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Old 03-12-2009, 02:56 PM   #3 (permalink)
shovel
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cfg83 View Post

Were you thinking of using a DC off-the-grid Air Conditioner to bypass the requirement of an inverter?
I was mostly thinking, since i already have a UPS and I can easily acquire a 200W panel... my A/C draws ~500w in operation, so 500 minus 200 is 300 roughly. In other words, my net electrical requirement from mains power would (potentially) be 300w if UPS's work that way.

It would not be "blackout proof" as the a/c unit still draws considerably more current continuously during operation than the panel is able to produce.. but if it reduces my operating costs - that's fine by me.

Presumably I'd need some type of diode to keep energy flowing in the "right" direction... well, this is the part I would need to research & am willing to do, but I just can't seem to find data on whether or not a UPS can even be hacked to work this way in the first place.

Otherwise, I may still use the UPS as a simple inverter/storage to run something less power hungry, completely isolated from the grid. A/C is simply the most attractive because it's a constant, necessary, and expensive load. (necessary to keep significant other happy, she doesn't give a damn about saving money/energy)

Last edited by shovel; 03-12-2009 at 03:02 PM..
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