When you’re traveling in an RV, for example, comfort during the trip is usually a matter of installing an air conditioner in the RV. For RV air conditioning, which is a high power consuming device, when you are far away from the power grid, it becomes a big problem for your RV to provide power for the air conditioner. If you install a solar power system, you don’t have to worry about your RV’s air conditioner not working properly because of the area you’re traveling in. In this article, we will introduce you to the working wattage of RV air conditioners and the number of solar panels you need to use.

1. What is the wattage of an RV air conditioner?

RV air conditioners are arguably the most powerful piece of electronic equipment in an RV. Typically, RV air conditioners have a wattage of between 500W and 1500W, but the actual wattage of the RV air conditioner may be related to the size and function of the RV air conditioner you choose. If the area where you mainly drive is hot or you often travel in summer, you can choose the RV air conditioner with heating function only, which will have lower power.

2. Factors affecting the power of caravan air conditioner

Caravan size: the size of the caravan directly affects the power of the caravan air conditioning, when the caravan is relatively large but the power of the air conditioning is relatively small, then the air conditioning will not achieve the expected cooling or heating effect. When the caravan is relatively small but the power of the air conditioner is relatively large, this will be easier to cause a waste of electricity. Therefore, the air conditioner needs to be matched to the RV and this also affects the power of the RV air conditioner.

BTU of RV Air Conditioner: The BTU of the RV air conditioner is a measure of the cooling of the air conditioner, which is directly related to the power of the air conditioner. When the BTU of the RV air conditioner is higher, the cooling effect of the air conditioner will be better and therefore the power of the RV air conditioner will be higher. It is important for you to consider the BTU of your RV air conditioner when you are choosing your RV air conditioner, it is not only related to your experience but also affects the cost of your usage.

Brand: different brands of RV air conditioners may use different technology in the manufacturing process of the air conditioner, which means that the power of the RV air conditioner may be different, all other things being equal.

Size: Larger air conditioners have larger internal components, and when the compressor and condenser are larger, the cooling and heating effect of the air conditioner will be better, which means that the power of the air conditioner will be higher.

3. How to calculate how many solar panels are needed for an RV air conditioner?

Before calculating how many solar panels you need for your RV air conditioner, you need to know several figures. Including the RV air conditioner energy consumption, peak sunshine hours, and the power of solar panels.

RV Air Conditioner Power Consumption: before you know how much power your RV air conditioner consumes, you need to know how much power your RV air conditioner uses. You can find out the power of your RV air conditioner by checking the label or manual of your RV air conditioner. Aside from that, you need to keep track of how long you use your air conditioner every day. This is where you can use the following formula to calculate the power consumption of your RV air conditioner.

RV Air Conditioner Power Consumption = RV Air Conditioner Wattage * Air Conditioner Usage Hours

If the power of your caravan air-conditioner is 1kw, and you use the air-conditioner for an average of 5h per day, then your caravan air-conditioner’s power consumption is 5kwh.

Local peak sunshine hours: When your caravan travels to different areas, the corresponding peak sunshine hours will be different. This will affect the number of solar panels. And there are many factors affecting the size of peak sunshine hours, such as altitude, latitude, etc. You can check the peak sunshine hours of different places on the internet. But you’d better use the average value of peak sunshine hours to reduce the error.

Power of solar panel: For solar panels used in caravans, 300W and 550W are more common. You can choose the solar panel that suits your actual needs.

Once you know the above data, you can calculate the number of solar panels. You also need to use the following formula.

Number of solar panels = power consumption of RV air conditioner / peak sunlight hours / power of solar panels

Let’s still use the above data to calculate, the power consumption of your caravan air conditioner is 5kwh, if the peak sunshine duration is 4h in your area, and the power of the solar panel you choose is 550W, then you need 5kwh/4h/550W ≈ 2 pieces. In this case, you need to buy 2 pieces of 550W solar panels.

Conclusion:

For caravan air conditioners, the power is usually between 500W and 1500W, and usually drivers only turn on the air conditioner when it is hot. But if you install a solar system on your RV, your RV air conditioner is running at no cost, as long as there is sunlight, the RV air conditioner will work. Considering the experience you will have while traveling in your RV, it is still more recommended that you install a solar system.