It's no secret that air conditioners are power-hungry devices. It's also well-known that they can be lifesavers for those nasty, humid nights or unbearable summer days. Interestingly, we seem to having more of both in the past few years here in the Northeast. I wonder what that might be related to? Hmm…

Anyways, I digress. The point is, it feels good to enter an air conditioned room — even to a kilowatt-carrying energy miser like me. Until the world gets around to embracing passive heating and cooling with green buildings, air conditioning is going to remain a massive energy suck — or will it?

A company called SolCool is launching a new product called the Millennia Version 4 Hybrid Solar Air Conditioner that runs on solar panels, a wall socket, or batteries. The entire unit works at a very efficient 500 watts — almost half of what regular products consume. According to the website, The SolCool is the only AC unit that is pre-wired to take Solar, DC Lighting and Fan Options.

Unfortunately, this is where that "Ooh, I want one!" feeling may end for you. Prices are expected to range between $2,600 and $3,000 before installation. Ouch. Still, I expect this product to sell pretty well, especially in places where air-conditioners are frowned upon (ie; eco-villages) or for those environmentalists with deep pockets. If demand picks up, perhaps we'll see more affordable options trickle down to a mass adoption level. Either way something has to give. Our current appliances cannot stay as energy inefficient as they've been and homes have got to be built with passive heating and cooling in mind. We may yet find a peaceful co-existence for an environmentalist and an air conditioner.

Thanks to Treehugger for the tip. Hit the jump for more information.