Forum Discussion
2manytoyz
Dec 24, 2022Explorer

I've had several different types of RV fridges. My current one is the 10 cubic ft Norcold 12V compressor type.
The downside to 12V compressor fridges is they consume more power per day than an absorption type fridge running on propane. The upside is they cool better, and much faster.
The Norcold has a night mode, which draws less power. They expect the fridge to be used less in the middle of the night, so they run the compressor less.
The temperature of the RV, and how often the fridge door is opened, will play a big part in how often the compressor runs. Looks like the 8 cu ft fridge draws ~5A/HR.
Just a wild guess, a 50% duty cycle of 5A/HR, is 2.5A/HR x 24 hours = 60 Amps x 12V = 720 Watt Hours per day. 600W of solar, with a derating factor of 25% = 450W of actual production. During peak sunlight, you'll replenish all the energy used by your fridge in 1.6 hours.
Short of measuring your actual usage, and actual collection, hard to give accurate numbers.
If power consumption becomes a big deal, consider using a portable Engel refrigerator. It only has one moving part, and is incredibly efficient. I added an external thermostat to mine, details here: http://2manytoyz.com/engel-thermostat.html
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