Single AC · 1.0 / 1.5 / 2.0 ton · September 2026
One AC is easy by day. One AC in load-shedding is a battery.
A 1.5-ton inverter AC draws about 1.0–1.3 kW once it is running. That is four to six 645 W plates for the sun, and two 5 kWh LFP packs if you want it at night. It is not two leftover plates and a tubular.
The two jobs
Say which hours. The BOM changes completely.
Office / shop, sun is up
PV covers the compressor while the feeder is live or during short afternoon shed if you have a hybrid + small LFP. No night AC. Cheapest honest “AC solar”.
1.5-ton: 5–6 × 645 W · 3.6–6 kW hybrid · 0–1 × 5 kWh LFP
Band ~Rs 4.5–7 lakh
House bedroom through WAPDA death
6 hours × 1.2 kW ≈ 7.2 kWh from the battery, plus inverter loss. That is two 5.12 kWh LFP packs (~9 kWh usable), not four tubulars (those are ~4.8 kWh usable and they hate AC cycling).
Same PV + 6–10 kW hybrid + 2 × 5 kWh LFP
Band ~Rs 9–13 lakh
Math
Running watts, not the 18,000 BTU sticker.
| AC | Running W (inverter) | Day 8 h energy | PV at 0.78 derate, ~5 PSH | Plates @ 645 W | Night 6 h usable kWh |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0 ton inverter | ~850 | 6.8 kWh | ~1.7 kW | 3 (we spec 4) | ~5.1 kWh → 1–2 LFP |
| 1.5 ton inverter | ~1,200 | 9.6 kWh | ~2.5 kW | 4 (we spec 5–6) | ~7.2 kWh → 2 LFP |
| 2.0 ton inverter | ~1,600 | 12.8 kWh | ~3.3 kW | 6 (we spec 7–8) | ~9.6 kWh → 2–3 LFP |
Headroom is for heat, dirty filters, long lines, and the second fan in the same room. Non-inverter / “conventional” ACs punch 3× on start — we will not hang those on a small hybrid.
What shops get wrong
If the kit cannot name the hours, walk away.
12 V “AC solar kit”
A car-style inverter and one 200 Ah tubular will not run a 1.5-ton. It will click, dip, and kill the compressor warranty.
Two plates + 3 kW UPS
That is a fan system with an AC sticker. Day AC needs ~2.5 kW of real PV after derate, which is five 645 W modules, not two 540 W leftovers.
Tubular for night AC
Four 200 Ah at 50% DoD ≈ 4.8 kWh usable. A 1.5-ton wants ~7 kWh. The bank hits empty and the AC dies at 1 a.m. LFP or don’t promise it.
Add fans and lights on the same box
A single-AC hybrid can carry 2–3 fans and LEDs without drama. Fridge too, if you sized the LFP. Geyser and a second AC cannot.
Growing into a house system
If you will add a fridge and more rooms this year, start at the home hybrid (6 kW / 10 plates) and put the AC on the backup port. Cheaper than buying a 3.5 kW kit twice.