Solar Air Conditioner and Heater

I have a feeling you guys will love this. After everyone I have talked to from being in the wind/solar industry for 10 years, I can tell you that no one has a plan to heat and cool their tiny houses.

Finally, an amazing option for the tiny house, on/off grid cabin, propagation house etc.
Runs off 100% DC power w/ 220AC  input for night time


Indoor head gets mounted on the wall


Outdoor compressor unit
MC4 Solar input 100V DC required


Cools, heats, dehumidifies
Thats 35 degree air coming off the fins




Visit
https://www.wind-rich.com/solar-air-conditioners for more info
Price $1795.00

or contact rich@wind-rich.com or windrichenergy@gmail.com

So it's basically a solar mini-split with a 220 line backup?
I think you just found what I'm putting in my house!!
One of the things I want is DIY installation, any idea if this is something I can do? I hate dealing with installation techs, they tend to piss me off...

Thank you for good info!!
Correct me if I'm wrong on my assumptions, please.

And any objection to my changing your subject line to Solar Air Conditioner and Heater?

Hi Pearl,

I have no objection to the heading change.

You can do basically everything yourself with some tips and pointers. However the lineset for the refrigerant needs to be evacuated. Any HVAC guy who does this all the time will understand what I mean.
The compressor uses R410A and comes precharged, the evacuation is to vacuum the lines and head so theres no moisture.
Its very very standard process in the HVAC industry and identical to any other Mini Split heat pump install from that POV.

Ok, so I would end up needing an install tech. Crap. I'm living in a tiny town, the local guys seem clueless about a LOT of things, hate to trust them with tech they don't understand, and the good ones charge for 40 miles each way of drive time.

Hi Pearl
What we can't do ourselves we must always wait for, or pay for, sometimes both. Sorry, skipping the evacuation step is a HVAC no-no. The efficiency drops and moisture can lead to acid building and damaging components.

I know for a fact there are units running in SW MO :)

Yeah, logically I know that.... emotionally I'm just... I hate dealing with people who don't understand what I'm doing :)
Cool, glad  they are running here!
I did bookmark them, that is the coolest thing I have seen :)
Odds are VERY high I'll buy one :)

I did bookmark them, that is the coolest thing I have seen :)
Odds are VERY high I'll buy one :)

Wait until you see the Off grid Solar DC boat dock I am going to post :)
The panels ARE the roof of the structure.

Rico - so I take it Wind-Rich is your company?   If you're a solar expert can you talk about that requirement as well, or are you assuming that people already have solar set up and just need to add another panel?    I don't even know how to talk HVAC but how many square feet can this thing heat and cool?   A "tiny house" is only about 300 sq ft.   So $1760 plus solar panels seems a bit pricey for that application.    I have a 720 sq foot frame house and am considering options for heat.   I use a large window A/C which is working fine for the times when it's over 80 at night.

I don't even know how to talk HVAC but how many square feet can this thing heat and cool?   A "tiny house" is only about 300 sq ft.   So $1760 plus solar panels seems a bit pricey for that application.    I have a 720 sq foot frame house and am considering options for heat.   I use a large window A/C which is working fine for the times when it's over 80 at night.

Use $4000 completely installed with 4 panels for an example
subtract 30% federal tax incentive ($1200) $2800 total
SEER +72 efficiency daytime and 22 night
Running on pennies or for free
Designed after PR Hurricane to run independent of grid for safety
VS
$2350 for SEER 16 junk
no tax cred
doesnt work if the grids off
So, Yes the value is way there for an extra few hundred bucks for sure


To answer your other questions.
Yes, Wind-Rich is my baby, i started when i was 22 to pursue my passion for alternatives to the corporate path.

This unit will do 1000 sq ft cool or heat

Very cool. No pun intended. This seems to be exactly what I've been looking for.

Thank you.
We’re open to suggestions to different applications as well.

The bridge rectifier tech has been around for 5+ years with these but recently the ante was upped with the development of the completely independent operation of the ACDC12C model, that has a DC override function!

Pearl Sutton wrote:Yeah, logically I know that.... emotionally I'm just... I hate dealing with people who don't understand what I'm doing :)
Cool, glad  they are running here!
I did bookmark them, that is the coolest thing I have seen :)
Odds are VERY high I'll buy one :)

Its ok there is a machine available that does not require an hvac technician or any real special equipment or tools, to boot!

Chiltrix reverse cycle chillers provide heat, ac and dehumidification, domestic hot water. 3 ton capacity and up, modular.

It is an air to water heat pump and has glycol in insulated line-sets to distribute heat. This keeps the refrigerant outside the home and you can add outputs with new lines and heat exchangers privately!

Hotspot energy has some interesting products and chiltrix is among the highest efficiency and reliability.

http://www.hotspotenergy.com/air-cooled-chiller/

http://www.hotspotenergy.com/

Another hydronic heat pump without need for technicians.

http://spacepak.com/Solstice.html

Now, i must say (being a designer/technician myself) that 8 out of 10 a technician or light crew will generally do a more thorough installation/integration and generally have parts, fittings and fasteners, tools and techniques that the average person does not. This generally translates to better asthetics, higher performance, longevity, better product selection to start with and happier owners and users of devices in the end.

It can avoid that crook-shanked gooped up, marred and vibrating machine that is only a point of pride in that it works, kinda like advertised.....

That being said, i got to be a "technician" out of a desire and need to install and maintain my own off grid systems. In ghat way it is actually an homage to diy, though sounds like a detraction.

Anything worth doing at all, is worth doing right. Read all manuals and how to's on the subject, hang out and talk with pros, go on a ride along a few times in exchange for labor, anything but throw it at the wall and hope it sticks!

Materials ( especially advanced tech) and time working to save for them or install them are precious.... as is saving face on a multi (???.??) dollar project on our families and friends respect account.

That is a very reasonable unit Frank. It's always been my problem with heat pump they were always too big. I have 1200 sq ft of very well insulated space so large equipment would be a waste. I like the air to liquid option to avoid the refrigeration sub... it would mesh well with my radiant floor.

The problem I have with solutions like this is that you are dedicating the entire output of the solar panel to the heat-pump.  If the heat-pump doesn't need the all the energy the panel produces, the rest is wasted.

You can pickup a 9,000 btu Pioneer mini-split heat-pump that runs on 110V for less than $600, and it will produce heat as well as cooling.

You can buy a lot of inverters, batteries, etc. for the $1200 you save over buying the above unit.

9,000 btus is more than enough for a tiny house.  If you have a larger house they are available in larger sizes.  I use the 12,000 btu unit in my 1500 sq ft house.

Peter VanDerWal wrote:The problem I have with solutions like this is that you are dedicating the entire output of the solar panel to the heat-pump.  If the heat-pump doesn't need the all the energy the panel produces, the rest is wasted.

You can pickup a 9,000 btu Pioneer mini-split heat-pump that runs on 110V for less than $600, and it will produce heat as well as cooling.

You can buy a lot of inverters, batteries, etc. for the $1200 you save over buying the above unit.

9,000 btus is more than enough for a tiny house.  If you have a larger house they are available in larger sizes.  I use the 12,000 btu unit in my 1500 sq ft house.

The output could be diverted automatically to batteries, ev, or rock tumblers, etc., but i view it the same as you do unless there is a need for seperation of systems, which can sometimes be called for as when a grid tie is maxed out per ordinance, electrical service capacity or utility policy.

In most cases (edit. Where i live) the solar version is actually going to call for line power more often than reject solar. So the 75% capacity for efficient ROI may come into play when sizing.

I would say if you have a budget large enough to cover the upfront cost of the heat pump and backup heating unit as a system,  then you can likely afford a large enough array for a simple grid tied net zero covering all and maybe even to run it offgrid with batteries until you require backup. In the right place and building efficiency, backup might not be needed at all.

Pv, co-gen and heatpumps driving radiant distribution in high performance structures are where its at for now..... lots of work to do after decades of crap information/standards like R14 walls and ceilings in extreme climates "anything more in the way of insulation is throwing away money"

Inflation, artificially cheap energy, scarcity of fuels and major economic downturn for the last two decades of energy wars changed that a bit.... and who didnt see it coming? Brought to you by..... the energy monopolies!

frank li wrote:

Pearl Sutton wrote:Yeah, logically I know that.... emotionally I'm just... I hate dealing with people who don't understand what I'm doing :)
Cool, glad  they are running here!
I did bookmark them, that is the coolest thing I have seen :)
Odds are VERY high I'll buy one :)

Its ok there is a machine available that does not require an hvac technician or any real special equipment or tools, to boot!

Chiltrix reverse cycle chillers provide heat, ac and dehumidification, domestic hot water. 3 ton capacity and up, modular.

It is an air to water heat pump and has glycol in insulated line-sets to distribute heat. This keeps the refrigerant outside the home and you can add outputs with new lines and heat exchangers privately!

Hotspot energy has some interesting products and chiltrix is among the highest efficiency and reliability.

http://www.hotspotenergy.com/air-cooled-chiller/

http://www.hotspotenergy.com/

Another hydronic heat pump without need for technicians.

http://spacepak.com/Solstice.html

I will add that you can get the chiltrix or the hotspot acdc12 direct from hotspot energy who is also getting an email from me this morning about dealers. Hotspot Energy has great customer service, by the way.

Frank.

Pearl Sutton wrote:
One of the things I want is DIY installation, any idea if this is something I can do? I hate dealing with insatiably techs, they tend to piss me off...

Well, it's definitely doable, I did mine.  Whether  or not you can do it depends on you.

You'll need a good vacuum pump, I spent about $115 on mine(new).  Probably not the pump I'd select if I did this for a living, but for doing 2-3 installs it was more than adequate.
I splurged and bought a micron vacuum gauge,  that cost another $132.  If you want to be absolutely sure you don't have any leaks (or water left in the system) you really need something that can measure down to 100 microns or less.

Typical cheap vacuum gauges have a needle that is almost 1 psi wide(or even wider), there are about 51,715 microns in 1 psi.  So not only can't you tell the difference between 50 microns(great) and 50,000 microns (horrible), but you could be leaking hundreds of microns per hour (that's bad) ,or even thousands, and not be able to tell with a cheap gauge.

Altogether I spent about $350 or so on tools.  Around here the HVAC guys wanted $2,000-$3,000 for installation.  $350 and a few hours work were worth it to me.

Peter VanDerWal wrote:

Pearl Sutton wrote:
One of the things I want is DIY installation, any idea if this is something I can do? I hate dealing with insatiably techs, they tend to piss me off...

Well, it's definitely doable, I did mine.  Whether  or not you can do it depends on you.

You'll need a good vacuum pump, I spent about $115 on mine(new).  Probably not the pump I'd select if I did this for a living, but for doing 2-3 installs it was more than adequate.
I splurged and bought a micron vacuum gauge,  that cost another $132.  If you want to be absolutely sure you don't have any leaks (or water left in the system) you really need something that can measure down to 100 microns or less.

Typical cheap vacuum gauges have a needle that is almost 1 psi wide(or even wider), there are about 51,715 microns in 1 psi.  So not only can't you tell the difference between 50 microns(great) and 50,000 microns (horrible), but you could be leaking hundreds of microns per hour (that's bad) ,or even thousands, and not be able to tell with a cheap gauge.

Altogether I spent about $350 or so on tools.  Around here the HVAC guys wanted $2,000-$3,000 for installation.  $350 and a few hours work were worth it to me.

Insatiably techs? What a weird typo I made there, missed that... I'll blame spell check :D I think I was trying to say installation

Hm, good info, thank you, I'll think on it. I could probably do it tech-wise, and I appreciate the tool specsl :) My thing is usually if you get install guys involved on any of it, they don't like to do just the part you want done, they want to do it all the way they always do it, and they don't understand all the other factors that are involved in why it is the way it is. They don't care about the whole design, and how things fit in, and rarely want to understand, just steamroll over you "This is how we do it!!" Yeah, well, I am not a fan of the results you get when you do it that way.... Could be I'm just an alien :) And I haven't done anything more than chat with any of the local HVAC guys, but what I heard didn't give me the feeling "yes! This is who I want to work with!" the feeling I got was "this is how we do it, because this is how we do it, no other input wanted."

Do you sell theses kits? How about install guides? I think this is awesome and unique!

Pearl Sutton wrote:

Peter VanDerWal wrote:

Pearl Sutton wrote:
One of the things I want is DIY installation, any idea if this is something I can do? I hate dealing with insatiably techs, they tend to piss me off...

Well, it's definitely doable, I did mine.  Whether  or not you can do it depends on you.

You'll need a good vacuum pump, I spent about $115 on mine(new).  Probably not the pump I'd select if I did this for a living, but for doing 2-3 installs it was more than adequate.
I splurged and bought a micron vacuum gauge,  that cost another $132.  If you want to be absolutely sure you don't have any leaks (or water left in the system) you really need something that can measure down to 100 microns or less.

Typical cheap vacuum gauges have a needle that is almost 1 psi wide(or even wider), there are about 51,715 microns in 1 psi.  So not only can't you tell the difference between 50 microns(great) and 50,000 microns (horrible), but you could be leaking hundreds of microns per hour (that's bad) ,or even thousands, and not be able to tell with a cheap gauge.

Altogether I spent about $350 or so on tools.  Around here the HVAC guys wanted $2,000-$3,000 for installation.  $350 and a few hours work were worth it to me.

Insatiably techs? What a weird typo I made there, missed that... I'll blame spell check :D I think I was trying to say installation

Hm, good info, thank you, I'll think on it. I could probably do it tech-wise, and I appreciate the tool specsl :) My thing is usually if you get install guys involved on any of it, they don't like to do just the part you want done, they want to do it all the way they always do it, and they don't understand all the other factors that are involved in why it is the way it is. They don't care about the whole design, and how things fit in, and rarely want to understand, just steamroll over you "This is how we do it!!" Yeah, well, I am not a fan of the results you get when you do it that way.... Could be I'm just an alien :) And I haven't done anything more than chat with any of the local HVAC guys, but what I heard didn't give me the feeling "yes! This is who I want to work with!" the feeling I got was "this is how we do it, because this is how we do it, no other input wanted."

Glad You decided to buy your own tools and DIY. this units is so small you don't need them to install. I hate idiots techs, that goes for idiot city inspectors too. OLE!

I have one currently. Installed it this summer.  Ran amazing for air conditioner all summer and hardly noticed any draw on the solar panels.  Tried to use it for heating, but in my area to many gray days......so most of the time its off and am using the wood stove, but when the sun is out it is still working even though its gotten in the negatives this winter.  I have a 1300 sq ft house.  I would say it keeps half of it warm.  Here is a video of when we ran it in the summer time and I have an instal/update video on my channel if you want to see how it looks.

These look really cool (pun intended) units. I showed them to my brother (who recently came back from Thailand) and he said these are what everyone uses over there. I could totally use one of these for my place to get out of the summer heat. That I could run it off solar is just awesome since I have no other choice, with no power to my property.

So since none of the sites linked don't actually give prices. (a pet peeve of mine) I took a look on Amazon, and there are a few options for these on there.

$670 & FREE Shipping  Senville 12000 BTU Mini Split Air Conditioner and Heat Pump SENL-12CD
https://www.amazon.com/Senville-SENL-12CD-12000-Split-Conditioner/dp/B00UV3LGUE/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=solar+air+conditioner&qid=1553708611&s=gateway&sr=8-4

That one has options to get less or more btu units. And the price will go up or down depending on which you choose. 9000 btu for $620 to 2400 btu for $950. This seller does not make the voltage easy to find, but 18000 and up is 230v

$820 & FREE Shipping Amazon Choice Pioneer WYS012-17 Air Conditioner Inverter+ Ductless Wall Mount Mini Split System Air Conditioner & Heat Pump Full Set, 12000 BTU 115V
https://www.amazon.com/WYS012-17-Air-Conditioner-Inverter-Ductless/dp/B01DVW6G06/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=solar+air+conditioner&qid=1553708611&s=gateway&sr=8-3

This one also has options The higher price for the same size unit likely due to it being name brand. 9000 btu for $688 up to 36000 btu $1788. There is also 230v options and anything over 1200 btu is only 230v

$620 & Free Shipping Klimaire KSIA 17 SEER 12,000 BTU Ductless Mini-Split Inverter Air Conditioner Heat Pump System (12K BTU_115V)
https://www.amazon.com/Klimaire-Ductless-Mini-Split-Conditioner-Installation/dp/B07GVPZMYJ/ref=sr_1_9?keywords=solar%2Bair%2Bconditioner&qid=1553708611&s=gateway&sr=8-9&th=1

Options here as well. 9000 btu $630 to 36000 btu $1770 again 120v stops at 12000 btu.

Here are some that does 2 zones, not sure it is worth it. I likely would opt for 2 separate units rather than two indoor pieces running off the same outdoor one. Seems you could get 2 full units for the same price or even less, and have the redundancy of two outdoor units incase one breaks down. Only reason I could see for going with one of these split zone set ups is if you are seriously limited for space for the outdoor unit.

$1,649.99 & FREE Shipping  Senville SENA-18MO-209 18000 BTU Dual Zone Split Air Conditioner and Heat Pump, Mini
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UV3LL1S/ref=psdc_13397451_t1_B06XW34FLJ

$2,325.30 & FREE Shipping YMGI-24000 BTU 12000+12000 DUAL ZONE DUCTLESS MINI SPLIT AIR CONDITIONER Heat Pump
https://www.amazon.com/YMGI-24000-12000-DUCTLESS-SPLIT-CONDITIONER/dp/B06XW34FLJ/ref=sr_1_19?keywords=solar+air+conditioner&qid=1553708611&s=gateway&sr=8-19

Over all I could see these being a handy off grid option to cool and dehumidify. Likely not going to be a great heater, but could help and a little help can go a long way in bitter cold. I am seriously looking at these for my place this summer. We can get 110-120 F at times in summer, so cooling down mid day can be very important. I could install in my trailer, but I was thinking it might be a better option to install in the RV carp port around my trailer (I do have insulation around to hold heat in from wood stove in winter). Cool that area down, but not so cool that going back outside is a shock. I will have to see how it works and see which placement makes the most sense.

I've installed grid connected 220volt mini-splits and wanted to ask if there is a recommendation for inverter, batteries, charge controller to take a 15000btu (1.25 ton) unit completely off-grid ? Am completely new to the solar side but would like to experiment and isolate one of our mini-splits to off-grid and take that as a learning experience.

In our temperature zone, we never need heat so we run heatpumps and typically a single unit never exceeds 500-600watts of power. When hurricanes strike, we run entire house, all heatpumps (5), pool pump, refrigerators (3) on a single 5kW honda inverter and never exceed 2.5kW of power. All motors and compressors are inverters and all motors and compressors are wired as 220volt.

Maybe an idea for the d.i.y. people: remove the whole aircon system from an old car, mount it as a split unit in your house and run the compressor via a v-belt on a 24v dc motor, connected to solarpanel. A typical car aircon, i was told, is about 13000 btu....