It’s the first question almost every Lagos buyer asks: will solar actually run my air conditioners? The short answer is yes, comfortably, as long as two things are right: the type of AC, and the size of the system.
Use inverter ACs, not the old on/off type
This one decision changes everything. Inverter (variable-speed) air conditioners draw far less power than older fixed-speed units and avoid the brutal start-up surge that trips undersized systems. A 1 HP inverter AC runs at around 0.75–1 kW, while an old non-inverter unit can spike to two or three times that the moment it starts.
Switching to inverter ACs is often the cheapest way to shrink the solar system you need, and the savings on system size usually dwarf the cost of the AC upgrade.
How many ACs can each system run?
A rough guide to how AC count maps to system size (final design depends on your full load):
| System | Roughly what it runs |
|---|---|
| 6 kVA · 7.2 kWp · 15 kWh | 2–3 inverter ACs plus fridge, lights, TV and sockets |
| 10–12 kVA · 20 kWh | 4–5 inverter ACs plus general home or office loads |
| 12 kVA · 30 kWh | Most household or office loads except heavy machinery |
You can see the complete range on the Packages page, and how sizing works in our Lagos sizing guide.
Running ACs at night is really about the battery
Through the day, your ACs run largely straight off the panels. Overnight, they run off the battery. If you want bedrooms cooled all night, the battery (kWh) is the number to size up. For most homes, overnight cooling is the single biggest factor in how large the battery needs to be.
Solar runs your ACs by day off the panels and by night off the battery, so “can it cool the bedrooms till morning?” is a battery-sizing question, not a solar one.
How a system performs
A typical day, and what it can carry
4–5 bedroom home or office with 10–15 staff in Lagos, where 2–3 ACs run all day
- Straight from the panels: 13 kWh
- From the battery: 17 kWh
- Essentials only: Fridge, lights, fans, TV, Wi-Fi (about 1 kW)27 hrs
- 6 kW: 2 ACs, fridge, workstations and lights4.5 hrs
- 9 kW: 2–3 ACs and the full home or office load3 hrs
What it runs
- ACs: 2–3 units (1.5HP) together
- Fridges: 2 fridges, or 1 fridge and 1 large chest freezer, around the clock
- Water pump: 1HP submersible borehole pump: yes
- Washing: Yes, 1–2 loads a day
Show the hourly numbers
| Hour | Solar (kW) | In use (kW) | Battery |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12am | 0 | 1 | 58% |
| 1am | 0 | 0.9 | 55% |
| 2am | 0 | 0.9 | 52% |
| 3am | 0 | 0.9 | 48% |
| 4am | 0 | 0.9 | 45% |
| 5am | 0 | 1 | 41% |
| 6am | 0 | 1.2 | 37% |
| 7am | 1.4 | 1.3 | 37% |
| 8am | 2.6 | 1.1 | 42% |
| 9am | 3.7 | 1 | 52% |
| 10am | 4.6 | 1 | 65% |
| 11am | 5.1 | 1.1 | 79% |
| 12pm | 5.3 | 1.2 | 93% |
| 1pm | 5.1 | 1.2 | 100% |
| 2pm | 4.6 | 1.2 | 100% |
| 3pm | 3.7 | 1.2 | 100% |
| 4pm | 2.6 | 1.3 | 100% |
| 5pm | 1.4 | 1.6 | 99% |
| 6pm | 0 | 1.8 | 93% |
| 7pm | 0 | 1.9 | 86% |
| 8pm | 0 | 1.9 | 79% |
| 9pm | 0 | 1.8 | 72% |
| 10pm | 0 | 1.6 | 66% |
| 11pm | 0 | 1.2 | 62% |
Illustrative, not a measurement. Solar output is this package's rated daily generation spread over a clear-day curve; use follows a typical home (evening peak) pattern at the daily use the package is designed for. Cloudy and harmattan days produce less. Backup hours at the two higher loads are the figures on the package page; the essentials row assumes about 1 kW.
Simple habits that stretch the system
- Set ACs to 24–25°C rather than 18°C. The compressor works far less.
- Use inverter ACs throughout, not just in some rooms.
- Cool the rooms you're actually using, not the whole house.
- Run heavy daytime loads (laundry, water pumps, ironing) while the sun is up and the panels are producing.
- Keep filters clean; a clogged AC draws more power for less cooling.