Cold drinks, fish and meat sellers in Port Harcourt, Warri and Yenagoa lose money when freezers go warm. Solar fixes that. But which freezer is best?
Freezers are special
Lights and fans go off when you sleep. A freezer never stops. It runs on and off all night. So the battery matters a lot.
Side by side
| Solar (DC) freezer | Normal deep freezer | |
|---|---|---|
| Runs from | Battery directly | Inverter |
| Power use | Lower | Higher, older ones much higher |
| Price | Higher | Lower |
| Repairs | Fewer technicians | Easy to repair |
| Best for | Freezer-only business | Home or shop with full system |
Simple battery guide
| Freezers | Night battery (usable) |
|---|---|
| 1 freezer | About 1kWh |
| 2 freezers | About 2kWh |
| 4 freezers | About 4kWh |
Then add lights, fans and anything else you run at night.
Tips to save power
- Keep freezers full. Full freezers hold cold better.
- Do not open them too often.
- Keep them out of direct sun.
- Check the door rubber. Bad seals waste power.
- Replace very old freezers. They use far more power.
Example: cold-drink seller in Diobu
Two freezers, lights and a fan. A 3kVA to 5kVA system with about 5kWh of lithium usually keeps everything cold through the night. See solar for deep freezers.
