ᐅ Can I power an air conditioner with a small solar panel system installed on a balcony?

From my perspective, the answer is: It depends.

During the transitional periods, that is February/March and September/October, this should work, depending on the positioning of the panels. At least a small 500W (about 1700 BTU/h) fan heater can already help with moisture and heat regulation (if ventilated properly). We operate it this way in our own home with a home assistant that directs the excess energy from the PV system to the fan heater. As Jesse mentioned, some preparation is necessary, but it’s not rocket science.

I am not aware of an air conditioner in this power range; usually, more capacity is required. But a fan heater can definitely achieve some effect. (Disclaimer: In winter, the energy is not sufficient regardless of where the modules are installed, and in summer, you have the electricity but not the need.)

(P.S.: Since you mentioned "without grid power," electricity is still needed to operate the inverter. Unless you have an off-grid system installed, but I assume you understand that.)

I would probably approach it a bit differently, mainly because of the straightforward setup. A balcony solar power system with 2000W (4 photovoltaic panels) combined with a 2 kW battery storage. Let them operate normally. The air conditioner should be Wi-Fi enabled and controllable via an app. Set the air conditioner to frost protection mode, for example at 5°C (41°F). When you know you’re going to the holiday home, you can remotely increase it to your desired temperature in time. This makes it simple, safe, and lets you use solar power. Also at night, if there is surplus energy available. Relying solely on solar power makes it much more complicated and virtually impossible during winter months due to lack of sunlight.

Thank you very much for all the responses.
They helped me understand a lot and gave me a clear idea of what is necessary.
--> At least one battery storage system with remote state-of-charge information and an air conditioning unit that can be controlled remotely.
Many thanks!

From a purely economic perspective, what you are planning doesn’t really make sense. When exactly is this investment in a weekend house supposed to pay off?