Undecided about whether you should connect your freezer to solar power?
Or perhaps, you plan to purchase a freezer for your home or remote cabin and need to know whether it can run off solar.
Well, this post can be of help. It explores whether you can and should power a freezer off solar, what components are needed for the solar system if it is worth it or not, all to help you make an informed decision.
Can Solar Panels Run a Freezer?
Yes, you can run a freezer using energy from solar panels. The number of solar panels you need depends on the freezer’s power consumption.
In addition to the panels, you also need a charge controller to protect the battery from overcharging and over-discharging, and a battery to power the freezer when the sun goes down.
You may also need an inverter (optional) if it is an AC fridge that you need to power.
Is it Worth it?
It depends on the circumstances. If the grid is available, it is not worth it from a financial perspective.
An off-grid solar system setup to run a 13 cu. ft, 350 kWh/ year costs about USD 1,200, solar panels, charge controllers, battery, and inverter.
At a utility rate of 12cents/kWh, the estimated annual cost of running this fridge is USD 42, (12 cents/kWh x 350 kW a year).
The estimated payback works out to be 35 years from USD 1,500/42!
Should you choose to buy an energy-efficient solar fridge (to keep the solar system size down and investment), it can cost as much as 3 times what you’d pay for a conventional AC fridge of the same capacity.
For example, a whirlpool,12.9 cu. ft with an estimated annual energy draw of 350kWh costs USD 630 while an energy-efficient with a lower energy consumption of 220kWh may cost as much as USD 1700, at current prices.
If there is no grid available, for example, in the case of a remote cabin, or boat and the budget is not an issue then probably it is worthwhile considering.
However, if the budget is limited then consider a genset instead.
How Many Solar Panels to Run a Freezer?
You need at least, 1 x 265 W solar panel to run an energy-efficient 13 cu. ft freezer with an estimated daily electricity draw of 587 Wh.
Even then, you should probably add a second solar panel to keep the batteries topped should you have several days of cloudy weather.
For less efficient fridges, you’ll need more panels. Ultimately the number of solar panels you need to run a freezer depends on:
- the power consumption of the freezer – capacity (cu. ft), design – type and qualify of insulation, compressor
It is best to check the freezer’s nameplate or technical specifications section of the freezer manual for its power consumption.
Use this to determine the wattage of solar panels, and the rest of the solar system components – charge controller, battery, inverter.
You may also be interested in: How many solar panels to run a fridge?
How to Run Freezer on Solar?
If it is a DC freezer, then you need the following components:
- Solar panels
- Charge controller
- 12V or 24 V battery bank
For an AC freezer, you need
- Solar panels
- Charge controller
- 12V or 24 V battery bank
- DC to AC inverter
Check the freezer manual or freezer nameplate for power and energy consumption of the freezer.
Using the power consumption (watts), you can work out the estimated sizes of the solar system components.
Note: This is a guide and these are likely minimum values. Contact a qualified solar professional to support the design.
Related questions
#1. How Many Solar panels to Run a Deep freezer?
This depends on the freezer’s actual power consumption, sunshine hours received and the wattage of the solar panels used. An example of a solar system setup that can be used to power a 5 cu. ft deep freezer with an estimated annual consumption of 218 kWh/year.
Note: It is assumed that the location receives an average of 4 hours of sunshine a day.
- 2 x 200 watt solar panels
- 40A MPPT Charge controller
- 2 x100Ah AGM batteries
- 1000 watt tt pure sine wave inverter
Note: This is just one example of a setup you can use. It is possible to use system components with different ratings.
#2. Can a 100 Watt Solar Panel Run a Freezer?
It could run a small freezer but likely not reliably and even then it would depend on whether your location receives at least 5+ hours of sunshine each day.
There are some small freezers 1.1 cu.ft with an estimated daily energy consumption of 0.6 kWh per day.
This should, in theory, run the freezer for a day but then again there is no margin of safety if it is a cloudy day for example.
Is this size of freezer suitable for your requirements? If not then this is not an option.
Note: A solar panel is not enough. You need a complete solar system with a charge controller, battery, and inverter (optional for DC freezers) to power it.
#3. Can a 200 watt Solar panel run a Freezer?
Yes, it can power a smaller freezer with an estimated daily energy draw of about 0.5kWh.
Such freezers can be as small as 1.1.cu.ft. Besides the solar panel, you need a charge controller, battery, and inverter (optional for DC freezers).
Alternative Power sources for a Freezer?
Besides a solar system, you can use a genset to power a freezer. The capacity of the genset depends on the power consumption of the freezer.
For example, for a 70W freezer, you can use a 0.5 kW genset or higher to power a freezer.
Larger freezers need larger capacity generators.
Unlike with a solar system, you’ll need to maintain and add gas to the genset.
Final Thoughts
Yes, you can run a freezer with a solar panel. The rating of the solar panel depends on the power consumption of the freezer.
For example, a 13 cu. ft solar fridge should be able to work with a 1 x 265 watt solar panel.
If you want it to work reliably after several days of cloudy weather, you might want to add a second panel.
