What Size Solar Panel Do I Need for a Refrigerator?

150W running draw600W surge24h/day defaultkitchen

Quick Answer

A Refrigerator at 150W needs at least 400W of solar panels to run sustainably. The compressor cycles about 33% of the time, so actual daily consumption is 1.2 kWh. You need 400W of solar total (2 panels at 200W each). Pair with a 300Ah LiFePO4 battery at 12V for 2-day cloudy weather reserve. The EcoFlow River 2 Pro is the simplest all-in-one solution for this load. The 600W startup surge means your inverter must be rated at least 1000W continuous.

System Specs for a Refrigerator

Calculated for 24 hours/day usage, 5 peak sun hours, and 2-day LiFePO4 battery autonomy. Duty cycle of 33% applied (the refrigerator cycles on/off).

ComponentMinimum SizeDetails
Daily Energy1.2 kWh150W at 33% duty cycle for 24h
Solar Panels400W2x 200W or 4x 100W panels
Battery300Ah at 12VLiFePO4, 2-day reserve (3.6 kWh usable)
Charge Controller50A MPPTHandles up to 400W panel input at 12V
Inverter500W continuousMust handle 600W startup surge, pure sine wave required

Running more than just a refrigerator? Add more appliances to your load with our full calculator

Recommended Power Station

EcoFlow River 2 Pro

768Wh capacity, 800W AC output — runs a fridge, lights, and electronics for 1–2 days.

768Wh

Capacity

800W

AC Output

220W

Max Solar In

Buy on EcoFlow.comView with Solar Panel Bundle

DIY Component List

Building your own system for a refrigerator? These components match the specs above.

Solar Panel

400W total

Renogy 400W Solar Starter Kit (2x200W + MPPT) on Amazon

Battery

300Ah 12V LiFePO4 minimum

LiTime 12V 200Ah LiFePO4 on Amazon

Charge Controller

50A MPPT minimum

Renogy 40A MPPT Rover on Amazon

Inverter

500W pure sine wave, 1000W surge

Renogy 2000W Pure Sine Wave Inverter on Amazon

About the Refrigerator Solar Load

A standard full-size refrigerator draws about 150 watts when the compressor runs, but the compressor cycles on and off — typically running about one-third of the time. That duty cycle brings real daily consumption down to roughly 1.2 kWh per day. A 200Ah LiFePO4 battery and 400W of solar covers a fridge reliably in most US regions.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many solar panels do I need to run a refrigerator?▼
A standard full-size refrigerator uses about 1.2 kWh per day once you account for its 33% duty cycle. With 5 peak sun hours and a 20% system loss factor, you need roughly 320 watts of solar panels. A single 400W panel covers it cleanly. In the Pacific Northwest or during winter months with fewer sun hours, budget for 600W total. Pair the panels with a 200Ah LiFePO4 battery to handle two days of clouds without the fridge warming up. The EcoFlow Delta 2 with a 220W solar panel handles a single fridge comfortably for most RV and cabin setups.
What battery size do I need to run a refrigerator off solar?▼
A refrigerator consumes about 1.2 kWh per day. For two days of autonomy (cloudy buffer) with a LiFePO4 battery at 80% depth of discharge, you need 1.2 × 2 / 0.8 = 3 kWh of battery capacity. That works out to a 250Ah 12V LiFePO4 battery, or a 125Ah 24V bank. If you use AGM at 50% DoD, double those numbers. LiTime 200Ah 12V LiFePO4 and the Renogy 200Ah Smart Lithium both work well for this application and pair cleanly with a 30A MPPT charge controller.
Can I run a refrigerator on a 200W solar panel?▼
A 200W solar panel produces roughly 800–1000Wh per day in a region with 5 peak sun hours after efficiency losses. A fridge needs about 1,200Wh per day, so a single 200W panel falls short by roughly 20–30%. In the Southwest US where you get 6.5 peak sun hours, a 200W panel generates closer to 1,100Wh and can nearly keep up. The cleaner solution is two 100W panels or one 300W panel, which covers the fridge and leaves headroom for lights and phone charging. For a single-appliance solar build, a 400W panel is the standard recommendation.

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