Air conditioners are notoriously energy hungry because of the process they must use to extract heat from one place and transfer it to another. Finally, there is a way to cool your house or office without spending the Earth on electricity. This is the solar powered air conditioner. Not only will it save you a ton on your energy bills, but it will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions as a result of lower energy use.

You can either choose to power your existing air conditioning units with solar power, or you can purchase a whole new system which is far more energy efficient and comes with all the bells and whistles you could possibly need. In the long run, the second option is undoubtedly better, as it saves you more on your energy bills, cuts your carbon emissions more and adds great resale value to your home.

The way a solar powered air conditioning unit works is as follows: solar photovoltaic panels are placed on your roof to receive direct sunlight and converted into electrical current. The current that comes out of the panels is DC, as in direct current, but fortunately there are special air conditioners which take direct current without the need for an inverter. Usually, such a system includes a battery pack as well so that excess energy can be stored for when there is not sufficient power from the sun.

There are even from states in America, and places in other countries, where cash incentives and cash back offers are available from state and national governments. The can make buying a solar powered air conditioner much more cost effective. Check with your local representative or have a quick look online to find out more about these incentive programs for solar power in your area.

When considering purchasing a system such as this, or indeed any other capital investment, an easy calculation can be made which will allow you to see the number of years it will take to pay back the initial capital cost of the air conditioning unit, its solar panels and accessories like inverters (if necessary) and batteries.