Solar-powered air conditioning isn't just a dream

Sometimes I look at my ancient air conditioner and wonder just how quickly a new energy-efficient model would pay for itself. I don't know the precise impact the old AC has on my summertime electricity bill, but I can sure see the difference when the cool weather comes around again.

What could be more perfect than to use the power of the sun to protect us from the heat of the sun? But can solar-powered air conditioning really work? If you think about how much juice the average AC consumes and how expensive it can be to get that kind of power from solar collections, you have to wonder if it can be practical.

Green Core Air says it can, and the Go Green Solar blog is reporting on the company's latest innovation, the gc102000 solar air, a solar-powered air conditioner that can cool 600 square feet either in a fixed model or a mobile model.

The big question: How much power does it consume? The answer: It operates from a connected 170-watt solar panel and gains extra efficiency by operating from the direct current (DC) that comes off the panel. There's no conversion to household alternating current (AC) first, and that's a good thing. Also included is battery backup for those hot but cloudy days.

This could be an important innovation.

Don Willmott's blog posts are provided by LifeWire, a part of The New York Times Company.