With The Solar System I am Designing, What Is the Refrigerator Run Time?

Question:

Everchill 17cu.ft. 12v frig. 6 panel 1140 solar kit go power 12v 3000 watt 12v pure sine inverter/charger go power 2 lithium 4d 250amp. 12v batteries go power. What would be the most run time I would have using the frig. With this system and its power consumption.

asked by: Frank F

Helpful Expert Reply:

There are many variables to determine how long your batteries will last. I have included a link to provide you information on how to calculate your run time, if you have enough information.

Right away we have a road block as the manufacturer of the EverChill # WAY44FR only provides the 20 amp maximum current draw rating for the refrigerator. That is undoubtedly when the refrigerator compressor starts up periodically. A wild guess would be that the normal use is around 10 amps assuming that you never open the door.

You report that your lithium batteries are rated for 250 amp hours. You should only discharge around 80%. So now you really have a 200 amp hour battery. Since you have two batteries, make that 400 amp hours of available battery. So, at 10 amps an hour, you have 40 hours of service. This assumes that you don't have anything else running on 12 volts.

Your Go Power # 342-75011 kit will easily keep your batteries topped off in most circumstances. It won't run an air conditioner, but it will run most things. To get a better idea, you will need to do a full energy audit of your electrical items and your typical use of them.

expert reply by: Les D