RV AC Unit Efficiency And Solar Power Capabilities

Question:

So at 14.5 amp draw can a SEER rating be determined ? Could this unit be run by a 2,000 watt inverter on a solar system ?

asked by: Richard V

Helpful Expert Reply:

The SEER rating method only applies to residential AC units. The BTU rating is how they determine RV AC unit efficiency so the higher the BTU the more efficient the unit is. Running The Furrion Chill Replacement RV Air Conditioner for Advent Air Setup - 13,500 Btu - White Item # FR82PV off of just Solar wouldn't really be feasible. You might get a few hours of use depending on the amount of panels you have pulling in power.

AC units typically won't even run off of just battery and end up requiring shore power. You'd have to have a fairly massive battery bank, quite a few panels, and a strong enough system to handle the power coming in to just run it using solar power. Depending on your environment you might not even be getting peak wattage out of your panels and may only get a few hours a day of peak sunshine so while it's not impossible it's just very hard to do so at this time. As companies push towards greener soultions this will eventually change.

expert reply by: Kevin C