Can I Run My Aircon on Solar?
This is probably the single most asked question we get, and the answer splits three ways depending on when you want the aircon running. During the day is straightforward. At night is expensive. Through a brownout is a different conversation entirely.
First, what your aircon actually draws
You can't size anything without this. Check the label or the manual for input watts, not horsepower.
| Unit | Rough running draw | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 0.75 HP inverter split | ~400–600 W | Varies with how hard it's working |
| 1.0 HP inverter split | ~600–900 W | The common bedroom unit |
| 1.5 HP inverter split | ~900–1,400 W | Living room sizing |
| 2.0 HP inverter split | ~1,200–1,800 W | |
| Older non-inverter window | Much higher, and constant | Cycles hard on and off |
Inverter units matter enormously here. A non-inverter aircon runs flat out then shuts off, then repeats, and every startup is a surge. An inverter unit ramps down and holds a steady, far lower draw once the room is cool. For solar it's not a close call.
Running it during the day
Easy, and this is the best use of solar there is. A 1.5 HP inverter unit pulling around 1,200 W needs roughly 1.2 kW of generation while it runs, so a 3kW array comfortably carries one aircon plus the ordinary household load in good sun.
And remember the economics from net metering: a kilowatt-hour you consume is worth about double one you export. Running the aircon at two in the afternoon on your own generation is the single most profitable thing you can do with a solar system.
Running it at night
Now you need a battery, and this is where budgets get tested. Work it out in kilowatt-hours.
A 1.5 HP inverter unit averaging around 1 kW, run for eight hours overnight, is about 8 kWh. That's a substantial battery on its own, before you've backed up a single light or the fridge. Two bedrooms doing the same thing roughly doubles it.
It's entirely possible. It just needs to be a decision made with the number in front of you rather than a hope. Most households who ask for it end up choosing one bedroom unit rather than the whole house, and they're generally happy with that.
Running it through a brownout
Two constraints, not one, and people usually only think about the first.
- Energy, in kWh, which is the battery's size. How long you want it to run.
- Power, in kW, which is the inverter's continuous rating. Whether it can supply the draw at all.
Plus the surge. A compressor starting pulls well above its running figure for a moment, and the inverter has to ride that out. Older non-inverter units are the worst offenders, which is another reason they suit solar poorly.
So "can it run my aircon in a brownout" is really two questions: is the inverter big enough to start it, and is the battery big enough to keep it going as long as you want. Both need answering before anyone quotes.
Cheap things that shrink the problem
Before buying more panels or a bigger battery, these genuinely help:
- Replace a non-inverter unit with an inverter one. Often the best peso-for-peso move available.
- Set it to 24–25°C rather than 18. The compressor works far less hard and you'll barely notice.
- Service it. A dirty filter or low refrigerant makes a unit draw more to do less.
- Curtains, and closing the room off. Cooling a room with an open door is cooling the house.
- Run a fan alongside. Moving air feels cooler, so you can set a higher temperature.
We size around your actual appliances rather than assuming. Tell us which units you have and when you use them, and the answer comes out of arithmetic instead of optimism.
Tell us which units you have
This is one of those questions where a five-minute conversation beats an hour of reading, because the answer hinges entirely on your specific units and when you run them.
If you're interested in solar and want to know honestly whether it'll carry your aircon, message us with the models and roughly when you use them, or give us a call. You can also come and talk it through at our shop in Concordia, Bolinao.