5 ms·

Maybe solar panels/battery/converter combo? Darren from Hak5 is touring across America to hacker spaces and the like, and he did something like that[0] which s

Maybe solar panels/battery/converter combo? Darren from Hak5 is touring across America to hacker spaces and the like, and he did something like that[0] which surprisingly was used to power more than I thought would be feasible. And this was on a sprinter van, so with a bus like this, one could get 4x the amount of energy. [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kSX2j7MGT0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kSX2j7MGT0

sliverstorm 13y ago
Solar power would be great for charging a laptop or running a heater plate, but for HVAC? Air conditioning and heating both gobble power, and there is no sun to power your heater on a cold night. Sample window air conditioner: http://www.sears.com/kenmore-15-100-btu-room-air-conditioner/p-04270151000P?prdNo=1&blockNo=1&blockType=G1 http://www.sears.com/kenmore-15-100-btu-room-air-conditioner... 1410 watts, AKA 2 horsepower. Old fashioned space heater: http://www.sears.com/kenmore-oil-filled-indoor-heater/p-03272085000P?prdNo=1&blockNo=1&blockType=G1 http://www.sears.com/kenmore-oil-filled-indoor-heater/p-0327... 1350 watts
- cinquemb 13y ago
  In my eyes, there's no way one is going to get a traditional HVAC in something like this due to power consumption restraints that you mention. Though, if you watch the video's of Darren preparing, hes powering more than just a laptop or a heater plate (he also employs batteries to get over those night time constraints). That being said, I feel like one would probably better off trying to solve the heater on the cold night problem by first approaching it from a fluid dynamics perspective (kind of like a glycol HVAC) and then using minimum energy for things like a pump. Though that is probably outside of the scope for this specific project, but it is probably worth looking into for those interested in building on what is going on here.
  - stcredzero 13y ago
    A little Yamaha or Honda generator will run the tiniest AC units in a pinch. You won't be running much else, though.
- Udo 13y ago
  I just installed AC units at home that move around 2500 W of heat energy (in and out, heating and cooling), at about 800 W energy consumption. If one of those units is enough for the bus, and it's on 30% of the time that would mean around 250 W per hour power requirement, resulting in 6 kWh over the day. In a reasonably sunny environment, solar panels can get 100 W per square meter. Let's say there are around 15 sqm available on the roof, yielding a total of about 12 kWh over the day - that's assuming around 8 hours of sun. If that doesn't work out due to latitude, it would be relatively easy to design panels that can be unfolded, providing extra area and serving as an extensible roof at the same time. If batteries and inverter don't swallow more than 50% of that yield, it should be enough to drive a normal AC, lighting, and a laptop, maybe even a small fridge. You'd need a backup stove for the winter though.
  - carlob 13y ago
    In my experience it's better to park in the shade and keep your windows open to let some air flow, than to park in the sun to run AC…
  - fnordfnordfnord 13y ago
    >If one of those units is enough for the bus, and it's on 30% ... This is why some full time RV'ers are picky about what state they are in for a given season. If you're in Texas, or another hot climate in the summer in a large bus, you'll need two or three tons (24,000 to 36,000 BTU) of A/C capacity (sometimes more!) to keep it habitable through mid-day and late afternoon. If you have a large (cover the roof) solar/battery/inverter system, you can run all night without having generators start (and interrupt everyone's sleep) in most cases. Most people that I know of use LP for heat.
- rorrr2 13y ago
  A good sleeping bag, and you don't need to heat anything at night.
  - jarek 13y ago
    True, but if you have any pipes with standing water you might be unpleasantly surprised in the morning.
- mehmehshoe 13y ago
  I've been studying sailboats and living aboard them for the last year. You would be amazed on what tech is out there to be virtually self sufficient for energy, water and heating/cooling. A lot of this can transfer to a live aboard bus. * Wind-electric generators * Led * Solar Panels * Low voltage heaters..etc Many of the comments here about cooking fuels being heavier than air are correct about the danger- nothing that proper ducting and a bilge pump could not handle. In order to live like this you must adopt a camping lifestyle. Everyday life activities, such as cooking and bathing, become more like camping and require more preparation. edit-poor formatting, sorry. I meant the asterisks to be bullet points.
  - jacquesm 13y ago
    mixmax here on HN lives on a boat.
ars 13y ago
It doesn't have to be solar - hydrocarbon fuel is fine, as long as it's clean burning. Which diesel is not. Natural gas would be ideal, gasoline in a good engine second best.

sliverstorm 13y ago

Solar power would be great for charging a laptop or running a heater plate, but for HVAC? Air conditioning and heating both gobble power, and there is no sun to power your heater on a cold night. Sample window air conditioner: http://www.sears.com/kenmore-15-100-btu-room-air-conditioner/p-04270151000P?prdNo=1&blockNo=1&blockType=G1 http://www.sears.com/kenmore-15-100-btu-room-air-conditioner... 1410 watts, AKA 2 horsepower. Old fashioned space heater: http://www.sears.com/kenmore-oil-filled-indoor-heater/p-03272085000P?prdNo=1&blockNo=1&blockType=G1 http://www.sears.com/kenmore-oil-filled-indoor-heater/p-0327... 1350 watts

cinquemb 13y ago
In my eyes, there's no way one is going to get a traditional HVAC in something like this due to power consumption restraints that you mention. Though, if you watch the video's of Darren preparing, hes powering more than just a laptop or a heater plate (he also employs batteries to get over those night time constraints). That being said, I feel like one would probably better off trying to solve the heater on the cold night problem by first approaching it from a fluid dynamics perspective (kind of like a glycol HVAC) and then using minimum energy for things like a pump. Though that is probably outside of the scope for this specific project, but it is probably worth looking into for those interested in building on what is going on here.
- stcredzero 13y ago
  A little Yamaha or Honda generator will run the tiniest AC units in a pinch. You won't be running much else, though.
Udo 13y ago
I just installed AC units at home that move around 2500 W of heat energy (in and out, heating and cooling), at about 800 W energy consumption. If one of those units is enough for the bus, and it's on 30% of the time that would mean around 250 W per hour power requirement, resulting in 6 kWh over the day. In a reasonably sunny environment, solar panels can get 100 W per square meter. Let's say there are around 15 sqm available on the roof, yielding a total of about 12 kWh over the day - that's assuming around 8 hours of sun. If that doesn't work out due to latitude, it would be relatively easy to design panels that can be unfolded, providing extra area and serving as an extensible roof at the same time. If batteries and inverter don't swallow more than 50% of that yield, it should be enough to drive a normal AC, lighting, and a laptop, maybe even a small fridge. You'd need a backup stove for the winter though.
- carlob 13y ago
  In my experience it's better to park in the shade and keep your windows open to let some air flow, than to park in the sun to run AC…
- fnordfnordfnord 13y ago
  >If one of those units is enough for the bus, and it's on 30% ... This is why some full time RV'ers are picky about what state they are in for a given season. If you're in Texas, or another hot climate in the summer in a large bus, you'll need two or three tons (24,000 to 36,000 BTU) of A/C capacity (sometimes more!) to keep it habitable through mid-day and late afternoon. If you have a large (cover the roof) solar/battery/inverter system, you can run all night without having generators start (and interrupt everyone's sleep) in most cases. Most people that I know of use LP for heat.
rorrr2 13y ago
A good sleeping bag, and you don't need to heat anything at night.
- jarek 13y ago
  True, but if you have any pipes with standing water you might be unpleasantly surprised in the morning.
mehmehshoe 13y ago
I've been studying sailboats and living aboard them for the last year. You would be amazed on what tech is out there to be virtually self sufficient for energy, water and heating/cooling. A lot of this can transfer to a live aboard bus. * Wind-electric generators * Led * Solar Panels * Low voltage heaters..etc Many of the comments here about cooking fuels being heavier than air are correct about the danger- nothing that proper ducting and a bilge pump could not handle. In order to live like this you must adopt a camping lifestyle. Everyday life activities, such as cooking and bathing, become more like camping and require more preparation. edit-poor formatting, sorry. I meant the asterisks to be bullet points.
- jacquesm 13y ago
  mixmax here on HN lives on a boat.

ars 13y ago

It doesn't have to be solar - hydrocarbon fuel is fine, as long as it's clean burning. Which diesel is not. Natural gas would be ideal, gasoline in a good engine second best.