How Many Watts to Run a Refrigerator? Save with Solar Energy!

A refrigerator is essential for preserving perishable items such as vegetables and meat, keeping drinks and desserts cold during hot summers, and even storing items like cosmetic masks, medical supplies, and photographic films. It’s unimaginable to live in a house without a refrigerator.

Many people have the question that how many watts to run a refrigerator, and how much money does it cost? This post will help you find answers to these questions and offer you some useful tips on saving energy for your fridge.

How many watts does a refrigerator use per day?

Many factors influence the energy consumption of a fridge, including its type, size, the season, and the amount of food stored. For example, a bigger fridge is likely to use more electricity than a small fridge; running a fridge in summer consumes more electricity than in winter.

Besides, the total energy consumption of a refrigerator should include both the starting power and the running power. And the energy consumed when it starts can reach around 4 times of its running wattage. However, the starting process is fast and lasts for about only 1 second.

In general,

A mini refrigerator uses between 70-90 watts and 280-360 starting watts;

An average household refrigerator uses between 90-180 watts and 360-720 starting watts;

A side-by-side refrigerator uses 180-200 watts and 720-800 starting watts.

It’s also noteworthy that the compactor in the refrigerator is not always functioning. It starts working when the internal temperature is not cold enough and stops when the temperature remains cold. Furthermore, it runs for more hours a day in summer and fewer in winter. We put its average running hours at 9.5 hours a day.

In that way,

A mini refrigerator uses between 0.95-1.2 kWh per day;

An average household refrigerator uses 1.2-2.4 kWh per day;

A side-by-side refrigerator uses 2.4-2.7 kWh per day.

So, if 1 kWh costs $0.15,

A mini refrigerator costs $0.14-$0.18 per day;

An average household refrigerator costs $0.18-$0.36 per day;

A side-by-side refrigerator costs $0.36-$ 0.4 per day.

How to save energy with your fridge?

Are there any ways to help us reduce the watts consumed by our refrigerators and save electricity? Here are some tips to help you use your refrigerator more cost-efficiently and save its energy consumption.

Set the right temperature

Properly controlling the temperature of your refrigerator is important. Generally, we can find a switch inside the fridge and use it to adjust the temperature setting. To conserve power and keep food fresh, it's recommended to set the temperature to different levels according to the season or the temperature of the environment. For example, lower level during the winter, higher level during the summer.

Keep it away from the heat

The refrigerator should be placed properly. It’s important to keep the refrigerator away from high-temperature environments. For example, some people would place their refrigerator in the kitchen or on the balcony. However, it is not recommended, because the temperature in the kitchen is relatively high after cooking and the balcony is a place full of direct sunlight, where the refrigerator must continuously release cool air to lower its temperature, which increases power consumption.

In addition, avoid putting high-temperature foods in the refrigerator. Overheated foods and other high-temperature items will also increase the internal temperature, consuming more power consequently. It is recommended to let your food cool down before storing it in your fridge.

Clean it up regularly

Refrigerators tend to accumulate frost over time and too much frost will harm the cooling capacity, leading to consumption of more electricity. Therefore, defrosting your fridge regularly is necessary to maintain the proper functioning of the fridge and lower its power consumption.

The amount of food stored inside also has an influence on the cooling performance of the refrigerator. Packing the fridge too full can lead to poor circulation of cold air and increase the running time and the amount of power used. Therefore, you should avoid filling your fridge with too much food. You can start by discarding unused and expired foods and arranging the remaining items properly.

Power it with solar energy

Powering your refrigerator with solar energy is an effective way to reduce energy consumption. Solar power is a renewable energy source, which means that once the initial investment is made in the solar panels, the electricity generated thereafter is free, which brings significant cost savings on electricity bills. It’s also the most eco-friendly solution that does not cause any pollutants.

How to choose the right solar generator for your fridge?

Choosing the right solar generator for your fridge involves considering several factors. Here are some steps to guide you in making the right choice:

Determine your fridge's power requirements: Check the appliance's user manual or label to find the wattage or current it requires to operate. This information will help you select a solar generator with sufficient capacity.

Calculate your energy needs: As we mentioned above, estimate how many hours your fridge will run each day and multiply it by the power consumption in watts. This will give you the daily energy requirement in watt-hours (Wh).

Consider battery capacity: Look for a solar generator with a battery capacity that can comfortably accommodate your estimated daily energy needs. It's advisable to choose a generator with a slightly higher capacity to account for unforeseen power fluctuations.

Choose solar panels with high conversion efficiency: Higher conversion efficiency means that the panels can convert a greater amount of sunlight into usable electricity. This allows you to generate more power from the same amount of sunlight, maximizing the energy output of your solar system.

Review additional features: Look for features like built-in inverters, USB ports, multiple outlets, and surge protection, which can enhance the versatility and functionality of the solar generator.

Taking all these factors into account, Anker Solar Generator 757 could be a perfect choice. With a capacity high up to 1229Wh and 1500 wattage, Anker 757 is an ideal power system for your refrigerator. It combines three solar panels with 23% conversion efficiency, being able to reach an 80% charge in 3.6 hours with direct sunlight. With such high performance, it can charge your solar generators even on cloudy days. What’s more, with the long-lasting technology and strong batteries, Anker Solar Generator 757 has a 10-Year Lifespan even with everyday use.

Conclusion

Now we have known how many watts to run a refrigerator and how to reduce its energy consumption. With all these tips, especially with the help of Anker Solar Generator 757, the electricity consumption of your refrigerator would be greatly reduced, and the proportion of electricity fees paid for your household refrigerator would also be significantly lowered. What's more, you don’t have to worry about the food in the fridge being spoiled during a power outage.