How Many Solar Panels Do I Need to Run a Refrigerator?

At home, you probably have an average household refrigerator. In order to power that fridge using solar power, you would need about two to three solar panels. Average solar panels produce approximately 250 to 400 Watts of power.

But you are not using an average refrigerator in your RV. Most likely, you need to power a 12V fridge, which is smaller.

The best size solar panel to run a 12V fridge is 150 Watts into 200 Watts of batteries. That’s why a 300-Watt panel system is a great choice since you can be sure to collect and store more than enough energy for a continuous power supply. That way if the forecast is not calling for sunny days, you can store more energy.

When shopping around for a solar energy system, be sure to check its wattage rating so that you get exactly what you need. Also factor in the amount of sunlight you typically get when traveling. Same with the time of year. The sun is closer and produces more solar energy in the summer, than in winter.

And it’s stronger in southern states than northern.

Truth is, only between 11 Am and 1 PM local time is when solar panels are most effective. Super fancy systems angle themselves to catch more rays as the sun moves. Or if you are using portable panels, you can manually adjust their angle at various times.

If you love to RV in dense forests or northern locations, you are going to get much less energy.

And don’t forget to consider other common appliances when calculating how much energy you need. Especially if you want an air conditioner, too! You’ll want your system size to give enough power for the total amount of energy you need.