PLANNING AND LEADERSHIP FOR A BETTER WORLD
PLANNING AND LEADERSHIP FOR A BETTER WORLD The world's first solar-powered air conditioner is billed as eco-friendly because it has a silicon photovoltaic array mounted atop the residential unit. The standing-style air conditioner is also called a "hybrid" by LG because its power supply uses both standard house current and the solar array. The solar array is capable of generating enough energy for sustained operation of its air circulation and air filtration system, but when the compressor kicks in to cool the air down, it draws from the power line.
LG’s hybrid solar-powered
air conditioner supplements its traditional power supply with a photovoltaic
array mounted atop the 28,000-BTU standing-style residential unit (source: LG).
LG claims the inverter technology, which converts direct current (DC) from the solar panel into alternating current (AC), is much more efficient than traditional units. This efficiency contributes to the reduction of the overall electricity consumption of the air conditioner, thereby saving up to 467 pounds (212 kilograms) of carbon dioxide in its first 10 years—equivalent to growing 780 pine trees over the same period, says Soonyeol Hong, general manager of LG's Residential Air Conditioner Product Planning Group.
"LG’s solar-assisted air conditioner requires only 727 watts per hour of energy for cooling, which is much more efficient than traditional units thanks to its advanced inverter technology," Hong states. "Our solar panel generates 70 watts of power, which is enough to run the air purification system alone."
The air purification system on the LG unit, which draws about 50 watts, can be run from the solar panels whenever the sun shines (with no current being drawn from the power line). On cloudy days, the main power supply takes over to power it too. LG claims its air purification system is a part of the "green" features of the unit because it removes airborne contaminants including dust, viruses, allergens and odors.
"LG's air purification system offers a fresh, clean and healthy living environment by removing airborne contaminants such as fine dusts, viruses, allergens and odors that are known to pose a risk to health [by] incorporating a quadruple filtering system [high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA), hybrid catalyst, allergy-care and total-virus] to physically trap impurities that go through the filters as well as a newly developed nano-plasma ion system that generates active ions that decompose toxic particles," says Hong.
The 28,000-BTU unit uses solar cells produced by its Gumi, South Korea-based solar plant, which the company is currently expanding over the next five years to increase its capacity to 1 GWatt. LG plans to expand its use of solar cells for both residential and business applications. The company estimates that sales of its solar panels will contribute $2.4 billion to its bottom line by 2015.
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