{"id":270,"date":"2022-09-16T19:24:30","date_gmt":"2022-09-16T23:24:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thesolaraddict.com\/?p=270"},"modified":"2022-09-17T04:28:10","modified_gmt":"2022-09-17T08:28:10","slug":"solar-generator-air-conditioner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesolaraddict.com\/solar-generator-air-conditioner\/","title":{"rendered":"Can A Solar Generator\/Power Station Run An Air Conditioner?"},"content":{"rendered":"
Today I am going to focus on powering air conditioners with solar generators.\u00a0Since I can’t go through every single power station and air conditioner out there, let’s talk a little bit about how you can figure it out by reading about the products.<\/p>\n
Related Product: I’ve had success running my 13,500 BTU RV AC with the latest EcoFlow Delta Max (click to view on Amazon)<\/a>. You might also want to consider the portable\u00a0EcoFlow Wave (click to view on Amazon)<\/a> which is an air conditioner that can be powered with an optional battery.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n Solar generators, also known as power stations are 12V batteries in a box with an inverter<\/a> and a solar charge controller<\/a>.<\/p>\n They’ve become increasingly popular as large lithium batteries have become more accessible. Lithium has a lot of pros and is lightweight compared to older types of deep cycle batteries, so they’re great for camping or any kind of traveler.<\/p>\n But what is a solar generator capable of? Can it power everything you need?<\/p>\n If you’re here for the quick answer: It depends on what solar generator and air conditioner you want to pair. Check the inverter rating on the solar generator, then how many watts the air conditioner requires. <\/strong><\/p>\n For RVers with 13,500\/15,000 BTU ACs, the answer is most likely no. You can install an EasyStart<\/a> on your AC which reduces the power the AC requires to start, but I would suggest buying a smaller portable AC or a window unit instead since it still might not be enough when the solar generator is powering other things in your camper as well.<\/strong><\/p>\n There are portable units like the BLACK+DECKER BPACT08WT<\/a> which is rated at 950 watts. With a power station like the Bluetti AC200P<\/a>, you would be able to run the AC for almost two hours, or longer if you have solar panels recharging it at the same time.<\/strong><\/p>\n The most limiting factor to how much a solar generator can power or output is the inverter rating. The inverter changes the battery’s DC power to AC and powers the standard AC outlets (just like the wall outlets in your home or RV). An inverter is only capable of outputting a certain amount of watts though, so this is why the inverter rating is relevant when you want to figure out whether it can operate a specific device or not.<\/p>\n Most lithium batteries are capable of discharging at a high rate, and therefore not limiting the power output like the inverter.<\/p>\n One important thing to know about is that these solar generators usually have 15A outlets, not 20A or 30A RV plugs. A 15A outlet at 120V can only handle 1800 watts on its own (15Ax120V).<\/p>\n This can become a limiting factor even if the battery and the inverter in newer power stations are going to be capable of outputting higher watts. I bet 20A and 30A plugs will become more common in future solar generators.<\/p>\nWhat A Solar Generator Can And Can’t Do<\/h2>\n
How much power can a solar generator output?<\/h2>\n