Summer invites you to enjoy nature, the sun, the beach... and air conditioning becomes an essential device to enjoy your trip, whether in a caravan, camper van or tent. And surely you have wondered how much an air conditioner consumes and if you could use solar generators through portable plates.
In this article, we will explain how the consumption of air conditioning is calculated, how much your consumption would be per month and what factors influence your energy expenditure. In addition, we will give you some tips to reduce your consumption and we will talk about our options for solar panels for air conditioning, an efficient solution in portable solar energy that does not require any installation.
How is air conditioning consumption calculated?
To calculate the consumption of air conditioning, the unit of measurement kilowatt hour (kWh) is used. The electrical energy consumption of an air conditioner depends on several factors, such as the power of the equipment, the temperature to which you want to cool the space, the energy efficiency of the device, the energy efficiency of the vehicle or home, and the time it is used. .
The formula to calculate the kilowatt hour consumption of an air conditioner is the following: Consumption (kWh) = Power (kW) x Time (hours).
For example, if you have a 1.5 kW air conditioner and use it for 5 hours a day, the daily consumption would be 7.5 kWh.
How much does my air conditioning consume per month?
The monthly consumption of an air conditioner will depend on the daily consumption and the number of days it is used. Continuing with the previous example, if you use the air conditioning for 30 days a month, the monthly consumption would be 225 kWh (7.5 kWh x 30 days).
If, in addition, you want to know what battery you would need for an air conditioner with a solar panel, you just have to multiply the daily consumption by the number of days you want to maintain autonomy.
It is important to keep in mind that this calculation is an estimate and that actual consumption may vary depending on the factors that we have mentioned before and that we will detail below.
What does the consumption of my air conditioning depend on?
As we mentioned, the consumption of an air conditioner depends on multiple factors. Among them, there is the power of the equipment or the set temperature, but there are other points to take into account when it comes to knowing how much an air conditioner consumes.
Air conditioning power
The power of the equipment is one of the most important factors when calculating how much the air conditioner consumes. The greater the power, the greater its consumption or energy expenditure.
Therefore, it is important to choose an air conditioner with the right power for the size of the room, caravan or tent. At this point, it is important to calculate the frigories of the air conditioning and adapt them to the m2 of the passenger compartment.
Temperatures
The temperature to which you want to cool the space also influences the consumption of electrical energy. The lower the temperature, the higher the consumption.
In addition, the greater the difference between the set temperature and the passenger compartment, the greater the time required and, finally, the consumption.
In this way, it is advisable to keep the air conditioning at a temperature between 24 and 26ºC and look for cool areas to park our caravan or camper van.
Insulation and energy efficiency
As we said, the cabin temperature is important when it comes to knowing how much air conditioning is consumed.
If our caravan, camper van or tent is not well insulated, we will need more time to reach the desired temperature.
In addition, it is recommended to avoid
AC energy efficiency
The energy efficiency of the appliance is another important factor when calculating the consumption of electrical energy. Appliances with higher energy efficiency consume less energy to perform the same function than those with less energy efficiency.
The time of use
Clearly, the length of time the air conditioner is used is another factor to consider. The longer it is used, the greater the consumption of electrical energy.
Although if you are concerned about how much an air conditioner consumes, there are studies that indicate that it is better to keep it on to maintain the temperature than turning it off and on, since it would lead to more consumption.
Tips to lower air conditioning consumption
In addition to the tips associated with the points detailed above, here are some extra tips to reduce the consumption of electrical energy from your air conditioning and be able to enjoy without worries:
- Take advantage of the coolest hours of the day: During the coolest hours of the day, such as morning or night, it is advisable to turn off the air conditioning and open the windows to ventilate our caravan or camper van. In this way, the time of use of the air conditioning is reduced.
- Use curtains, blinds, sunshades, awnings, umbrellas: these can help keep the interior of the cabin cool, as they reduce the amount of sunlight. In this way, the need to use the air conditioning is reduced and the temperature is not raised so much.
- Keep the AC filter clean: If the AC filter is dirty, the unit will have to work harder to cool the room. Therefore, it is important to clean the filter regularly so that the air conditioner works efficiently.
- Insulate the vehicle well: making an investment in insulating the vehicle well will be useful for both the winter and summer seasons and guarantee greater comfort. Likewise, avoid opening or keeping doors or windows open while using the air conditioning.
Solar panel for air conditioning: BLUETTI the solution in solar energy
A portable solar panel can be an excellent solution to provide power to an air conditioner in a caravan, camper van or camping tent. By using solar energy, it is not necessary to depend on an electrical network, which provides greater flexibility and freedom when planning your route.
Portable solar panels are especially useful as they can be easily transported from one location to another and placed in the most suitable location to maximize sun exposure. Also, if it includes batteries we turn it into a portable and independent power station.
Our range of solar generators BLUETTI are capable of not only being powered by the sun, but also they are also capable of storing energy through their built-in rechargeable batteries or their expansion batteries.
An example is our power station BLUETTI EB70
And if your needs are more demanding, we have other solar energy kits with better features and with which to obtain the electrical autonomy you need.
Without a doubt, a very useful option to use an air conditioner with a solar panel, since it does not require installations and its transportation is extremely easy.
How to save energy?
In addition to the tips mentioned above, there are other steps you can take to save energy in your van and make the most of energy:
- Switch to LED bulbs: LED bulbs consume up to 80% less energy than incandescent bulbs, making them a great option for saving energy.
- Use efficient appliances: Efficient appliances consume less energy than conventional appliances, so it is important to choose appliances with a good energy label.
- Disconnect the devices you don't use: Even if the devices are turned off, they can continue to consume energy if they are plugged into the electrical network. Therefore, it is advisable to disconnect the devices that are not used.
It goes without saying that the installation of a solar panel for air conditioning can be an ideal solution to reduce electricity consumption, while achieving autonomy and making use of renewable and sustainable energy.
In conclusion, air conditioning is an important tool to maintain comfort, but sometimes it involves significant energy consumption and it is necessary to resort to renewable and autonomous energy sources such as solar energy. With the use of solar panels or solar generators and portable power stations, it is becoming increasingly possible to obtain energy independence with which to enjoy a different camper experience.
