Air Conditioning with Solar Panels & Battery Storage
Keep Cool. Use More of Your Own Energy.
Air conditioning can transform the comfort of your home during the warmer months — but what about the electricity it uses?
Solar panels and battery storage can help.
The hottest, sunniest days are often when your solar panels are producing the most electricity. That means the energy being generated on your roof can help power your air conditioning, reducing the amount of electricity you need to buy from the grid.
Add battery storage and you can save surplus energy for later, helping you stay comfortable even after solar generation starts to fall.
Keep your home cool while making more of the energy you generate yourself.
Why Solar and Air Conditioning Work So Well Together
There is a natural relationship between solar energy and air conditioning.
When the sun is shining and temperatures rise, your home gets warmer and your solar panels get to work.
Instead of exporting surplus solar electricity to the grid, that energy can be used around your home, including helping to power your air conditioning.
Sunshine in. Cool air out.
Using your air conditioning when your solar panels are generating strongly can help you make better use of your own renewable electricity and reduce your reliance on electricity imported from the grid.
It’s a simple idea: use the energy from the sun to help keep your home cool when the sun is making it hot.
Add Battery Storage for Even More Flexibility
What happens when the sun starts to go down but your home is still warm?
That’s where battery storage can help.
A home battery can store surplus solar electricity generated during the day, making that energy available for your home to use later.
This gives you greater control over the electricity you generate and can help reduce your reliance on the grid beyond the hours of strongest solar generation.
Modern battery storage can also form part of a much smarter home energy system, managing solar generation, stored electricity and your household energy demand together.
UKGEI installs advanced battery storage solutions including Sigenergy, giving homeowners greater control over how and when their energy is used.
Charge Low. Use High.
You don't need solar panels to benefit from battery storage. With the right electricity tariff, you can charge your battery when electricity is cheaper and use that stored energy later when grid prices are higher.
Charge Your Battery
Store electricity from the grid when your tariff is at its cheaper off-peak rate.
Use Your Stored Energy
Use the cheaper energy stored in your battery to help power your home and air conditioning when grid electricity costs more.
* Electricity rates shown are illustrative examples only. Available tariffs, rates, charging times and actual savings will vary.
Solar + Battery + Air Conditioning
Solar panels, battery storage and air conditioning can work together as part of one connected home energy system.
During the day, your solar panels generate electricity that can be used directly by your home and air conditioning. If you're generating more than you need, the surplus can be stored in your battery rather than being sent straight back to the grid.
Later, when solar generation drops, that stored energy can be used to help power your home — including keeping your air conditioning running when you still need it.
The result? More of your own energy used in your own home, and less reliance on expensive grid electricity.
Solar Generates
Your solar panels generate electricity from daylight.
Your Home Uses It
Solar electricity is used by your home before additional electricity is imported from the grid.
Keep Cool
Your air conditioning can use available solar electricity while keeping your home comfortable.
Store the Surplus
Extra solar electricity can be stored in your home battery instead of being immediately exported.
Use It Later
When solar generation falls, stored energy can help power your home and air conditioning later in the day.
Make more of the electricity your home generates and reduce the amount you need to buy from the grid.
Considering Solar for Your Home?
If you're thinking about installing solar panels, it's worth considering how your electricity requirements might change in the future.
Air conditioning is just one example.
Your home may eventually include an electric vehicle, EV charger, battery storage and other electrical technologies that increase the amount of electricity you use.
Designing a solar and battery system with both your current and future requirements in mind can help you make more of the electricity your home generates.
What About the Air Conditioning Installation?
UKGEI specialises in renewable energy technologies including solar PV and battery storage.
When it comes to the electrical requirements for an air conditioning installation, our sister company LS Electrical can provide the necessary electrical expertise.
This means the renewable energy and electrical sides of your project can work together, helping ensure your home's electrical infrastructure is suitable for the additional demand.
A Smarter Way to Keep Cool
Our homes are becoming increasingly electric.
We're charging cars, storing electricity, generating our own power and using smarter technology to control how energy moves around the home.
Air conditioning can become another part of that picture.
By combining efficient air conditioning with solar generation and battery storage, you can make better use of your own renewable electricity while creating a more comfortable home.
Keep cool. Generate your own electricity. Store energy for later.
Make your home energy work harder for you.
Air Conditioning, Solar & Battery Storage FAQs
Find answers to some of the most common questions about using solar panels and battery storage alongside air conditioning.
Can you run air conditioning from solar panels?
Yes. Electricity generated by your solar panels can be used by your home, including your air conditioning system.
If your solar panels are producing enough electricity at the time, they may cover some or potentially all of the electricity being used by the air conditioning and other appliances in your home.
Do I need a battery to run air conditioning from solar?
No. You can use solar-generated electricity directly while your panels are producing energy.
Battery storage simply gives you more flexibility by allowing surplus electricity to be stored and used later when solar generation has reduced.
Can a home battery help power air conditioning?
Potentially, yes. A home battery can supply electricity to your property, which can include the electricity being used by your air conditioning.
How long it can do this will depend on the battery's available charge, usable capacity, power output and the amount of electricity being used elsewhere in your home.
Can battery storage help if I don't have solar panels?
Yes. Battery storage can also be used without solar panels.
With the right electricity tariff, you may be able to charge your battery from the grid during cheaper off-peak periods and then use that stored electricity later when grid prices are higher.
This can help reduce the cost of running appliances such as air conditioning during peak-rate periods.
Can solar panels run air conditioning at night?
Solar panels do not generate useful electricity at night, so air conditioning cannot be powered directly by solar generation once it is dark.
However, if you have battery storage, electricity stored earlier in the day can potentially be used to help power your home later in the evening or overnight.
Will air conditioning drain my home battery?
Air conditioning adds to your home's overall electricity demand, so it will use some of the energy stored in your battery.
How quickly the battery discharges depends on the air conditioning system's electricity consumption, how long it runs and what other electrical loads are being used at the same time.
How much electricity does air conditioning use?
It varies depending on the type and efficiency of the system, room size, indoor and outdoor temperatures, insulation and how long the system is running.
It is also important not to confuse cooling output with electrical input. A unit capable of delivering several kilowatts of cooling does not necessarily use the same amount of electrical power.
How much does air conditioning cost to run?
Running costs depend on the air conditioning system, how it is used and the price you pay for electricity.
If you have solar panels or battery storage, some of that electricity may come from your own generation or from energy stored at a cheaper rate, which can reduce the amount of higher-cost electricity you need to buy from the grid.
Is it better to run air conditioning while the sun is shining?
If you have solar panels, there can be an advantage to using air conditioning during periods of strong solar generation.
This may allow you to use more of the electricity being generated by your solar system rather than importing additional electricity from the grid.
Can I add battery storage to an existing solar system?
In many cases, yes.
The most suitable battery solution will depend on your existing solar installation, inverter, electrical setup, energy usage and what you want the battery to achieve.
Can I add air conditioning if I already have solar panels?
Yes. If you already have solar panels, the electricity they generate can contribute towards the electricity used by your home, including air conditioning.
It can also be worth reviewing your existing solar and electrical system to understand how the additional demand fits with your current setup.
Can I install solar, battery storage and air conditioning together?
Yes. They can all form part of a wider home energy strategy.
UKGEI can advise on solar PV and battery storage, while the electrical requirements associated with air conditioning can be handled by our sister company, LS Electrical.