Marine air conditioners 12V DC

Air conditioning from the onboard batteries

On small and medium-sized boats, using air conditioning at anchor has long required the use of a generator, resulting in bulkiness, noise, and maintenance. The DC Blue-Airco air conditioning, on the other hand, allows you to use the energy already available in the battery bank, reducing the need for the generator.

Blue-Airco 12V DC marine air conditioners are self-contained monoblock systems with variable speed: a 12V boat air conditioner solution. They are reversible: they cool and heat via heat pump and are designed for small and medium-sized boats with a 12V system.

They operate directly from the battery bank: with a properly sized system, they can air-condition cabins and small spaces using onboard power. Thanks to the BLDC compressor, which modulates power, and the ECO function, they offer high comfort, optimized consumption and quiet operation.

They are designed, produced, and tested in Italy.

12V DC air conditioners are ideal for…

They are the suitable solution for boats up to about 10–12 meters — day cruisers, sailboats and small motorboats — where the onboard electrical system is typically 12V.

They allow you to air-condition cabins and small spaces using the energy available in the battery bank.

For larger boats, 24V or 48V systems are recommended instead.

The advantages of 12V DC Blue-Airco marine air conditioners

Direct operation from the battery bank

The unit is powered directly at 12V DC, with no conversion to alternating current. With a properly sized system, it allows for reduced use of the generator, improving comfort and quietness even at anchor and in the roadstead.

Soft start

Inverter technology eliminates current peaks at switch-on, a particularly important aspect for 12V systems.

Low consumption and ECO mode

Power is adjusted according to actual environmental demand. In ECO mode, consumption can drop to about 150 W, favoring quieter nighttime use with contained consumption.

Reliability in the marine environment

The titanium heat exchanger offers very high resistance to corrosion and erosion and contributes to the reliability of the unit under typical marine usage conditions.

Compact and versatile

The monoblock design, with an adjustable fan, facilitates onboard integration and simplifies installation compared to more complex systems.

Made in Italy

Design, production, and testing are managed in Italy, with great attention to construction quality and the needs of the marine environment.

Technical specifications

All 12V DC units share an architecture designed for continuous use in marine environments, even under severe conditions (seawater up to 45 °C for cooling and down to 4 °C for heating).

Supply voltage: 12V DC.

Variable speed inverter technology with BLDC compressor and fan.

Titanium heat exchanger/condenser highly resistant to erosion and immune to corrosion.

Electronic expansion valve (EEV) for precise regulation of refrigerant flow under all operating conditions.

Multifunction 2.4″ capacitive touch display included; 3.5″ display available as an option on the Evolution Line version.

ECO mode with very low consumption.

Soft start with elimination of current peaks.

Patented Blue-Airco technology.

Evolution Line connectivity (coming soon): bidirectional MQTT interface and local web server via Wi-Fi to monitor and control temperature, setpoint, mode, fan speed, on/off status, and alarms directly from a browser, with no app or cloud required.

Available models

The 12V DC range includes four models, in the Original and Evolution lines. All models operate at 12V DC.

Model	Max cooling capacity	Max power absorbed	Max current	ECO mode	Weight
SDC08V12	up to 8,400 BTU/h (2.5 kW)	420 W	35.0 A	4,200 BTU/h · 160 W · 13.3 A	22 kg (48.5 lb)
SDC10V12	up to 10,200 BTU/h (3.0 kW)	530 W	44.2 A	4,200 BTU/h · 160 W · 13.3 A	22 kg (48.5 lb)
SDC12V12	up to 12,400 BTU/h (3.6 kW)	530 W	44.2 A	4,700 BTU/h · 150 W · 12.5 A	28 kg (61.7 lb)
SDC15V12E Evolution*	up to 15,100 BTU/h (4.4 kW)	790 W	65.8 A	5,400 BTU/h · 170 W · 14.2 A	28 kg (61.7 lb)

All capacity, power, and current values reported in the table refer to cooling operation. Compared to the models in the Original line, the SDC15V12E Evolution features optimized compressor and exchangers and faster EEV control. The SDC15V12E uses R-454C refrigerant; the other 12V models use R410A. All units are reversible and also operate in heating mode via heat pump. The values shown refer to tests carried out in tropical conditions, with sea water at 32 °C. For the complete specifications of each model, download the relevant datasheet.