needsunenergy Posted January 1, 2014 Share Posted January 1, 2014 Would something like this be sufficient? http://www.livingdirect.com/CRF150SS-EdgeStar-Compact-Stainless-Steel-Freezer-With-Lock/CRF150SS,default,pd.html I like that i can control the temperature therefore control the energy being used. would this work with a 65 watt solar panel setup? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waiter Posted January 1, 2014 Share Posted January 1, 2014 Sufficient? - it depends on what your needs are - I would like to be able to freeze and cool, it appears this unit will do one or the other, but not both. As for use with solar panel - Look at the frig specifications - It consumes 138 watts at 110 volts. I didn't see if this was a compressor type frig (I assume that) so even at 1.1 amps running, I would assume it would be 2-3 times that for start-up surge. Your need storage battery, controller, and an inverter. The inverter should probably be at least 500 watts with a 2x surge. Then you need to test to see if that frig will really run off the inverter.Theoretically - It looks possible, if you have a lot of sunshine, and a good set of storage batteries, John Mc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maineah Posted January 1, 2014 Share Posted January 1, 2014 Would something like this be sufficient? http://www.livingdirect.com/CRF150SS-EdgeStar-Compact-Stainless-Steel-Freezer-With-Lock/CRF150SS,default,pd.html I like that i can control the temperature therefore control the energy being used. would this work with a 65 watt solar panel setup? Sorry your going to come up 73 watts short it draws 138 watts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda s Posted January 1, 2014 Share Posted January 1, 2014 Search bay area craigslist. There are several places repairing rv fridges and there's a small one for 50 bucks in Petaluma. In the mean time your fridge can be used as an ice box. I used mine for several months with a dishpan in the bottom and block ice and it stayed cold for 4 days. Ice is cheap. Buying a fridge that won't work for you won't be. Oh and there is also a Norcold high efficiency fridge in Santa Cruz for 350. Half the original cost and you might be able to get him down some more cause it's been posted for a while. Here's links http://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/rvs/4255886761.html http://sfbay.craigslist.org/scz/rvs/4247271060.html http://sfbay.craigslist.org/scz/rvs/4259117151.html Linda S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
needsunenergy Posted January 1, 2014 Author Share Posted January 1, 2014 The fridge in petaluma is probably worth the 2 hour drive. Thanks on the info on the fridge. I just need a fridge, wood stove and one more deep cycle battery to get this oldie rollin. Pretty excited. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stamar Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 Well for long term refigeration the most effecient way is propane. For keeping things cold look into smaller things targeted at truck drivers. Use them when you have juice stored and lay off when you dont... My set up is at two deep cycle size 27, or sort of semi deep cycle rv batteries not meant to be discharged below 50 percent And 120 watt solar panel. But im upgrading to 4 total with golf cart batteries and 200 watts solar. Dont even put the wattage you are using and the size of the solar panel in the same equation. I think if you do multiply by 4 or more really thats just a best case scenario number. Nothing that needs constant juice is a good match for solar You could not cover your roof with enough solar to power an electrix dorm fridge. Youd need 4 times the wattage ib theory and the capacity to power it for the other 12 hours. Thats not a good project... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stamar Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 Btw I am putting in golf cart batteries just for the furnace nothing else atm but for draw to zero purposes you need a real deep cycle battery. For a 12 volt fridge you would need the same concept or you will kill your rv baterries in a week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulnptld Posted January 3, 2014 Share Posted January 3, 2014 I've been doing a lot of research on this one. There is a Kenmore model that's energy star efficient and has been used in a lot of solar setups. This is the fridge I'm probably going with: http://www.sears.com/kenmore-3.1-cu-ft-2-door-compact-refrigerator/p-04695693000P?prdNo=1&blockNo=1&blockType=G1 Worth watching on this topic: http://rethinksurvival.com/posts/solar-powered-fridge-freezer-30w-off-grid-refrigeration-freezer-video/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maineah Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 There was no wattage listed. That is some thing you'll have to know and figure how often it will run. Running a fridge directly on solar won't happen you'll have to have batteries note batteries and solar panels to recharge. You will also need an inverter to run the fridge. Solar panel do not produce rated power unless they are at the equator during high noon any thing north and south will reduce the output so they will have to be over rated. The sun angle effects the output so if they are on the roof your max power output will only be during the hours around noon and they do nothing during the night or when it's raining. You will need to know how long the fridge runs and the power it draws in order to size the solar array in order to keep up with demand including all the other stuff in the camper. one 1157 light bulb draws 24 watts and don't forget hot weather plays a big roll in the demand on the fridge. Beyond a doubt the very best RV fridge is propane they are very efficient and will run months on a 20# gas cylinder. Many people have a romantic concept of a solar powered camper and yes it can be done but in the long run it probably would be a lot cheaper to buy a propane fridge. I run solar with two batteries when I am in the willy wags but only in the summer and have little power demands all LED's propane fridge accumulator on the water pump and a very efficient vent fan that runs on a thermostat. My solar panel is ground mount it gets turned to the sun and also is sun angle adjustable so I get as close as I can to max day time output in my case I may make 400 watts a day with one 100 watt panel.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waiter Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 Maineah - Good reality check Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stamar Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 That frig could work for the right purpose. If yoi drive a lot and charge the batteries the solar panel might be only the side charger. Or if what you can abandon food when the sun doesnt shine. It definitely works if you can use a generator as bqck up. It just wont work like you need a home fridge to work. Definitely better than nothing. But watch out in the fridge project even at 30 w you can reduce your batteries to zero fast. And the solarr panel will not recharge them fast enough To prevent their damage. But by all means set up your solar fridge and youll learn all the factors. And if you dont have juice just turn it off no big whoop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maineah Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 That frig could work for the right purpose. If yoi drive a lot and charge the batteries the solar panel might be only the side charger. Or if what you can abandon food when the sun doesnt shine. It definitely works if you can use a generator as bqck up. It just wont work like you need a home fridge to work. Definitely better than nothing. But watch out in the fridge project even at 30 w you can reduce your batteries to zero fast. And the solarr panel will not recharge them fast enough To prevent their damage. But by all means set up your solar fridge and youll learn all the factors. And if you dont have juice just turn it off no big whoop. Kind of make it pretty worthless then doesn't it? Add a $1000 Honda and you can buy two new gas fridges. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WME Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 "REAL" numbers http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/yago102.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulnptld Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 The fridge I listed draws 30 watts. I purchased a folding 150 watt solar panel on eBay for $150 and have two high capacity deep cycle batteries. Since I never really use the RV for anything longer than a week, it should be fine. BTW...the folding panels are portable, which means it's much easier to keep it lined up with the sun for maximum wattage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maineah Posted January 5, 2014 Share Posted January 5, 2014 the 3.1 Sears one is 270K a year or 740 watts a day or 61 amp hours. 5 hours of intense sun shine at 100% efficiency with a 150 watt panel just to break even. Factor in inverter loss, 25% degradation in panel output for the latitude, the max output only accruing only at noon maybe 2 days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stamar Posted January 5, 2014 Share Posted January 5, 2014 That article has the breakdown of sone dc 12 volt models that are even more realistic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skydancer2992 Posted January 5, 2014 Share Posted January 5, 2014 EnergyStar is an EPA program and seeks to promote the top 5-10% efficient models in a product category. When more than 50% of the products reach the EnergyStar standard, EPA will tighten up the threshold to once again target the best 5-10%. Dept of Energy is the entity responsible for the energy usage labels on most appliances. Many EnergyStar products qualify for income tax and utility rebates. I received about $800 ($300 utility/$500 Federal Income Tax credit) once for upgrading to a hybrid gas-electric heat pump system for my house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stamar Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 Can you direct link the folding 150 watt panel? I have the flexible solar panels but they dont fold. A folding one is normally small solid panels Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stamar Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 http://m.ebay.com/sch/i.html?kw=folding+solar+panel+150+watt&isNewKw=1&pgn=1&epp=24&mfs=SBCLK&acimp=0&itemId=&cnm=&cid=&sqp=folding+solar+panel+150+watt&_trksid=p2053742.m2428.l1313.TR0.TRC0.Xfolding+solar+panel+150+watt I found this for 600 this is basically retarded many panels connected that can be folded. Or just buy 15 10 watt panels yourself and store them in a stack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MontanaChinook Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 Only 130 watt... http://store.offthegridrvsolar.com/product-category/portable-solar-panels/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek up North Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 Sounds way too good to be true, so the usual advice applies! http://www.ebay.com/itm/150W-300W-450W-600W-WATT-12V-RV-mono-solar-panel-panels-modules-for-home-power-/251360530345?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&var=&hash=item3a86414fa9 This looks more realistic! http://www.ebay.com/itm/150W-BEST-ALL-WEATHER-MONOCRYSTAL-FOLDING-SOLAR-PANEL-/350500408638?pt=AU_Solar&hash=item519b73cd3e Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stamar Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 Ok the latter one is 36 small heavy standard heavy solar panels connexted in a nylon sheet. The foldable part makes it heavier and larger than one standard 150 watt panel and harder to point. To the best of my knowledge more expensive too You can find panels for 1 dollar a watt. The unisolar panels I used weigh 1 seventh as much but they are very large and do not fold they roll up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stamar Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 The first link is standard mono crystal panels for around a dollar a watt. You can believe that theres plenty of deals like that. Im not up to date on solar panels if anything they seem more expensive now than a year ago when I bought mine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nam Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 This is the exact Fridge I have on my Itasca. I only have one Costco RV battery in the coach and one Sunforce 2000W pure sine wave interver hook up. So far so good...it would drain the battery in one night though. However, I always carry the Honda 2000i generator, which I can run it anytime any where since it's pretty quiet. This fridge seems to have pretty strong compressor. Most places I go has power so it is not a problem so far. I also freeze large 2-little soda bottles the night before the trip to keep it cool when not running (basically use it as an ice box) I know nothing beats the propane fridge but it costs almost 5 times as this little one and I have to level the RV, plus I don't use it often enough to justify the cost of the new propane fridge. I also had this fridge laid around not getting used so I put it in anyway...not expecting too much but so far so good. The Sunforce inverter also powers my microwave so if I need to heat something up quickly...it does the job and it has wired and wireless remote control as well. (costs less than $200) I'll snap a pic. when I get around it later on and share with you. I've been doing a lot of research on this one. There is a Kenmore model that's energy star efficient and has been used in a lot of solar setups. This is the fridge I'm probably going with: http://www.sears.com/kenmore-3.1-cu-ft-2-door-compact-refrigerator/p-04695693000P?prdNo=1&blockNo=1&blockType=G1 Worth watching on this topic: http://rethinksurvival.com/posts/solar-powered-fridge-freezer-30w-off-grid-refrigeration-freezer-video/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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