A Coolzy is one of the lowest power air conditioners on the market which makes it particularly suitable for off-grid applications. My Coolzy portable air conditioner enables me to camp at hot, remote locations that other people avoid and enjoy a good night’s sleep in the open. In this article, the inventor, Prof. James Trevelyan, tells us about his experiences with Coolzy.
If you are unfamiliar with off-grid power solutions, there is a special page explaining the technnology and a technical note with some explanations so you can understand the operating priniples.
Please note that our product warranty covers normal use on specified power supplies. It is your responsibility to ensure that your power supply conforms with the product specification requirements with a minimum supply voltage of 215 Volts AC and a maximum of 250 Volts AC. Running the AC outside this voltage range can damage the compressor and other motors.
James:
“I have taken my Coolzy portable air conditioner (that I invented) to several remote locations in Australia.
Coolzy doesn’t just reduce your cooling bills, our solutions have also been engineered to also dramatically reduce CO2 emissions compared to standard air conditioners, which can be one of the worst contributors to carbon emissions.
It takes me about 10 minutes to set up the Igloo tent and Coolzy from the back of my SUV.
A flat site for an overnight camp deep in the Australian bush
Igloo tent set up with Coolzy portable air conditioner at my remote campsite.
Off-grid power supply for Coolzy portable air conditioner. The Victron charger enables me to monitor the charging process and the battery condition. Not shown is the DC charging operating automatically from my engine alternator.
Inside the Igloo bed tent with Coolzy
Coolzy portable air conditioner, Igloo tent, bedding,tarpaulins, and off-grid power system carried in the back of my SUV with space to spare.
The shovel is for digging a toilet trench – it’s essential to leave no trace of your temporary stay.
Waking up to this view of the world is something special!
Packing up such a simple campsite takes around 15 minutes to fold the tent and place it in its storage bag, replace my Coolzy in the back of the SUV and roll up my bedding. The final step is to fold the tarpaulins and back-fill the toilet trench, leaving no trace of my occupation for the night.
My wife and I headed 1,500 km north of Perth to witness the total solar eclipse at Exmouth in April 2023.
We hired a RV Campervan because there was no serviced accommodation available when we booked our trip. It was a great opportunity to experience our Coolzy portable air conditioner in a campervan without any opportunity to make any alterations.
Our rented campervan – breakfast in a bush caravan park at Hamelin Station.
Unserviced campsite created at Exmouth specially for the eclipse. Around 20,000 people arrived at the tiny town with only 2,500 permanent residents.
We did not need our Coolzy at the Exmouth campsite as the dry evening breeze came from the east at a comfortable 24 °C. However, the following day we moved to a campsite along the famous Ningaloo coral reef and it was uncomfortably warm and humid at 28 °C. Here we set up Coolzy running on lithium-ion batteries that we took with us, easily fitting into the storage cabinets under the bed.
This shows the view from inside the van, looking to the rear. The Igloo bed tent stayed in its bag. It served as a convenient barrier to keep the cool air from Coolzy from flowing into the kitchen section. Being heavier than warm, humid air, the cool air remained over the bed.
We slept soundly and on waking found that we had only used less than half the expected battery capacity.
Seeing the eclipse under a cloud-free sky was an amazing experience. I would recommend to anyone that you plan to experience one sometime in your lifetime. You can plan ahead here.
The most gratifying experience was to meet, quite by chance, a long-term Coolzy user. Felino bought one of the original Close Comfort models and just happened to arrive at the adjacent plot at the Exmouth campsite. He and his wife live in the Northern Territory. Felino explained “It’s a fantastic invention. It has enabled us to go camping in the tropical wet season right across Northern Australia, something we could never attempt without it. It has survived horrendous roads in the back of our campervan for years. It is so robust with amazing cooling. and of course, we use it at home too. Thank you.”
View of the eclipse while the sun was completely obscured by the moon. Vast jets of hydrogen glowing an intense pink can be seen in the photo, obtained by combining several images at different exposures. The visible jets are several times larger than the earth! The sun’s corona stretches away all around the moon’s disc following magnetic field lines.
The sun is just emerging from behind the moon and the intense light overwhelms the camera sensor. I replaced the protective sun filter on the camera lens mmediately after this image was taken. Otherwise, my camera would have been damaged by the intense sunlight.