We're about to get a split AC for the living room and kitchen. The apartment looks as follows:
The issue is the placement of the units. There are two viable options:
- Place it in the kitchen (as shown in yellow).
- Place it in the living room (as shown in orange).
Aesthetically, it would be better to place it in the kitchen as the outer unit would sit in the distant corner of the balcony. However, that corner gets a direct sunshine in the afternoon, whereas the other side is already quite in a shadow in the afternoon. (Note that the outer unit should sit on the balcony floor and not be suspended as there's thick thermal insulation which should be touched as little as possible.)
My question is: how much does the direct sunshine decrease the AC efficiency?
Best Answer
Solar gain in the cooling fins is negligible. Air temperatures in the sun and in the shade are not substantially different if there's any breeze at all, and as soon as the fan starts up the fins reach operating temperature regardless of initial temperature. Ongoing solar gain is minor compared to the overall heat transfer taking place through condensation of the refrigerant.
More important is access to a fresh air supply so recirculation is minimized, and you could always install a sun screen or small pergola if you think otherwise.
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