SOLAR-POWERED AIR-CONDITIONING SYSTEM FOR DOMESTIC APPLICATION

The aim of the Solar- Powered Air-conditioning System's project is to harness solar
radiation and use its energy to drive low power consuming air-conditioning system. Solar
power was chosen because conventional domestic air-conditioner consumes high
electricity, which is quite costly. The cost can add up to hundreds and thousands of
ringgit per year and with the rising fuel prices, it will be unaffordable for people in the
lower income group to utilize a conventional air-conditioner unit. Due to global warming,
air-conditioning has become a necessity in human's life and with the assistance of
modern technology that can be implemented, solar energy can be harnessed by using
photovoltaic. Through this research work, it has been identified that the major
components in photovoltaic-based air-conditioning systems are battery storage, system
controller, auxiliary energy sources and a new air-conditioning unit. This system is
designed to operate in parallel, interconnected with the grid electricity as a backup power.
The controller connected to the photovoltaic will act as an intelligent controller whereby
it will draw the power from the grid electricity whenever the electrical loads are greater
than the PV system output. The total power required from the solar photovoltaic is
determined by considering the heat gain and the cooling load calculation of a building.
The prototype for this project has been successfully developed according to the
theoretical and calculation value.