So far, so good. That self-sufficiency % just blows away my expectations - I was just hoping for 50%!
It's been running so well this spring that I'm already filling my 6 kWh battery by solar noon. So I'm expanding and about to add 5 kWh battery, and a 1 Ton (12k BTU) AC to use the excess I'm expecting to have during the hot months. I was actually scratching how I could use the excess power, but creativity came to the rescue - by pumping the output of a portable AC directly into my ductwork on an outlet served by solar! It looks odd, but I'm excited to see how it performs this summer.
I couldn't find space for a small heat-pump, so I got the most efficient 120v I could find. Maybe $600 + my time? The wood box has ducting to the outside for hot & fresh air to feed the AC. Thanks to some easy hacking, my furnace thinks it has an AC, and when it calls for cooling, the furnace fan kicks on, and Home Assistant turns on the AC. Beautiful stuff!
It's been running so well this spring that I'm already filling my 6 kWh battery by solar noon. So I'm expanding and about to add 5 kWh battery, and a 1 Ton (12k BTU) AC to use the excess I'm expecting to have during the hot months. I was actually scratching how I could use the excess power, but creativity came to the rescue - by pumping the output of a portable AC directly into my ductwork on an outlet served by solar! It looks odd, but I'm excited to see how it performs this summer.
I couldn't find space for a small heat-pump, so I got the most efficient 120v I could find. Maybe $600 + my time? The wood box has ducting to the outside for hot & fresh air to feed the AC. Thanks to some easy hacking, my furnace thinks it has an AC, and when it calls for cooling, the furnace fan kicks on, and Home Assistant turns on the AC. Beautiful stuff!
