Inverter compressor operated appliances available in the US, Oz, NZ, elsewhere?

Inverter compressors have been a pretty big deal since they were developed. Running a refrigerator or air-conditioner that uses inverter compressor technology is definitely more efficient than the old style compressors I grew up with.

Just curious if they are available in western countries now? Before, it was my understanding that they were not?

 

Please elaborate , I have never heard of this.

 

You mean soft start ? that has been commercially used for about 15 years or more .
Lots of equipment is computer run now using this control . I am mostly aware of it in the air compressor field , In air screws running them only at the need required at the time reducing the watt loads in reduced work demands and then can be ramped up for normal operations.
Ingersoll Rand provided certain motors that even individual windings could be removed and replaced with out major tear down.
I don't know of any domestic applications for them, but who knows .

 

We have them here in SE Asia. They are quite efficient to run. Much better / cheaper / quieter than conventional compressors have been in the past.

 

How the Digital Inverter Compressor Has Transformed the Modern Refrigerator

Refrigerators with Inverter technology can help save electricity

Better than me taking a bit to write it out. Just lazy this morning (12:51am now).

 

I just installed a split heat pump with inverter compressor and variable speed fans.
Inverter compressor heat pumps are available in the US, its just most people don't buy them because they are roughly double the price of the cheap on/off fixed speed units.
My inverter compressor based heat pump is nearly double the price of a "cheap A/C" unit.

I have not taken one apart but I believe these units take the incoming power rectify it to DC then the DC is sent to a variable speed frequency driver and sends variable frequency 3 phase power to the compressor. The compressors could be DC powered but I believe them to be 3 phase AC.

 

I have them in my mini splits AC for the ranch & outbuilding .seer 23 . Also MY Danfoss freezer / ref unit for the mobile cooler is that way as well 12/24VDC & 120Vac ..
I'd like to buy a few to replace the upright in the house & then one for the farm culling rigamortis fridge ...
But because the powers still want us to consume , were not seeing them till it's the full load & all bells with computer controls that fail just after the warranty . I see so many less than 5 year washers & driers for scrap due to the "Board / gismo " is NLA or more than a new one !!
All my stuff is NON electronic control & years old still working ,I have spare parts to fix the washer (done twice &EZ ) plus the other stuff. I'd like to have only a full size fridge in that Inverter Compressor.Inside light when door is opened , THATS IT !!

 

Mini-split heat pumps have been readily available in the US since the mid 90s. I have installed many of them in my area and they are great! There are no appliances available here yet that I am aware of using inverters. There is a Hitachi plant in N.C. that builds the compressors.

 

This one looks interesting...It's a mini-split, up to 30 SEER, designed to operate directly from solar panels. This one's 18,000 BTU and will cool/heat 600-800 sq ft. The more solar panels connected, the more efficient the unit up to 1kw.
Of course, it won't run past a certain point in late afternoon, but by then the temperature should be stabilized inside of a well insulated dwelling. That should keep things comfortable until the sun sets and the temperature drops.

18000 BTU YMGI DC Inverter Solar 220v Solar Up To 32 SEER

Never heard of an inverter compressor until this thread. Having worked in heavy industry I've heard of variable frequency drives 20 or 25 years ago. Whoda thunk they could shoe horn one inside of an air conditioner?

A bit pricey, but I just may have a use for one in a year or two. I really don't want to run a generator

 

$3,719.99 ex. tax
With 5 Panels !!
One Panel will NOT work , You need 220V something , the complete web page is so IFFY & we are making DC power but I KNOW they are a AC120/or 220 units !! , SO INVERTER is needed .
Up to Seer 30 , Read it very carefully . My units cost me 800.00 each delivered, are given power only when the network (internal house wiring transfers says to go ahead from the main controller).. That way on cool cloudy days , the AC is off & the batterys should be getting charged . Controller wont sell or AC till in float & waste-not

 

Interesting points, Sloth.I'm not specifically in love with that particular source. The fact that A/C is possible being run from solar is what's causing the starry eyes.

 

Just wait until they make the full scale switch to brushless power in every thing, what you guys are seeing now is all ready outdated! I run quite a few brushless devices and the controllers can be programmed to start and ramp up in any power mode you could want, and the power vs efficiency is off the charts!

 

20 years ago a variable frequency drive for 1 HP weighed 60 pounds, was 2' x 3' in size, and squealed when it ran. I have one on my heat pump condenser fan that is 8" x 6" x 2" thick, weighs a pound, and was $86 a few years ago. The mini-splits have the power supply and inverter on a single board in the unit.
On another note, I replaced the outdoor fan motor with a 1/10 hp water pump and the outdoor coil with a coaxial water coil for a customer with deep pockets. We ended up with a super efficient geothermal unit and it worked amazing!

 

A 2 ton 25 SEER heat pumps can be had for as little as $1,600.
I think that is what I am installing next.

Using solar panels to power a heat pump is kind of wasteful. Just do normal grid tie that way any power produced by the panels gets used. Power produced by solar panels that are tied into a heat pump may not allow all the power to be used, such as when the heat pump is off or in a low power use state.
For me September through October and then March through April I don't need any heating or cooling so if I had solar panels there would be about 4 months where none of their power is used when it could be grid tied to power everything else in the house.

 

I run my AC all from solar . I need AC for a month MAX in the PNW . the rest is cool 20c/65F max normal here with a breeze .
When WE get 30c/85-90F no breeze , im dying , AC is set to 17c in the house & main shop . All coolers but one are solar powered . My next big solar push will be for a 3" sub-pump to gang on the main 220VAC unit in the same well .

So this can work with heat also , because the Mini splits air/air in near 0c are useless & not worth the power given, AC they are great ..

Sloth