun is up. A battery matters for the evening. It stores your unused daytime solar so the air con keeps running after dark without drawing peak-priced grid power. For Colin, the large battery was what let him stop thinking about the bill at all, day or night.
How much can I save on electricity bills by running air conditioning on solar?
It depends on your usage and your plan, so we will not put a figure on it. What we can say is that running an air conditioner with solar power costs far less than running it off the grid at peak times. For a light user like Colin, the bigger change was not the dollar saving. It was being able to use the air con freely without feeling like every hour was costing him.
