DC compressor fridge power usage question
Hey guys - Looking for some help on a fridge topic. First post and have been reading as much as possible on this forum as well as others on the topic... has been very helpful. Quick summary of my ...
Forum Discussion
ydoggy wrote:
Will I get at least 4days of fridge usage before depleting battery capacity with the following conditions:
-Lance 815 (small camper)
-100W solar (non-mppt charge controller)
- ~200AH (2x 6V)LA battery
- Pacfic NW weather: typically overcast with camping under tree cover so temps at a high of 80F with lows around 40f... ballpark.
-Conservative usage, minimize opening door, preconditioned contents, etc.
Fridge options:
-roughly 3cubic ft capcity (fire damaged fridge was a Norcold N300)
- 2-way (12v/120v) with Danfoss compressor
- Looking at Nova Kool R4500, Dometic CR1100
Short answer - just barely.
Long answer:
Loads other than fridge 10A - a realistic goal if your lights are LED and you don't run a furnace more than 20-30 minutes a day, no TV, no laptop, maybe listen to radio an hour or two. Novakool 4500 with added insulation and proper ventilation, in this climate ... who knows... It can get hot in PNW at times. 25-40 AH for fridge. So your total consumption will be 30-50 AH depending on the weather.
In the worst case scenario, overcast, total loads 35 AH. 100W solar will harvest 6-8 AH. So you're taking 28 AH from the battery daily. 200 AH bank - if this is 200 AH @12V, not 6V - means you can use 100 AH, so 100/28=3.5 days.
Get at least 200-300W solar for this climate, even with the smallest fridge. And try increasing your bank to 300 AH.
