Shading the compressor can help but it can also hurt.
Those units can draw enormous amounts of air. Unless the shading covers a very wide area around the compressor, it’s likely to mostly pull in air that wasn’t shaded and is still at normal ambient temperature.
If the shading obstructs airflow, it can reduce the efficiency of the unit.
https://www.aceee.org/files/proceedings/2002/data/papers/SS02_Panel1_Paper24.pdf
Shading the compressor can help but it can also hurt.
Those units can draw enormous amounts of air. Unless the shading covers a very wide area around the compressor, it’s likely to mostly pull in air that wasn’t shaded and is still at normal ambient temperature.
If the shading obstructs airflow, it can reduce the efficiency of the unit.