12 volt fridge

[Johnboy2004]

hi, is it possible to run a 12 volt fridge directly from a solar panel?

the fridge i was thinking of getting is 12 volt and draws, 2.3 - 3.8 Amps,

i have two batterys on board, a 75 AH and an 85 AH battery,



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[tony_brighton]

you'll need to go through the batteries but its a case of having enough solar panels to meet your output needs (e.g. 2 x 32Watt panels should cover it). Of course it wont run at night or in low light...

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[steve_cronin]

You need a battery of some sort even if only to stabilise the voltage and provide a reservoir for use at night.

Steve Cronin



<hr width=100% size=1>The above is, like any other post here, only a personal opinion

 

[William_H]

It should be possible to run the fridge direct from the solar panels however the output voltage with no load is usually about 20 volts dropping as you draw current from the panel so you could end up with too high or too low voltage on the fridge. The higher voltage may melt the electronics. If you connect a battery in paralell you have a good voltage regulator and backup. Alternately use a regulator for the solar panels and no battery. Of course you will need serious large solar panels. Was this a theoretical question or are you really contemplasting trying it? regards ole will

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[john_morris_uk]

Solar panels are rated at the optimum - direct sun with the panel at optimum angle (usually 90 degrees). The actual achievable output is invariably much lower - perhaps 50%? In addition, as the panel heats up, the output deteriorates. The long and the short is that two 32 Watt panels are unlikely to be a success in running the fridge load you mention.

You can do it, but you need an efficient fridge, good sunlight, and big (expensive) panels preferably kept off the deck to allow them to cool.

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[scarlett]

I have the simplest Waeco compressor, feeding a well insulated fridge, running off two 28 Watt solar panels freely mounted but horizontal on the gantry. The intervening domestic 105 ah battery is fed via a regulator.

In the Med summer sun I can only use the fridge from 1000 to 1600 without draining the battery.

The battery is finished after two years use.

If I wanted to run the fridge full time I think I would need to double the solar panels and the battery capacity. I haven't the space or the interest.



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[TrueBlue]

Sorry, but everybodys' missed one important point:-

When the fridge compressor starts up it will take maybe 15-20 amps for about a second or less. A solar panel, being a high resistance device just cannot provide that sort of power.

So, you need to float the fridge across a battery to provide that extr bit of oomph.

Another point to watch is that fridge manufacturers tend to describe their current draw as an average rate per 24 hours - assuming that the firdge will be in idle mode for at least 50% of the time.

Hope this helps...

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