How many solar panels to run a 3-ton air conditioner?

To run a 3-ton air conditioner on solar panels we have to install a heavy watt of solar panels. It also depends on how much sunlight we get each day to charge our solar panels and how much time we run our ACs in a day. In this article, we’ll go through the more such factors that determine how many solar panels to run a 3-ton air conditioner and how the calculation is done. 

Calculating how much power 3-ton air conditioning uses

Let’s say we have a 3-ton AC that uses 3000 watts of power. So, if we use the AC for the whole day, i.e., 24 hours, then it will consume 72 KWh, or (3000 X 24) / 1000 hours of energy each day. 

Steps to calculate the power consumption of AC

1. Know the 3-ton value in watts which is 3000 watts in this case.
2. Multiply the watts by the ACs running time in a day.
3. Divide the resulting value by 1000 to know the KWh of power consumption. 
4. Similarly, add the other appliance’s household consumption per hour to know the total consumption for each hour.

Steps to calculate the number of solar panels 

1. Firstly, know the peak hours of sunlight in a day, assuming 6 hours a day.
2. Multiply the per-hour requirement of a 3-ton AC (or total consumption per hour) by peak hours of sunlight.
3. Suppose we are considering installing the 150 watts or 300 watts solar panels. 
4. Divide the total consumption per hour by the watts of solar panels to know the number of solar panels required. 

Here is the table which shows each hour of calculation and the number of solar panels we need at our place: 

Running time in a day	Power consumption of a 3-ton AC	Other household consumption	Total consumption in a day	Number of solar panels required (for 150 W)	Number of solar panels required (for 300 W)
1 hour	3 KWh	30 KWh	33 KWh	1	1
2 hours	6 KWh	60 KWh	66 KWh	3	1
3 hours	9 KWh	90 KWh	99 KWh	4	2
4 hours	12 KWh	120 KWh	132 KWh	5	3
5 hours	15 KWh	150 KWh	165 KWh	7	3
6 hours	18 KWh	180 KWh	198 KWh	8	4
7 hours	21 KWh	210 KWh	231 KWh	9	5
8 hours	24 KWh	240 KWh	264 KWh	11	5
9 hours	27 KWh	270 KWh	297 KWh	12	6
10 hours	30 KWh	300 KWh	330 KWh	13	7
11 hours	33 KWh	330 KWh	363 KWh	15	7
12 hours	36 KWh	360 KWh	396 KWh	16	8
13 hours	39 KWh	390 KWh	429 KWh	17	9
14 hours	42 KWh	420 KWh	462 KWh	18	9
15 hours	45 KWh	450 KWh	495 KWh	20	10
16 hours	48 KWh	480 KWh	528 KWh	21	11
17 hours	51 KWh	510 KWh	561 KWh	22	11
18 hours	54 KWh	540 KWh	594 KWh	24	12
19 hours	57 KWh	570 KWh	627 KWh	25	13
20 hours	60 KWh	600 KWh	660 KWh	26	13
21 hours	63 KWh	630 KWh	693 KWh	28	14
22 hours	66 KWh	660 KWh	726 KWh	29	15
23 hours	69 KWh	690 KWh	759 KWh	30	15
24 hours	72 KWh	720 KWh	792 KWh	32	16

Calculation of Central AC and Window AC

1. Central AC

The centralized ACs are the ones that are of higher watts and can cool the whole area. Therefore, if we install a 3-ton centralized AC in our house, it requires more solar panels. 

Suppose we are using the AC for nine hours a day and considering installing 150 W of solar panels, then we need 12 solar panels. As the central AC has more fans, then we require more than 12 solar panels, which can go up to 15 solar panels. 

2. Window AC 

The window ACs come in different sizes and in various wattages. Suppose we have installed three window ACs in three rooms each having different wattage of electricity requirements with one being a 1-ton, 2-ton, and 3-ton. By converting each in watts it will be approximately equal to 1000 W, 2000 W, and 3000 W and they run for 12 hours, 11 hours, and 10 hours each day, respectively. 

Suppose, we have installed 150 W of solar panels, and the peak hours of sunlight in a day is 6 hours. Following the steps of the calculation, the total number of solar panels required will be 3. But to know the total number of solar panels we need to add the requirement for the other appliances as well. If the additional consumption in a day is 150 kWh per hour, then we need a total of nine solar panels. 

Air Conditioning Type	AC Capacity	Daily Usage (hours)	Solar Panel Capacity (W)	Peak Sunlight Hours (hours)	Additional Consumption (kWh/hour)	Estimated Total Solar Panels
Central AC	3-ton	9	150	—–	—–	12 to 15
Window AC	1-ton	12	150	6	150	9
Window AC	2-ton	11	150	6	150	9
Window AC	3-ton	10	150	6	150	9

Factors to consider to know how many solar panels to run a 3-ton AC

1. Type and efficiency of solar panels: There are in general three types of solar panels that are available nowadays. Monocrystalline solar panels are more heat resistant and efficient as compared to polycrystalline and thin-film solar panels. 

2. Watts of solar panels: The higher the watts of solar panels, the lower will be the number of solar panels required to install. It is because the higher watts producing solar panels will convert the solar energy into electrical energy at a faster rate. 

3. Peak hours of sunlight in a day: If we get more hours of sunlight in a day, then solar panels will produce more KWh of electricity. If we get fewer hours of sunlight, then we require more and more solar panels to produce the required amount of electricity.

4. Storage capacity of a battery: The storage capacity of a battery plays a key role when determining the number of solar panels because as the watts of solar panels increase, then the storage capacity of a battery should be increased. 

5. The angle of a solar panel: The angle at which the solar panel is installed also affects its efficiency. The solar panels should be installed in such a manner that their upper area faces toward the south at an angle of at least 30 degrees. 

6. On-grid and Off-grid: ACs come in two types, on-grid and off-grid. An on-grid AC can run on an electrical grid even if our solar system is not working while the off-grid only works on the battery storage and inverter power of the solar system. Therefore, if we use the on-grid AC, then less wattage or few solar panels can be installed than what is required for off-grid ACs. 

Conclusion 

To calculate how many solar panels to run a 3-ton air conditioner, we must do the calculation right by following all the steps. We should keep all the factors in mind because each area has different peak hours of sunlight and thereby each area requires a different number of solar panels. As far as ACs are concerned, they are very heavy appliances and therefore also need to be supported by on-grid electricity as well. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

This article is better than the other because it covers the step-by-step solution to calculate the number of solar panels requirements and later explains it in a tabular form for each number of hours.