Off grid refrigerator

[Sunking]

OK here is what you do not not quite grasp yet. Let's say when all is said and done you pay the power company 50-cent per Kwh. That means your fridge if it is top of the line efficiency use around 50 to 75 cents per day, or roughly or $15 to $22.50 per month, $270 per year? I doubt you have top of the line efficiency? Understand so far?

Now what you want to do is take that away from the power company and take it off-grid solar battery right? Are you doing that to save money? Not going to happen. To take anything off grid in your country is gong to cost 2 to 4 times more than you pay the power company for the rest of your life. That means instead of paying 50 to 75-cent per day for the fridge you will now pay $1 to $3 per day?

So why go off grid if you are trying to save money? Don't fool yourself, it is impossible for you to save money going off grid.

[inetdog]

...Let's say when all is said and done you pay the power company 50-cent per Kwh....

A good assumption in the continental US. But it is possible that the OP is in fact paying more than that.
Member paulcheung stated that his direct energy cost, before fuel and foreign exchange adjustments are added in is only 20% of his bill.
Let us say that his direct cost is 20 cents per kWh. That would make the total bill equivalent to $1.00 per kWh.
The OP, AZlink, states that his bill was for $19.80 in direct kWh charges and an additional $180 in fuel cost surcharges. That is almost 10 times the kWh rate. Without knowing directly what the official kWh rate is, I can say that the January $200 total bill for say 500kWh amounts to $.40 per kWh and the $1000 per month bill is more like $2.00 per kWh.

One thing that solar gives you in a situation like that is at least a predictable power cost amortized over a five year period.

[Sunking]

A good assumption in the continental US. But it is possible that the OP is in fact paying more than that.

That is what I am fishing for. I cannot seem to dig it out. OP really needs to get a handle on that before making any decisions.

[jony101]

If you need a fridge to run on solar, get a 12 volt fridge. I had an edgestar fp430 (paid 400 dollars for it) that used 26 amps per 24 hours when set to 40 degrees. I ran it 24/7 on a 120 watt panel and 75 ah agm battery. If I had 2 or 3 cloudy days in a row the fridge would stop running at night from low battery but the food stayed cold till morning. I learned to keep only essentials in the fridge, like milk or cold cuts. But I had the small 43 liter fridge, they have a larger 80 liter one. They freeze also but that consumes more power.
Trust me if my electric bill was 1000.00 a month, I don't see how any one here can say that's cheaper than solar. Batteries need to be replaced but you cross that bridge when it arrives. I change batteries 3 times in 2 years and I still come up ahead in savings. I only change to upgrade to better quality batteries, the old batteries were still good.
I would stay away from the all-in-one solar kits, just get a large 240 watt or bigger panel (I bought mine used for 200 dollars), get an mppt controller I got the ecoworthy 20 amp model for 102 dollars, its chinese made but I been using it 24/7 for almost 2 years with no problem and its real mppt. Some cheap charge controllers say mppt but are fake. The good brand mppt cost over 200 dollars, the best are 400+ dollars. I get about 12 amps of charge power mounted flat on my roof. If you want to see what mppt to get go to youtube, they got good reviews on what are real and fake. Get a large battery so you can have reserve build up for cloudy days. I waste alot of available charging power because my battery is always floating by noon time.
Lot of people here in this "solar" forum rely too much on generator and on-grid power. I never connected a generator or shorepower to my battery, its 100 percent solar. I know from my own "real world" experience with solar, you can run a fridge on solar 24/7 but you might have to downsize your fridge to keep your solar power needs small. Getting a 12 volt fridge will be a good way to start your solar project and then build everything around it.
I definitely encourage you to go solar, its cheaper in the long run. But get a large panel so you can produce real power, you might get discourage with the small panels.

[Sunking]

Trust me if my electric bill was 1000.00 a month, I don't see how any one here can say that's cheaper than solar. Batteries need to be replaced but you cross that bridge when it arrives. I change batteries 3 times in 2 years

The price of his electric bill is irrelevant as all it is the amount of energy you used measured in Kwh. It just tells you how much you use and what it will take to replace it. Here in the USA battery cost alone is going to cost you 65-cents per kwh when you can buy all you want for 12-cents. But that assumes your batteries can last 5 years before replacement. With two replacements in three years you are paying well over $1 per Kwh when you can buy it for 12 cents.

That is information the OP needs to know in order for him/her to make a good informed decision. Otherwise 99% of the time, when you take something off grid you just volunteered for a 300 to 1000% rate increased payable every 5 years up front in cash.

So that is why Dave and I are being firm the OP needs to get his head wrapped around what is delivered price per Kwh he is paying to be able to determine if it is worth it or not. I bet he falls in line with the 99%

[Sunny Solar]

by the way I found all the electrical bills since January all say I consumed between 500 and 700 kWhin a 30 day period, I assumed kWh means kilowatts per hour..................thanks AZ
This I believe is his bigest problem..?? HOW?? Like I said I run a fridge 24/7 naturally a bedroom aircon .split type 10 hrs a day and use and instant hot water heater for shower and consume 220 kwh a month..

[inetdog]

by the way I found all the electrical bills since January all say I consumed between 500 and 700 kWhin a 30 day period, I assumed kWh means kilowatts per hour..................thanks AZ
This I believe is his bigest problem..?? HOW?? Like I said I run a fridge 24/7 naturally a bedroom aircon .split type 10 hrs a day and use and instant hot water heater for shower and consume 220 kwh a month..

That is kilowatt-hours (1 kWh = drawing at a rate of 1kW for a time of one hour, or any other combination that multiplies out the same.) Not kW per hour. One kW is equal to one kWh per hour.

[paulcheung]

by the way I found all the electrical bills since January all say I consumed between 500 and 700 kWhin a 30 day period, I assumed kWh means kilowatts per hour..................thanks AZ
This I believe is his bigest problem..?? HOW?? Like I said I run a fridge 24/7 naturally a bedroom aircon .split type 10 hrs a day and use and instant hot water heater for shower and consume 220 kwh a month..

500 to 700 kwh is typical middle class house hold with electrical water heater, washing machine and 2 refrigerators, microwave oven and coffee makers etc. I am using about 650 kwh per month now, but I have pond pumps, water pump, washing machine etc.

For people with 4 persons with 1 or 2 TV toaster, 1 fridge and lighting without washing machine, they use around 100 to 200 kwh per month in Jamaica. Most of us don't use air conditioning and no house heating as we in the tropical country.

[AZlink]

I hear you all well load and clear my friends, let me add a bit of info, last year or the year before when electricity was 90$ 45 or less of electric and the rest to add up to 90$ my old fridge died went bought new one, the seller said it was not an energy saver fridge it was high efficiency fridge, I paid no attention to it because I don't know about this like I stated before my forte is combustion engines and mods, the new fridge was installed the bill came lower about 65$ no more no less, every day something is new with the energy company and the politics, anyway the 1,055.10 bill is bounded by OMBUDSMAN office I cannot share that bill with you but I can upload photos of previous months where it says I consumed 700 kWh a 200$ bill some say 18.90 on kW by .28 cents everything else is fuel adjustment, now let's go to save money, I am sure I am not saving money by going solar but what ever I spend is in my control, example, my monthly income is disabily I get in my bank account the deposit of 512.00 US dollars my wife works part time at minimum wage 7.15 an hour, when I went to energy company to complaint how can I spend that amount of electricity if we are not home from 6 am to 6 pm with main braker OFF all those 12 hours they said that is the new price of the energy and that is what I consumed period is when I told them to remove the meter, I have being without a meter for quite a bit, if I pay 1055.10 for something that will never be mine I preffeer to spend something monthly and by something every month until I get some electricity with solar and batteries, being without power has teach us both that there are things not needed, things we thought I can't live without TV but we have manage and have a clear view that we don't need some things we thought we need, if the example of the member that lives in Jamaica is a way I have to adapt to so it will be, if my life was different like it was before where I was healthy I would be asking where to buy and finance the whole thing, the grasp that it will more expensive, it's grasped my friend, now bare with me here, if I have to spend 1,055.10 monthly because they say so I will spend it on me not them, it is an abuse from this company it is in the news and newspaper everyday I will not sacrifice my 512. Monthly to then when I need priorities like food, chemo and drugstore meds just because they want more money for their luxuries at my expense, It is grasped it is more expensive but the solar system is mine paying the energy what they want it's simply trowing money into a garbage can with no bottom. Let's hear more ideas on many ways to do this. Thanks in advance AZ

[AZlink]

OK let me add everything I have electrical
Washer machine
Refrigerator
Tank water heater ( turned on 10 minutes before use)
Fan
L.E.D. 17.8 inches TV
Satellite Receiver
1 desktop with 16 inches L.E.D. Monitor and computer is used rarely.
House has 12 florcent light wish I studied only 5 are used daily was planning to swap them for L.E.D. also maybe 12V or 115 A/C to L.E.D
No microwave anything that will make my cancer worst is out of the house
Everything Propane's Gas
Dryer high efficiency rated at 60 watts.
Stove
Coffee is made on stove and with cloth is filtered best flavor ever
There is a possibility I'll get instant water heater powered by Propane's gas not very convinced but inclined to buy soon............ AZ

[SunEagle]

OK let me add everything I have electrical
Washer machine
Refrigerator
Tank water heater ( turned on 10 minutes before use)
Fan
L.E.D. 17.8 inches TV
Satellite Receiver
1 desktop with 16 inches L.E.D. Monitor and computer is used rarely.
House has 12 florcent light wish I studied only 5 are used daily was planning to swap them for L.E.D. also maybe 12V or 115 A/C to L.E.D
No microwave anything that will make my cancer worst is out of the house
Everything Propane's Gas
Dryer high efficiency rated at 60 watts.
Stove
Coffee is made on stove and with cloth is filtered best flavor ever
There is a possibility I'll get instant water heater powered by Propane's gas not very convinced but inclined to buy soon............ AZ

I think we understand now that your electric Utility has overcharged you in the past and you are now disconnected and running all of your appliances from your generator.

Are you able to run all of those electrical items on that 4000 watt generator or do you have to pick and choose what to run?

Depending on what loads you have to run at the same time will determine how big a solar battery pv system you need to meet your needs.

We could start with a 4000 watt system but it will be expensive so maybe a smaller system for your fridge, fan, TV and lights.

[AZlink]

I think we understand now that your electric Utility has overcharged you in the past and you are now disconnected and running all of your appliances from your generator.

Are you able to run all of those electrical items on that 4000 watt generator or do you have to pick and choose what to run?

Depending on what loads you have to run at the same time will determine how big a solar battery pv system you need to meet your needs.

We could start with a 4000 watt system but it will be expensive so maybe a smaller system for your fridge, fan, TV and lights.

I haven't tried all the appliances at once because I have heard the proper watts to run all the appliance at once has to be no less then a 5,500 constant watts.......
I forgot to mention in the list of all the electrical items the cable internet modem and WiFi for the satellite receiver and for the cell phone android to connect to internet.....
Second question, I have no clue what exactly is the max load of watts but I have an electric tech friend that can check the total load.............
I know must of this forums don't allowed to post link of other sites but if you all allow me I can post link of amazone with a solar kit that my uncle said he bought and send it to my address. From there you guys can guide me what I can run during the night after it was charging batteries during the day, if I have to connect and one thing and only use one thing at the time well no problem, I am sure the kit doesn't come with batteries, thanks for your replay, time and info, AZ

[inetdog]

I haven't tried all the appliances at once because I have heard the proper watts to run all the appliance at once has to be no less then a 5,500 constant watts.......
I forgot to mention in the list of all the electrical items the cable internet modem and WiFi for the satellite receiver and for the cell phone android to connect to internet.....
Second question, I have no clue what exactly is the max load of watts but I have an electric tech friend that can check the total load.............
I know must of this forums don't allowed to post link of other sites but if you all allow me I can post link of amazone with a solar kit that my uncle said he bought and send it to my address. From there you guys can guide me what I can run during the night after it was charging batteries during the day, if I have to connect and one thing and only use one thing at the time well no problem, I am sure the kit doesn't come with batteries, thanks for your replay, time and info, AZ

Far too many "kits" available online or in brick and mortar stores (I did not realize until a few weeks ago that Harbor Fright actually has retail locations too!) are either junk or are mismatched components that cannot be used to make an optimal system.
If want to give us a link to the Amazon site, that would be OK, but please change the "amazon.com" part to "amazonDOTcom" so that it will not be hotlinked in the post. People who are interested will still be able to find the page by cutting, editing and pasting into their browser.
Thanks.

[AZlink]

Far too many "kits" available online or in brick and mortar stores (I did not realize until a few weeks ago that Harbor Fright actually has retail locations too!) are either junk or are mismatched components that cannot be used to make an optimal system.
If want to give us a link to the Amazon site, that would be OK, but please change the "amazon.com" part to "amazonDOTcom" so that it will not be hotlinked in the post. People who are interested will still be able to find the page by cutting, editing and pasting into their browser.
Thanks.

I can use the code to make it a dead link....,.........be right back.....AZ

[AZlink]

http://www.amazon.xxx/gp/aw/d/B00HK2S3NC?cache=a78ab306a6cc381cfd072326d9db9b5e&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70&qid=1412983937&sr=8-6#

I think is this one but he said a 24volts not 12.......….........AZ