Anybody Auxiliary batteries and solar?

[Mobilesport]

I heard the Prius Air conditioner runs off of electric so wouldn't you be able to have your heating and cooling taken care of by a auxiliary battery and solar in the summer and auxiliary battery and charging in the winter? 
All this with burning less gas then using the cars engine?

 

[highdesertranger]

the Prius's AC is electric, but it's battery is huge compared to your auxiliary battery. when the Prius battery gets low the engine kicks in. Prius owners report fuel economy drops of 1-10 mpg when the AC is on. highdesertranger

 

[Mobilesport]

I was unaware that the Prius is a Hybrid , then it seems you would already have everything that you would need for heating and cooling without running the engine except for a little bit per day.

 

[Oberneldon]

Folks,

The Prius gets it's heating from the engine just like other cars. It's advantage is the hybrid controls that shut off the engine when it reaches temperature until you pull too much heat from the engine to start again.

As for A/C on the Prius it is run by electric off the hybrid high voltage battery. You leave the A/C on and when you have used enough of the high voltage battery the engine will start to recharge the high voltage battery.

On my way to the RTR this year it was 14 deg just south of Harrisburg, PA and I stopped in a rest area and set the temp to 65 and the engine ran for a minute every 5 minutes. I slept well.

Recently in southern AZ when it was in the 90's I would run the A/C when I went in long hikes. I set the temp to 78 and the engine would run about a minute every 10 minutes. I was helping my compressor fridge as inside my Prius it would get to 120 and this is not helpful for my compressor.

Brent

 

[Mobilesport]

Folks,

The Prius gets it's heating from the engine just like other cars.  It's advantage is the hybrid controls that shut off the engine when it reaches temperature until you pull too much heat from the engine to start again.

As for A/C on the Prius it is run by electric off the hybrid high voltage battery.  You leave the A/C on and when you have used enough of the high voltage battery the engine will start to recharge the high voltage battery.

On my way to the RTR this year it was 14 deg just south of Harrisburg, PA and I stopped in a rest area and set the temp to 65 and the engine ran for a minute every 5 minutes.  I slept well.

Recently in southern AZ when it was in the 90's I would run the A/C when I went in long hikes.  I set the temp to 78 and the engine would run about a minute every 10 minutes.  I was helping my compressor fridge as inside my Prius it would get to 120 and this is not helpful for my compressor.

Brent

Thanks
What's the air conditioner like in the prius?  Is it powered by 12 volts?

 

[Oberneldon]

Mobilesport,

The Prius Air Conditioner runs on the Prius Hybrid battery that is high DC voltage. The Prius 12 volt battery is an AGM battery that is small as it only runs the electronics. The Prius engine is started from the Prius high voltage battery.

There is a DC to DC charger that takes the DC high voltage and converts it to charge the 12 volt AGM battery.

I have 24 ah in 12 v gel cell batteries as my house battery that is my auxiliary battery that I charge off the Prius 12 volt AGM battery via 400 PSW inverter to a multi chemistry BatteryMinder charger.

Brent