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REFRIGERATION
Alternative Energy Power Products

240 VOLT AC MODELS
Understanding the refrigerator choice?
Refrigeration is normally the largest consumer of power in the household situation. Some refrigerators use more than double the power of other refrigerators of the same capacity, so when choosing a new refrigerator it is very important to understand what you are purchasing.

Refrigerators and freezers (240 volt AC models) sold in Australia are rated under an energy labelling system. More crucial than the star rating on the label, is the amount of power that the refrigeration unit uses in a year. This is also shown on the energy rating label in kWhr/yr (kilowatt hours per year).

What is the preferred choice for energy consumption?
Energy consumption of under 500 kWhr/year should be the preferred choice. The lower the number, the less power the appliance will consume. This should be the primary consideration when purchasing a new refrigerator or freezer.

See http://www.energyrating.gov.au for detailed information on energy ratings of specific appliances.

12 OR 24 VOLT DC MODELS
How do DC models compare with AC fridges of a similar size?
In smaller power systems that are based around a 12 volt or 24 volt DC battery bank, refrigeration that operates directly from the DC voltage is also available. As the DC fridge compressors are smaller and use less power, they run for longer periods. Despite this, they still use less power overall than an AC fridge of comparable size.

Depending upon weather conditions, a 250 litre 2-door DC refrigerator would use approximately 250 to 350 kilowatt hours of power per year.

What are the disadvantages of DC refrigeration?
In DC refrigerators the heating element that automatically defrosts the evaporator plate in the back of the fridge is not available, meaning that manual defrosting is required every few weeks.

It is possible to obtain a DC timer that can be programmed to turn the fridge off for an hour a couple of times a night, which allows the refrigeration plate to defrost. Manual defrosting of the freezer is still required.

The other limitation of DC refrigerators is that they are only available in sizes of up to 250 litres.

DC freezers also use less power than their 240 volt AC counterparts, but are limited to 220 litres in capacity and do not "deep freeze" as well as AC models.

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SolarWorks :: Grace & Nick Chapman

nick@solarworks.com.au
Phone: 4096 5546 Mobile: 0408 451679

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