During the last couple of years, solar energy has become more popular than ever, with many homeowners turning to panels on a regular basis. As a result, solar air conditioning has become a popular way to keep electricity costs down without having to sacrifice comfort at home. However, there are still many questions that make homeowners be unsure of whether adding solar panels to their houses is the right decision. If you have been thinking about moving to solar air conditioning, this is what you need to know before making a decision.
Costs of Window and Central Air Conditioning
There are many different factors we need to consider when talking about air conditioning costs, and whether we have window AC or central AC units is one of them. Other factors include how often we use our AC, the size of our unit, and the power usage. However, estimates show that, on average, AC usage in the United States accounts for 12% of home energy expenses. Also, according to the Energy Information Administration, central units caused homeowners to spend almost twice as much as individual units. Solar air conditioning can help reduce such costs.
How Many Solar Panels Do I Need per Unit?
For those who are considering changing solar air conditioning, the are some calculations to be made beforehand. First of all, we need to determine how much electricity we need to power our AC units, considering daily usage as well as yearly usage. We also need to think about the amount of sunlight exposure our panels will actually receive. Therefore, in order to determine how many solar panels we may need, we should find a solar energy company that is experienced and knowledgeable. They will help us calculate exactly how much electricity we need and how many panels to get.
Does Air Conditioning Come First?
A very common question many homeowners have regarding solar air conditioning is whether installing AC units must come before installing solar panels. However, this doesn’t have to be the case. In most cases, AC units are installed before going solar, but installing AC units in a house that already has solar panels is completely normal. We must be aware of the fact that installing air conditioning in our home will definitely increase our electricity usage. Therefore, we might need to install additional panels in order to cover the extra usage.
Why Should I Use Solar Air Conditioning?
There are many benefits that come from changing to solar air conditioning, and reducing our electricity usage and energy bills is one of them. When we start using solar energy to power our AC, our electricity usage will drastically decrease. AC usage can represent up to 34% of our monthly energy bills, especially during summer.
Therefore, powering air conditioners with solar energy instead of electricity could help us save almost half of what we spend on electricity. Also, we optimize our home, making it eco-friendlier, which helps the environment and can even help our pocket, too, since there are tax deductions and credits we can claim for green energy usage.