Question for those in the know!

Lobo
Lobo Registered Users Posts: 18
I have a dehumidifier that I need to run 24 hours a day constantly.  It is a 115V unit with a rated 6.9amp draw and 750 watts.  What would be needed for operation of this unit while using 12 volt panels.  Second, battery recommendations?  Thank you in advance for any help.

Comments

  • vtmaps
    vtmaps Solar Expert Posts: 3,741 ✭✭✭✭
    750 watts X 24 hours = 18 kilowatthours per day energy consumption. 

    Typically we recommend that your daily load should equal 1/4 of a battery's capacity.  Thus you would want a 72 kwh battery.  A 12 volt battery bank with 72 kwh capacity is a 6000 amphour battery bank.

    To charge it with solar you would need about 8 large charge controllers, with each controller having about 1250 watts of solar panels.

    To build a 6000 amphour battery bank at 12 volts will require multiple parallel batteries, which is a poor design... you would be better off with a single string of 1500 amphour batteries configured at 48 volts.  With a 48 volt battery you would only need 2 large charge controllers, each with 5000 watts of solar panels.

    --vtMaps
    4 X 235watt Samsung, Midnite ePanel, Outback VFX3524 FM60 & mate, 4 Interstate L16, trimetric, Honda eu2000i
  • Lobo
    Lobo Registered Users Posts: 18
    Thank you!
  • Photowhit
    Photowhit Solar Expert Posts: 6,002 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Basically, you need a different way to humidify the air. Humidifiers have a heating element which uses a good bit of electric.

    Perhaps a mister... or evaporative cooler, these use a fan and membrane or just a fan and a fine mist. a 8-40 watt fan is the major energy use...

    Home system 4000 watt (Evergreen) array standing, with 2 Midnite Classic Lites,  Midnite E-panel, Magnum MS4024, Prosine 1800(now backup) and Exeltech 1100(former backup...lol), 660 ah 24v Forklift battery(now 10 years old). Off grid for 20 years (if I include 8 months on a bicycle).
    - Assorted other systems, pieces and to many panels in the closet to not do more projects.
  • Aguarancher
    Aguarancher Solar Expert Posts: 315 ✭✭✭
    I think he's trying to remove humidity.
  • petertearai
    petertearai Solar Expert Posts: 471 ✭✭✭✭
    Hi what type of dehumidifier do you have . That seems to use a lot of energy. 
    2225 wattts pv . Outback 2kw  fxr pure sine inverter . fm80 charge controller . Mate 3. victron battery monitor . 24 volts  in 2 volt Shoto lead carbon extreme batterys. off grid  holiday home 
  • Dave Angelini
    Dave Angelini Solar Expert Posts: 6,731 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    You would use a mini-split heat pump to dehumidify !
    "we go where power lines don't" Sierra Nevada mountain area
       htps://offgridsolar1.com/
    E-mail offgridsolar@sti.net