Off Grid Refrigerator

pedro65
pedro65 Registered Users Posts: 21 ✭
in General Solar Power Topics #1
So which is more favorable.....

A fridge that draws lower amperage or total kW hours? Two low power refrigerators one with more total (yearly) kW hour estimate and one with a lower amp rating.

Not sure if there is an easy answer, but assume a 48 V off-grid system.

Any opinions or is it 6 of one, half-dozen of the other....
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Comments

  • icarus
    icarus Solar Expert Posts: 5,436 ✭✭✭✭
    #2
    Re: Off Grid Refrigerator

    I would vote lower total KWH. Assuming you have enough PV/Battery/inverter to power one with a bigger running/starting current.

    What matters is total power consumed, and given the above, not how fast it is consumed.

    Tony
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  • waynefromnscanada
    waynefromnscanada Solar Expert Posts: 3,009 ✭✭✭✭
    #3
    Re: Off Grid Refrigerator

    Agree with Tony. You have to produce/replace the kwh that are consumed, so the less kwh used, the better.
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  • RCinFLA
    RCinFLA Solar Expert Posts: 1,485 ✭✭✭✭
    #4
    Re: Off Grid Refrigerator

    Some refrig's have high power defroster heating elements that consume 1 kW for short burst of time over the period of 15-20 minutes. Some have lower wattage elements that have a greater active duty cycle over the same defrost cycle time.

    You also have startup surge. An inverter-compressor system with a variable speed motor can have relatively low startup surge.

    Average kWh maybe similar but if peak power requirements are higher then a more powerful inverter must be employed. Generally, the more power the inverter the higher the no-load overhead current. If the inverter is running in the background 100% of the time then a higher net average kWH consumption can result.

    This has to weighed in relation to overall consumption on the inverter and may wash out if other loads make use of the more powerful inverter. There is also the case where inverter is put in a pulsing search mode, standby condition that reduces its average power consumption although this can cause problems with timer that set off defrosting cycles and ice making.

    Gov't rules require yearly average energy rating but good luck on finding out what peak power needs are for a given refrig.
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