With each passing year, more and more homeowners in Foothill Ranch, CA are exploring the addition of solar power systems to their houses. It’s an excellent way to lower their household’s carbon footprint and energy bills simultaneously.
However, to get the most out of a solar power system, you must understand how to integrate it with your home’s most power-hungry systems. Among them, your house’s HVAC system offers some unique integration challenges. To help with that, here’s a guide to HVAC options that pair well with solar power, courtesy of White Mechanical, Inc. heating and cooling services experts.
A Primer on Solar Power and HVAC
If you’re not already aware, there’s a difference between the electricity generated by solar panels and the electricity you use in your home. The panels output direct current (DC), while your house and all of its devices use alternating current (AC). The two monikers explain the difference.
Direct current sends electrons flowing through wires in a single direction. Alternating current, by contrast, switches its electron flow direction 60 times every second. Homes rely on AC power mainly because it’s easier to transmit over vast distances than DC.
As a result of the difference, a solar power system needs a device called an inverter to convert its output to AC. Some solar power systems also include batteries to store power for use when the sun isn’t shining. The problem is that the average solar inverter and battery system can’t handle sudden large electrical demands. That’s an issue for HVAC units, which draw lots of electricity, particularly on startup. The good news is that a few ways exist to overcome this problem.
If you intend to keep your home’s existing HVAC system, you must account for it in your solar system design. At a minimum, you’ll need an inverter and a battery capable of supplying your HVAC unit’s required operating voltage. You may also need a soft starter device to smooth out your HVAC’s startup power draw. They reduce the current your HVAC system needs at startup by up to 60%. As an added benefit, soft starters minimize wear and tear on your HVAC unit and help it last longer.
Solar-Friendly HVAC Upgrades
Another way to approach integrating your HVAC unit with a solar power system is to upgrade to a solar-compatible HVAC option. If you decide to go that route, there are a few options to choose from.
DC-Powered Mini-Splits
Due to the increasing popularity of residential solar power systems, HVAC manufacturers are beginning to make systems designed to work with them. One option is called a DC-powered ductless mini-split. These units work natively with the type of electricity solar panels generate and store in batteries. Most DC-powered mini-splits even come packaged with their own panels and batteries. That makes them a self-contained solar-powered comfort option.
Multiple advantages come with a DC-powered mini-split. The first is the simplicity of their installation. They don’t connect to your home’s AC power systems; instead, they connect straight to their batteries and solar panels. That means there’s no need to interrupt power to your home during installation. Another advantage of DC-powered solar mini-splits is that they’ll keep working during a grid failure.
That guarantees your comfort in the event of a power outage. It’s also easy to add additional batteries to a DC-powered mini-split to extend runtime at night or on overcast days. Direct-DC mini-splits are also very efficient because they avoid the energy losses inherent in the DC-to-AC power conversion process.
Unfortunately, DC-powered mini-splits have some disadvantages. One of them is cost. They can cost up to twice as much as a comparable AC-powered mini-split. That’s because DC-powered solar mini-splits are typically only used in off-grid homes. Since that’s a bit of a niche market, few HVAC manufacturers make the systems, keeping prices high. Another disadvantage is the limitations posed by battery capacity.
With no connection to the power grid, a purely solar system is at the mercy of its batteries when there’s no sunshine. So, if you experience several consecutive overcast but hot days, your unit may run out of power unless you upgrade its storage capacity.
AC-Powered Mini-Splits
Another option you can choose is an AC-powered ductless mini-split. They integrate with solar power systems just like your current ducted HVAC would. They rely on AC power coming from the solar inverter. However, ductless mini-splits, in general, are less power-hungry than central ducted HVACs.
That can help you to stay within your solar power system’s generation and storage capacity. It also means the unit can draw grid power when necessary. As a result, you can use an AC-powered mini-split with no battery storage if your solar system doesn’t have any.
It’s also worth pointing out that AC-powered mini-splits come in the widest variety of capacities. You can buy models designed to serve a single room or as many as eight separate zones. However, the larger a system you buy, the less likely it will operate on solar-generated power alone. That means you likely can’t depend on one during a grid failure unless you have significant battery storage capacity.
Hybrid Power Mini-Splits
Finally, you can opt for a hybrid-power mini-split. They can run on either DC or AC power and feature intelligent load-switching capabilities. A typical hybrid system will have its own solar panels that function independently of your home’s primary solar power system. The benefit is that it eliminates the need to worry about your solar system’s generation capacity and your inverter’s peak power supply capabilities. Additionally, a hybrid system connects to your house’s AC power system and uses AC power only when necessary.
Many hybrid mini-splits can use both DC and AC power simultaneously. That lets them augment solar power with grid power as solar generation fluctuates. Some even allow you to limit total AC wattage to control their grid power draw. That can be useful if your home is nearing its electrical service capacity.
However, it’s essential to know that most hybrid power mini-splits aren’t directly compatible with batteries. So, a hybrid system may not work well for you if you’re trying to minimize grid power usage. In that case, you’d be better off purchasing the most efficient AC-powered mini-split you can find. That way, you can combine it with your rooftop solar system and its battery storage without exceeding its capacity.
Your Local Solar HVAC Experts
If you’re looking for the perfect heating or cooling system to install and combine with solar power in Foothill Ranch, White Mechanical, Inc. can help. We carry a range of quality ductless mini-splits, and our HVAC technicians understand how to integrate them with solar power. They’re also NATE-certified, so you can expect quality workmanship from them. Plus, we’re top-rated on HomeAdvisor and previously won their Best Of award in 2020.
We also offer financing options on approved credit to help you pay for the HVAC system you need. Rely on our technicians for heating and cooling repair, installation, and maintenance as well.
When you’re ready to install an HVAC unit to go with your home’s solar power system, call White Mechanical, Inc. right away.
