Last Updated on October 19, 2022 by Manager Access
Solar generators are often used in camping and hiking situations where you will have limited access to electricity.
However, with solar generators becoming larger and more powerful, many are starting to use them to power home appliances during blackouts and power outages.
To ensure that you have a large enough generator to support your appliances, review the wattage demands and specs of your solar generator.
Today, we are going to take a look at five solar generators that can power a refrigerator.
Solar Generator for a Fridge Update: April 2024
In the real-world testing of my own fridge/freezer with solar generators, you’ll want at least a 1,000W output rating from your portable battery pack. My fridge would often surge to 700-800W when really working hard, and while my Jackery 500 could handle those surges, I wouldn’t trust it for more than an hour or so. The Jackery 1000 and the EcoFlow Delta easily handled these surges, and with a much higher capacity, could run my fridge for an extended power outage.
1. The Best Solar Generator to Power a Fridge: EF EcoFlow EFDelta
The EF EcoFlow Solar Generator is a beast. The charging speed is insane. I clocked it taking in over 1,000W per hour when charging from my home AC. This thing can pump out power, and take it in like I take in carbs when I’m cranky. It handled my fridge test without blinking. The only downsides so far are that it can be pretty loud when it’s fans kick into high gear, and it’s a little unwieldy with its weight and strange placement of ports on nearly all 4 sides of the generator.
Watch the EcoFlow Delta 1300 power my fridge with ease:
If I had to pick one solar generator to feel 100% confident it would power my fridge, it would be the EF EcoFlow EFDelta.
2. Quietest Solar Generator That can Power a Refrigerator: Jackery Explorer 1000
I took this solar generator on a two-week boondocking camping trip, and it powered my portable freezer the entire time (I had to charge it here and there of course). It’s quiet, light for its capacity, and easy to throw around without feeling like it is going to break.
Here’s my real-world “will it power my fridge?” test with the Jackery 1000:
3. Generic Portable 3000w 48v 25ah Solar Generator Power Station
GenericSolar generators are an excellent investment for storm and natural disaster preparedness, residential backup power, camping, tailgating, construction equipment and tools, machines, etc.
If you are looking for the best 3000-watt solar generator, you can’t go wrong with the Generic Portable 3000w Power Station. This generator has a good reputation, but it also has a lot of great features.
The Generic is a robust generator with a max wattage of 3000 that can power all of your outdoor projects, including fridge, microwave, toaster, and — in a pinch — even a room heater.
It is a great item to consider with a weight of just 44 pounds if you have a recreational vehicle. It is a simple item to transport due to its shape and weight.
The generator has high-density lithium batteries that provide up to 48V/25AH of power. It contains a compact LED emergency light and a continuous output of 2200W AC.
The intelligent displays show battery capacity, input and output power, and remaining working hours. We liked that it had both an AC and a solar charger.
Short circuit, overload, and temperature proof are some security features. The built-in smart fan for heat dissipation is the cherry on top.
Pros
- 3000W power output
- High power density lithium batteries
- Built-in smart fan
- AC/Solar charger option
Cons
- A bit expensive upfront
- Lacks dedicated RV port cable
4. Goal Zero YETI 1500X 120V Portable Power Station
With its gorgeous compact form and dependability, Goal Zero’s Yeti 1500x is one of our favorite power stations.
The updated Yeti 1500x has more features and a larger ecosystem of accessible accessories. It can charge up to four solar panels at a maximum of 600 watts and power your house with a Yeti Home Integration Kit.
The Yeti 1500x has a high-quality Battery Management System, 1,516 Wh LG battery cells, and Pure-Sine Wave AC output for sensitive electronics.
It also can scale the system as large or small as needed with its extensive portfolio of products, integrations, and accessories, keeping accurate to the company’s infamous safety focus. The final point is crucial: many other manufacturers do not have such a range.
The Yeti 1500x is essentially similar in size to its predecessor, the Yeti 1400 Lithium, but it weighs about 2 pounds more due to its increased 91 Wh capacity and new 2,000W AC inverter.
Both have a similar appearance on the outside, but the Yeti X now has a built-in MPPT controller for more efficient charging and a higher input maximum of 600W on the interior. Furthermore, the Yeti can be charged at 210W using both the regulated 8mm 150W and USB-C PD 60W connections simultaneously.
Overall, we are pleased with the way the power station operates, its expansion possibilities, intelligent design with high-quality components, and the company’s safety record.
Pros
- Lithium-ion cells made by LG
- Professional and tough exterior
- High max input (150W or 600W)
- Leading 3,500W surge with Pure-Sine Wave
- Industry leader & Safety record
Cons
- Premium price
- Heavy due to the use of aluminum housing instead of plastic
- The battery is not user-replaceable (yet)
5. Inergy Apex
A replacement for the popular Inergy Kodiak, the Apex has definitely made a name for itself. Inergy has been a popular solar generator provider since the late Kodiak became most people’s go-to higher power solar generator.
When it was discontinued, it was replaced by the Apex, which carries on the quality reputation.
Weighing in at a lightweight 25lbs, you can easily take the Apex just about anywhere you would like to go.
With more than enough outlets to satisfy any tailgate, camping trip, or blackout, you will never lack the right generator for your specific application.
Specs
- Fridge charge time: 33+ hours
- Cell type: lithium-ion (NMC) battery
- Peak capacity: 1,100W continuous for 1 hour, 3,000W peak 12.6V DC, 90 AH
- Ultra-lightweight 25 lbs
- 1100 watt (1.1kWh) power bank solar generator
- Generator weight: 25 lbs
- Dimensions: 7 x 14 x 8 in.
- (6) 110V AC plugs: up to 1,000W continuous per outlet (10 Amp max) 1500W max for combined AC output. 3,000W combined starting surge, pure sine wave
- (1) 30 amp RV plug, 110 volt, NEMA TT-30R
- (2) 12V DC universal car sockets, 15amps maximum per socket
- (2) USB Qualcomm quick charge 3.0 ports
- (2) 5V 3A USB-C ports
- (2) Light port, 12V DC 5.5 x 2.5mm connector standard 50W max output per port, up to 10-5W Inergy LED lights, daisy chained together
- Warranty: 1-year
Charge Times
- Wall charger: 12 hours
- Quick wall charger: 11 hours
- 12V car socket: 10-11 hours
- Solar panels: 3-13 hours
Can a Solar Generator Power a Refrigerator?
When it comes to powering a fridge with a solar generator, there are a few different things you need to take into consideration. First, determine how much wattage your refrigerator requires. This is going to be dependent on the size of your refrigerator, and we will discuss average wattage requirements later in this article.
Second, you need to verify that your solar generator can provide the wattage needs of your refrigerator. As a rule of thumb, you will want to make sure that you have a bit of wiggle room.
For example, if your refrigerator demands 800 watts, pick a generator capable of powering 1,000 watts so that you are not running your generator at full capacity at all times.
This can put a great strain on your generator and cause it to fail prematurely.
Lastly, consider how long you will want to run your refrigerator.
Most generator companies supply you with average charge times for common appliances.
This will help you better understand how long you can expect your refrigerator to run while using your solar generator.
Depending on what you will be using it for (emergency use, tailgating, camping, etc.), find a generator that will run your refrigerator for the time period you require.
But yes, current generation solar generators can absolutely power a household refrigerator. See my videos above of the tests I did powering my own fridge and freezer combo with solar generators!
How Much Wattage Does a Refrigerator Require?
Refrigerators come in all shapes and sizes, from the small mini-fridge you would put in a dorm room to a large fridge capable of holding enough food for a large family. Of course, with a larger fridge comes a larger wattage demand. When it comes to using a solar generator to power a fridge, you are going to get more use out of powering a smaller fridge than a much larger fridge.
If you plan on using a solar generator to power a fridge during a power outage, I suggest moving your most perishable foods to a smaller fridge (if you have one) and powering it with your solar generator.
You will get more charge time and keep your food cooler for longer. If you are unable to use a smaller fridge, limit the number of times your refrigerator is opened to keep as much cool air in the fridge as possible.
This will maximize your solar generator usage and help you get the most time out of a single charge.
As a point of reference, you can use the following averages to estimate wattage usage on popular refrigerators:
- 1.7 CuFt Mini Fridge: 228 kWh
- 4.4 CuFt Mini Fridge: 228 kWh
- 25.5 CuFt Side By Side Fridge: 709 kWh
These numbers are based on an average refrigerator and should be used as a guide only. Always consult your specific refrigerator manual to determine your exact wattage needs.
Solar Generators vs. Gas Generator
When searching for a generator, you may notice that you can choose from solar / battery powered and gas generators.
If you compare them side by side, you will immediately notice a few key differences.
The gas generator will always outperform the solar generator in each class, but it comes with drawbacks.
Gas generators can produce a lot more power, as they are equipped with a gasoline-powered engine.
This has its drawbacks as gasoline engines produce a lot of noise and poisonous exhaust gas.
Gasoline generators must be used outdoors in a well-ventilated area, and depending on how loud they are, you will want to use them away from any occupants of your home.
Due to the gasoline engine, these generators are very heavy and much larger than solar generators.
The solar generator is not going to produce the same amount of power as a gasoline generator, but you will be able to enjoy clean, quiet energy just about anywhere.
Since the solar generator does not produce any exhaust gases, you can use them indoors, in a tent, or even in a car without worry.
Although some solar generators get very large and heavy, you can set them in a permanent place and run your solar panel wires to exterior-mounted panels to avoid moving them each time you need to recharge.
While there are many pros and cons to each, it comes down to how much power you need and what you need it for.
Scott Krager purchased generatorgrid.com in the summer of 2020 and quickly began to buy every generator under the sun! He currently has over a dozen generators and the number is growing quickly. He lives in Portland, OR near his family and friends.
GeneratorGrid.com is an independent review business. I am not affiliated with any manufacturers and do not accept paid reviews. When you buy through my links, I may earn a commission which helps me purchase more generators for testing. - Scott Krager
First of all the above article is full of good information but I’ll add this because with things happening in this world like large grid issues like what happend in puerto rico, some people reading this site might be also looking for slightly longer term refridgeration then a short power outage or a camping trip.
If you need a long term solar powered fridges, consider converting a chest freezer into a fridge, you can either change the thermostat if your upto the task, or you can get a pre-made inline thermostats you just plug into, a 26 cubic foot chest freezer at 1 deg above freezing will run on a good quality 300 watt inverter like a morningstar suresine and 2 -100 amp hour GC-6 lead acid batteries and 1-100 watt solar panel and charge controller, it will only consume 100 watt hours per day, so you only need one hour of sun / day, this means you can go a week of rain and still have the fridge running flawlessly, while keeping a few hundred cans of soda or beer ice cold.
For referance annual power useage doing this is ~36.5 kWh so about 10% of those fridges listed above, and even more cubic feet of space then the largest one listed above sucking down only 5% of the power of that model.
And a few words about inverters, because while the rule of thumb above is good, if you get a good inverter like a morningstar 300 watt suresine, it might seem small but it is able to run double that wattage for 10 minutes, most big box store inverters can only do this for fraction of a second, they also take saltspray, rain fog, sub zero temps, have no fans so they are quite and have no moving parts to fail, and more importantly they will sense a load and turn on and off automatically so they don’t waste power running in standby like most other inverters do, this is the type of equiptment telecom companies will use because they work. But keep in mind these are not an all in one unit like a Yeti or Inergy which are nice for the weekend warriors tailgating or a house owner that need a fridge in pinch, but if your stuck and need long term fridge storage and willing to pick up some tools and aware of the dangers of electricty and items like lead acid batteries a chest freezer conversion is the way to go. ( keep in mind if you have a new chest freezer doing this will more then likely invalidate your warrenty, but mine has run over a decade and it was used when I got it so if I figure the fuel savings I can buy a new one when it fails, if it fails )
Thank you!!! Made a lot of sense