Ph.D. in Chemistry, École Polytechnique
Dec 16, 2022
Residential photo voltaic panels can run any family software, from mini audio system to a big warmth pump.
The latter has gained reputation in current instances, with many householders searching for various family heating strategies within the type of geothermal or air-source warmth pumps.
On this article, we take a better take a look at warmth pumps, their power utilization, and the variety of panels that you must energy one.
Climatebiz consultants design, analysis, fact-check & edit all work meticulously.
Affiliate Disclaimer
Climatebiz is reader-supported. We could earn an affiliate fee if you purchase by means of hyperlinks on our web site.
DELTA Max + 110W $600 Off
Use our coupon code to seize this restricted deal from EcoFlow whereas it lasts. Again up your private home throughout energy outages with the DELTA Max + 110W photo voltaic panel.
Can photo voltaic panels run a warmth pump?
Warmth pumps and photo voltaic panels — two sustainable options for dwelling consolation and energy era.
The latter type a part of modular photovoltaic (PV) methods, starting from just a few watts to 1000’s of kilowatts.
Naturally, a business photo voltaic system with an influence output ranging within the 1000’s can simply energy a single warmth pump, however that’s not what we’re discussing right here.
You wish to know whether or not a residential photo voltaic array can energy a warmth pump. Certainly, photo voltaic panels can run a warmth pump, even probably the most highly effective ones in the marketplace. What determines this, although, is the dimensions and variety of panels you’ve got obtainable to you.
Now, let’s take a look at this in larger element by reviewing how a warmth pump works and the way a photo voltaic panel produces electrical energy.
What’s a warmth pump?
Warmth pumps are the way forward for HVAC methods (Heating, Air flow, Air Conditioning). They’re reversible methods that may cool or warmth your private home.
A warmth pump is just a warmth exchanger between the inside of your own home and the air outdoors. It really works like a fridge, with a compressor and a cooling/heating fluid.
Supply: College of Waikato
Warmth pumps are extra environment friendly than conventional air-con items as they don’t generate warmth. As an alternative, they “transfer” warmth by means of their exchanger system.
That stated, they nonetheless require electrical energy (800W to five,000W) to chill or warmth a house correctly.
What’s a photo voltaic panel?
A photo voltaic panel is an influence generator that converts daylight into electrical energy. You’ll discover photo voltaic panels starting from 20W as much as 600W.
You’ll be able to join every unit to create a photo voltaic system with a a lot bigger energy output — the typical measurement within the U.S. is 6kW.
Nevertheless, a photo voltaic panel’s precise energy output hardly ever reaches its most rated worth. It varies based on the time of day and the seasons in real-world circumstances.
For a 6kW photo voltaic system in San Francisco, California, the ability output reaches a most of 4kW–5kW (10 am–2 pm).
Supply: World photo voltaic atlas
What number of watts does a warmth pump use?
If you happen to’re contemplating shopping for a warmth pump, be ready to search out little or no info on its energy necessities.
Fortunate for you, we’re about to offer you the system for calculating the variety of watts a warmth pump makes use of based mostly on its measurement and power effectivity.
The ability consumption —in watts — of a warmth pump is determined by two main components:
- Warmth pump measurement: This capability is rated in British Thermal Items (BTU). It varies from 8,000 BTU for the smallest fashions to greater than 60,000 BTU for centralized items.
- Vitality effectivity: In your warmth pump label, you’ll discover two figures:
- Seasonal Vitality Effectivity Ranking (SEER).
- Vitality Effectivity Ranking (EER).
The upper these numbers are, the extra environment friendly your warmth pump and the decrease its electrical energy consumption.
Calculating the variety of watts a warmth pump makes use of
To calculate a warmth pump’s wattage, you’ll want its heating capability — in BTUs — and its SEER and EER rankings.
If the EER ranking is indicated in your warmth pump label, then observe the equation under:
Complete Wattage = Capability (In BTUs) ÷ EER
If you happen to solely have the SEER ranking, then you definately’ll want the next further calculation step to extract the EER ranking:
EER = −0.02 × SEER² + 1.12 × SEER
For instance, Comfortmaker’s Coastal warmth pump has a cooling capability of 28,000Btus (2.4 tons), SEER of 15 and EER of 12.5.
Its energy consumption is: 28,000/12.5= 2,240W
The identical cooling capability with a barely much less environment friendly unit (EER of 11) would end in an influence consumption of 2,545W. That’s a 13% improve that can instantly influence your electrical energy invoice.
Desk
We utilized our system for various warmth pump capacities with effectivity rankings starting from 16–22:
| Warmth pump capability | Energy @16 SEER | Energy @18 SEER | Energy @20 SEER | Energy @22 SEER |
| 1 ton (12,000 BTU) | 938W | 877W | 833W | 802W |
| 1.5 ton (18,000 BTU) | 1,406W | 1,316W | 1,250W | 1,203W |
| 2 ton (24,000 BTU) | 1,875W | 1,754W | 1,667W | 1,604W |
| 2.5 ton (30,000 BTU) | 2,344W | 2,193W | 2,083W | 2,005W |
| 3 ton (36,000 BTU) | 2,813W | 2,632W | 2,500W | 2,406W |
| 3.5 ton (42,000 BTU) | 3,281W | 3,070W | 2,917W | 2,807W |
| 4 ton (48,000 BTU) | 3,750W | 3,509W | 3,333W | 3,209W |
| 4.5 ton (54,000 BTU) | 4,219W | 3,947W | 3,750W | 3,610W |
| 5 ton (60,000 BTU) | 4,688W | 4,386W | 4,167W | 4,011W |
What number of photo voltaic panels do that you must run a warmth pump?
The smallest warmth pump solely requires three x 500W photo voltaic panels to run appropriately. Bigger centralized items would wish a whole 6,000W photo voltaic system 6,000W (12 x 500W panels) as a minimal requirement.
To calculate the variety of photo voltaic panels that you must run a warmth pump, you’ll have to assemble the next info:
- Your local weather zone.
- The scale of the area you wish to warmth.
- Your photo voltaic electrical energy manufacturing potential
Supply: 2012 IECC – Worldwide Vitality Conservation Code
| Local weather Zone | BTU/Sq.Ft |
|---|---|
| Zone 1 | 30 BTU/sq.ft |
| Zone 2 | 35 BTU/sq.ft |
| Zone 3 | 40 BTU/sq.ft |
| Zone 4 | 45 BTU/sq.ft |
| Zone 5 | 50 BTU/sq.ft |
| Zone 6 | 55 BTU/sq.ft |
| Zone 7 | 60 BTU/sq.ft |
Instance
San Francisco, California, falls below local weather Zone 3. You’ll want a heating capability of 40 BTU/sqft. For a 1000 sqft home, you’ll want a warmth pump with a heating capability of 40,000 BTU/h.
A 40,000 BTU/h warmth pump with an effectivity ranking of 20 (SEER) can have roughly 3kW of energy.
This warmth pump will solely run at full energy among the time. Let’s say it’ll run round 6 hours every day, relying on the surface temperature.
On this state of affairs, it’ll use roughly 18kWh per day to warmth your own home throughout winter in San Francisco.
Calculate your photo voltaic power potential
We suggest utilizing our photo voltaic calculator to estimate your photo voltaic electrical energy manufacturing potential. You’ll solely want your tackle and the dimensions of your photo voltaic system.
You’ll be able to apply the system under:
Variety of photo voltaic panels = Day by day warmth pump power wants / photo voltaic power manufacturing potential
Throughout San Francisco’s winter months, you possibly can anticipate to supply 3.45kWh per day for each kW of photo voltaic panels. Consequently, to cowl your warmth pump’s electrical energy wants, you’ll want 5.2kW of photo voltaic panels — 18 / 3.45 = 5.2kW.
That’s equal to 11 x 500W photo voltaic panels (5.5kW).
Be aware to our readers: All figures are common values. A number of exterior components can affect the power consumption of your warmth pump —outdoors temperature, home thermostat temperature, and many others.
Ultimate ideas
Heating and cooling account for round 65% of all home power use within the U.S. Extra particularly, area heating is near 30%.
A warmth pump is considered probably the most environment friendly HVAC expertise. It will possibly lower your power invoice by an element of two–3.
Warmth pumps are highly effective home equipment, starting from 800W to greater than 5,000W, however like most home home equipment, you possibly can energy with photo voltaic panels so long as you’ve got the suitable quantity obtainable.
As a rule of thumb, a warmth pump wants between 3–12 500W photo voltaic panels.
Lastly, keep in mind that warmth pump power use is determined by exterior components reminiscent of outdoors temperature, home temperature, and time of the yr.
