Here’s how it works. Just as the sun’s solar energy can be harnessed to produce electricity, so can it be used to generate the power of a building’s entire HVAC system, in addition to other electrical devices. Currently, solar powered HVAC systems are either stand-alone, which means they operate independent of the utility grid, or grid-connected, which means they are part of an interactive system with the utility company.
With the grid-connected type of HVAC system, the solar system can produce enough power to supply the current needs of the buildings systems or, if the current electrical demand of the building is less than that the power produced by the solar system, it can be back-fed into the utility grid. Some states provide cost incentives to allow business owners to take advantage of these lower operating costs, thus promoting the transfer of HVAC systems to the solar powered.
A single solar rooftop unit can be fed electricity directly from solar modules to power a building’s entire central heating and cooling systems. Excess solar energy, when the rooftop unit is not operating, can be used to supply electricity to other of the building’s electric needs. If more power is generated by the solar system than is needed by the building, it is re-routed back to the utility grid. Additionally, real-time 24 hour monitoring can be provided to aid in a further increase of efficiency by tracking data as to how the environment is actually impacted by the system and what savings are realized.
Contact your local HVAC professional to see if a solar powered system would meet your specific business or individual needs.
