Unless you’re particularly into different technologies and want to try something new, then when you’re shopping for a new air conditioning unit you’re probably looking for one that is powered by electricity.

Electricity powered air conditioning units are by far the most common and if you’re just looking at air conditioning units in general then these will be the ones that you see most. If you are looking for this type of unit then it is important that you give some consideration to the running cost of your new air conditioner and not just the one off cost you are spending out to buy it.

A few years ago gas-powered air conditioner units were popular but these weren’t as efficient as they could have been. Nowadays we have natural gas to power these and so they are much more efficient than they were in the past. These units can be very effective and are generally recommended for larger areas.

The third option, which is slowly starting to become more popular is solar powered air conditioning units. There are two ways that you can run these and the set-up really depends on your personal needs and your personal preference.

You can either opt to buy an air conditioning unit that has been built and designed to be used specifically with solar panels. Often these cannot be then connected to mains power so you only have the solar power to rely on. Of course the running costs of a system like this are kept low, which is always a good thing.

The second option is to run a normal electric powered air conditioning unit but simply attach this to the solar panels on your roof – much like if you were to power your washing machine or other electrical items in your home. This works well because if you don’t have enough solar power to run the unit then it can usually easily switch to mains power so you don’t miss out.

Of course with any technology like this, it is a matter of looking into all of your options and what suits you best. The good thing about solar powered air conditioning units is that there are different options open to you, so whatever you are looking for you can be sure there will be something to suit both your needs and your budget.