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I'd imagine most people use appliances that fit within their power budget. We use a normal LG 5.2 amp fridge/freezer with ice maker and water dispenser along with a Maytag large chest freezer... we also have a neighbor on a temp power hookup while building their house using a small dorm type fridge/freezer on our system. So it all depends on how much your PV system can support. There is no single answer for everyone. Come to think of it, we have the same appliances you would find in any common house on the grid. Some of our appliances are gas - the dryer, water heater and oven/range. The appliances that consume copious amounts of electricity are the ones that should be selected as gas. Heating water, food and clothes are not well suited for electricity. On the other hand, using gas fridges isn't very efficient. So selecting the appropriate/most effective energy source for the particular appliance is a big step in the right direction. We were using 120lbs a year ($10 a month) in propane until we added the dryer. Will have to wait till next year to find out what the dryer costs us in propane.
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I'd imagine most people use appliances that fit within their power budget. We use a normal LG 5.2 amp fridge/freezer with ice maker and water dispenser along with a Maytag large chest freezer... we also have a neighbor on a temp power hookup while building their house using a small dorm type fridge/freezer on our system. So it all depends on how much your PV system can support. There is no single answer for everyone. Come to think of it, we have the same appliances you would find in any common house on the grid. Some of our appliances are gas - the dryer, water heater and oven/range. The appliances that consume copious amounts of electricity are the ones that should be selected as gas. Heating water, food and clothes are not well suited for electricity. On the other hand, using gas fridges isn't very efficient. So selecting the appropriate/most effective energy source for the particular appliance is a big step in the right direction. We were using 120lbs a year ($10 a month) in propane until we added the dryer. Will have to wait till next year to find out what the dryer costs us in propane.
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quote:
Originally posted by Cagary
HD has a normal size frig (19 cu. ft.) Tier lll frig for around $800.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Whirlpool-18-...piZ1z0y90h
Just took a look at the energy star rating (yellow tag) 345 KWh a year... Not that much better than the other ones they sell. The GE one I got was about 370 KW per year. Worked out for me about 360KW a year.
Anyway.... The only way you are going to do better is talk to the guy ColdStone down in beaches. His fridge runs at about 160 kW a year.
Altho, it's only 12 CuFt. It also will run on 12Volt DC so that you you can just run it off battery bank. No inverter needed that will lose some watts just in that process alone.
I talked to him a few years ago, he doesn't offer a warranty and his fridge is kinda expensive at 1500 bucks. But... your batteries will thank you since saving half the wattage at night time use takes a lot of strain off the batteries. Maybe you can talk him into an extended warranty ?
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he doesn't offer a warranty and his fridge is kinda expensive at 1500 bucks
There is no one-size-fits-all, but ... in my case it made more sense to buy a $200 fridge and spend an extra $1300 on solar panels -- solar panels have a usable lifetime of 25+ years, if the fridge breaks I can get another one at Walmart any day of the week.
half the wattage at night time use takes a lot of strain off the batteries
Use a $20 appliance timer to turn the fridge off at night, it will stay cold just fine, especially if you're not opening the door because you're in bed sleeping.
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quote:
Originally posted by kalakoa
he doesn't offer a warranty and his fridge is kinda expensive at 1500 bucks
There is no one-size-fits-all, but ... in my case it made more sense to buy a $200 fridge and spend an extra $1300 on solar panels -- solar panels have a usable lifetime of 25+ years, if the fridge breaks I can get another one at Walmart any day of the week.
half the wattage at night time use takes a lot of strain off the batteries
Use a $20 appliance timer to turn the fridge off at night, it will stay cold just fine, especially if you're not opening the door because you're in bed sleeping.
Thank you for that helpful tip!
Best wishes
Best wishes
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yeah I suppose if you made a bunch of ice in the freezer it would stay cold from say 10PM till 8AM. Good Idea about that. I'd probably get a grey box (hotwater heater) timer tho. They are built to last.
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if you made a bunch of ice in the freezer it would stay cold
Reusable ice, extra water (or beer) bottles in the fridge.
get a grey box (hotwater heater) timer
Digital timer; the clock motor in a mechanical timer burns power 24x7.
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quote:
Originally posted by kander
A double door, Class III LG with Ice maker. Pulls about .8Kwh per day on my solar setup. Of course mileage may vary depending on how often the door is opened and how long someone stands in front of it wondering if there's something they want to eat.
What brand and model do you have?
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Found this interesting bit.
Consider putting a standard programmable timer on your refrigerator and set it to cycle off for a few hours at night when the fridge stays closed. If you put a gallon jug of frozen water in the freezer, you should be able to safely program the timer to turn the fridge off from 10 PM to 1:30 and from 2:30 to 6 AM without impacting your food.
I guess they think it should cycle every 4 hours in the evening. Makes sense to start at that first, and maybe increase the hours to full off on night mode to make sure your food isn't going bad. I would think you'd probably save .1-.2 KWH's with a high efficient fridge, even more if you have an old one.
The timer would pay for itself quick.
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