Reduce Energy Bills with Solar Air Conditioning

Depending on the climate where you live, there are probably four to six months out of the year when it’s fairly easy to keep your energy bills at a reasonable level: you put on a sweater when you’re chilly or open a window when you’re a little warm.

Unfortunately, scientists predict that as the effects of climate change become more pronounced, extreme heat will become the summertime norm rather than the exception. When the temperatures climb above 80, 90 or even 100 degrees you need something more than a cold shower to stay comfortable.
Even the most climate conscious among us usually has to fire up the air conditioner once or twice during the dog days of summer. And even using a small air conditioner for a few hours a day is likely to have a considerable effect on your energy bills.

Although many people know that a home solar system can help offset their dependence on grid-supplied electricity, few realize that it doesn’t take a solar lease to reduce their utility bills.

This summer, many energy conscious families are turning to solar powered air conditioning as a way to reduce their bills as well as their environmental impact.
There are four main ways to utilize solar energy for cooling purposes:

1. Photovoltaic Solar Cooling: One of the simplest ways to cool your home using the energy of the sun, this method connects a solar photovoltaic array to an energy efficient conventional air conditioner. However because of the intense energy consumption of most conventional air conditioners, solar power only contributes about 10-20 percent of the power used.

2. Solar Powered Evaporative Cooling: Evaporative cooling is the process of reducing air temperature by drawing it over a moist surface with a fan. Because most evaporative cooling units (also known as swamp coolers) require far less energy to operate than a traditional air conditioner, the power can be supplied easily by a small photovoltaic array. The only drawback is that this approach tends to be successful only in arid climates.

3. Solar Powered Absorption Chillers: In this type of system, solar heat is used to separate the absorbent and the refrigerant from each other. The refrigerant is then compressed and evaporated to create a cooling effect for your home.

4. Solar Desiccant Cooling: Instead of actually cooling the existing air, this system achieves a cooling effect by reducing the amount of moisture in the air. Water in the air is removed when a fan draws it over special material called a desiccant. Once the material is soaked with water, solar heat is used to evaporate the moisture into the outside air. In this way, humidity inside your home is reduced, which has a cooling effect.

Beth Buczynski is an editor and solar enthusiast at GreenMarketing.TV the green entrepreneur’s source for start-up ideas and insightful interviews with the industry’s top thinkers. She also enjoys discovering socially responsible companies at EntrepreneursforaChange.com.

 

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