The energy crisis has aroused attention in the whole of Europe and the United States. In the last article, several tips are listed to cut down the electricity consumption. In the following part, another solution will be put forward——solar-powered refrigerators.

Confronted with the long electricity bills, solar power, and solar cooling technologies have become an efficient, convenient, and cost-effective solution for rising residential and commercial cooling needs.

What Is a Solar-Powered Refrigerator, and How Does It Work?

A Solar-powered refrigerator is a refrigerator powered by solar energy, either through photovoltaic or solar thermal energy. It contains a solar panel for the gathering of solar energy. Their photovoltaic cells transform solar power into electricity, which is retained by the battery. This is beneficial, particularly at night or in power failures, because there is a guaranteed constant power supply.

These refrigerators are built just like conventional ones with even similar size models. There’re AC and DC models, but the latter is the most common.

The working principle is pretty straightforward:

1. DC model

The current generated by the panels on exposure to sunlight goes directly to a charge controller and then to the battery. The energy to power the refrigerator is then drawn from the battery.

Instead of the compression-expansion process, the unit itself leverages the adsorptive principle. It uses thermal energy to convert the refrigerant solution into a liquid. The energy produced in the process is then used to sustain the unit.

2. AC model

The power from the solar panels has to pass through a converter to be changed to AC before being fed to the refrigerator. The fridge itself works just like a conventional one.

Besides its apparent advantage, that is, cutting down electricity consumption, there are other profits.

• Highly convenient

Solar-powered refrigerators will operate continuously as long as there’s the sun at least a day every few days. There’s a battery to store the energy when there’s plenty of sun and power your refrigerator when the sun is insufficient. Solar refrigerators and freezers are meant to operate day and night, all year through.

• Exceptional energy efficiency

Solar panels are built for energy efficiency. Most solar refrigerators run on DC, which requires way less panel capacity to power up the compressor compared to AC solar refrigerators. A standard solar fridge running on DC will require 3-6 times less panel capacity than an AC refrigerator.

• Safe to the environment

Solar refrigeration eliminates the need to burn fossil fuels to produce electricity. You all know how the process can pollute the air, let alone release the notorious greenhouse gases.

• Quieter

Another excellent characteristic of solar refrigerators is their quieter operation. Solar panels do not produce noises when collecting the sun. At the same time, solar refrigerators do not have mechanical parts that a regular fridge would use to operate, which are generally noisy. The noises are so low that you might not even hear the fridge running.

• Little Maintenance Required

Solar refrigerators do not require much maintenance since there aren’t many moving parts to consider. Solar panels can last many years, and solar refrigerators can last as long as five years, even with minimal attention.

However, routine cleaning is enough to keep the fridge in good shape for many years.

There are three several types of solar refrigerators available in the market.

1. Solar photovoltaic refrigerator

The solar photovoltaic refrigerator contains solar panels that have photovoltaic cells, which transform the solar energy into DC power. DC power is usually converted into AC power to operate the compressor, which spread the refrigerant solution throughout the unit. This then eliminates the heat within the refrigerator and, consequently, retains its contents cool and fresh. Solar photovoltaic refrigerator is generally the most prevalent as it is easy to realize and use.

2. Solar mechanical refrigerator

This type of solar refrigerator includes the Rankine engine. Now, solar power is collected by solar panels. Then this energy is utilized to heat the solution. This runs the engine that consecutively keeps the compressor in motion. After that, the compressor generates cooling inside the refrigerator system.

3. Solar absorption refrigerator

This type of refrigerator contains the absorption cycle to generate the chilling effect inside the unit. The unit utilizes solar power to heat the generator that switches the compressor. After that, the refrigerant is transformed into liquid within the condenser.

Is a solar refrigerator a worthy investment?

Considering the long-term cost-effectiveness, a solar refrigerator is a worthy investment.

Yes, it’ll come with a high upfront cost, but on the other hand, your energy bills will reduce significantly. A solar refrigerator is expected to pay for itself over time.

An energy star refrigerator with a lifespan of 12 years can save you $200+ over this period.

Now that you know the benefits that are associated with solar-powered refrigerators and their categories of them, if you’ve decided you’d like to purchase one, there’s no doubt that you want to ensure you’re investing in a high-quality, reliable appliance. The next article will show you all that you need to consider while selecting your first solar-powered refrigerator.