5 Best Solar Generators For Refrigerator

A refrigerator has to be kept on 24/7 in order for it to function as it should. Not just when the sun comes out.

But imagine how much propane or natural gas you would have to buy for a generator to keep your refrigerator running 24/7. Sounds costly huh?

Well the good news is that you can use a solar generator to power a refrigerator. You see the solar energy gets stored within a battery inside the generator, so your refrigerator gets a steady supply of energy, and not just when the sun is shining.
5 Best Solar Generators For Refrigerator

We’ve been checking out some of the best solar generators on the market today, and have been looking in particular for ones that are well suited to powering a refrigerator.

After much deliberation we were able to hand pick our top 5 favorites, and our reviews on them are coming up very shortly.

But, if you’ve never had to buy one until now, we get that choosing which one to buy can be a little tricky. This is why we’ve also put together a brief buying guide for you. It walks you through all the key things to think about before buying. You can use it as a handy checklist.

Then we’re going to top that off with a section where we tackle some of your most frequently asked questions on the subject.

Here goes!

OUR TOP PICK

Nature's Generator Gold System 1800W Solar & Wind Powered Pure Sine Wave Off-Grid Generator + 100W Solar Panel, w/Infinite Expandability, Gasless for Refrigerators, RV, Tiny Homes or Emergency Backup

Now, this is an incredibly easy generator to charge up.

Not only can you hook it up to a solar panel - which is included in the price by the way - but you can also power it by wind. 

When fully charged, it can supply 1800 watts of running power, which is easily enough to run a refrigerator uninterrupted through the night. 

It has a total of three 120 volt AC outlets, one 12 volt DC outlet, and 2 USB ports besides. So, 

But the star feature is how it happens to be a smart generator, in other words one that comes with an app for your smartphone.

The app is available on both Android and Apple devices. And it can provide you with ample detail about the battery level, the charging status, and your usage history. Not bad hey?

It’s super portable, with its big wheels and long carry handle, and there’s a long 50 foot cable to connect to the included solar panel.

And the solar panel is tilted for maximum sun exposure, and it’s on wheels, so it’s easy to drag into the light if it starts getting a little cloudy, or if it finds itself in the shade during the course of the day.

If you want twice as much power, you can buy two of these, and simply stack one on top of the other.

The other thing we love about this generator is just how long you can get it to last - the battery is entirely replaceable.

You’d think that such a feature filled solar generator would be quite expensive, but it’s actually very reasonably priced. When this article was written, it came to under $1000. 

Pros

  • Can be powered by both sunlight and wind
  • It comes with movable solar panel included
  • Comes with app for Android or Apple devices
  • Provides you with a breakdown of all of your data
  • Boost the product lifespan by replacing the battery
  • Very reasonably priced and great value for money

Cons

  • The included solar panel is polycrystalline rather than monocrystalline

EDITORS CHOICE

EF ECOFLOW Portable Power Station DELTA 1300, 1260Wh Solar Powered Generator with 6 x 1800W AC Outlets, Solar Generator(Solar Panel Optional) for Outdoor Camping

Now, this is a solar generator that’s gone down really well with customers.

For example, after close to 1,000 individual customer ratings on Amazon, the average customer rating still comes out at an impressive 4 and a half stars out of 5. 

And when we looked into it we could see why it was so popular.

Although it’s marketed as a generator for camping, it actually holds enough power on a full charge to be used as a backup generator for the home.

It can supply 1800 watts of power, through its 6 AC power outlets.

And it has a starting power of a whopping 3300 watts. That’s more than enough to run your refrigerator, and you can run several other items as well.

But what’s even better about it is just how quick it is to charge.

Whereas other solar generators can take up to 7 hours to reach a full charge, this one takes less than 2 hours, 1.6 hours to be exact, making it the fastest charging solar generator on the market. 

A full charge will enable you to run your refrigerator for between 10 and 20 hours, which allows plenty of time for the battery to charge up again for the next 10 to 20 hours.

We were also impressed with just how compact and portable it is.

Whereas a portable gasoline generator typically weighs almost 50 pounds, the EF Ecoflow Delta weighs just 30.9 pounds, and is a fraction of the size. Much easier to carry around.

And you don’t have to be some tech wizkid to use it, there’s no maintenance required. And consequently, no maintenance costs.

The only thing that spoiled this for us was that there are no solar panels included. However, it does come with a solar panel cable.

We were also reassured to learn that there’s a 2-year warranty on the battery.

Amazon occasionally has deals on this particular solar generator, simply click on “Check price” to see if there’s a deal on now.

Pros

  • Bestseller with impressive customer ratings
  • It can supply 1800 W of power (surge 3300 W)
  • Total of 6 AC outlets, for any standard wall outlet
  • Fastest charging solar generator on the market
  • Incredibly compact & portable weighing just 30.9 lbs
  • The battery is backed by a lengthy 2-year warranty

Cons

  • No solar panels included, they have to be bought separately

BEST VALUE

BLUETTI Portable Power Station AC200P, 2000Wh LiFePO4 Battery Backup w/ 6 2000W AC Outlets (4800W Peak), Solar Generator for Outdoor Camping, RV Travel, Home Use (Solar Panel Not Included)

Now, here’s another great solar generator. It offers 2000 W of power, so it can easily power your refrigerator and offer some extra power besides. 

What we love about this generator is that it has a whopping 17 outlets, and is able to power several electrical devices and gadgets all at the same time.

There are 6 AC outlets, 4 DC outlets, 4 USB ports, a car charger, a PD port, and a PV port. With this beauty at hand, you’ll be like “Emergency? What emergency?”

It’s quite fast charging too, able to reach a full recharge in just 3 and a half hours, so you won’t have to wait all day.

Of course however, this can vary according to how many solar panels you have to hand.

Unfortunately, this solar generator doesn’t come with solar panels included, but they are very easy to get hold of, and there’s a solar charging cable included in the box (and a car charging cable).

It has some other nice features, too.

There’s a smart LCD touchscreen with real-time data displayed, including power, current, voltage, temperature, and perhaps more importantly, charging status.

And it’s quieter than most other generators, because it’s fans are temperature activated, so they only come on when needed. 

And, better yet, it’s so well designed it can prevent up to 50% of wasted electricity loss.

It can keep a 300 W refrigerator running for about 20 to 22 hours at a time. Perfect if you just don’t know how long your power is going to be out for.

Pros

  • It can supply a whopping 2000 Watts of power 
  • Total of 17 outlets, inc. 6 AC, 4 DC, & 4 USB
  • Can go from zero to full charge in just 3.5 hours
  • LCD display to let you know the generator’s status
  • Keeps a 300 W refrigerator running for 20 to 22 hours

Cons

  • No solar panels included, they have to be bought separately

RUNNER UP

Jackery Solar Generator 1000, 1002Wh Capacity with 2xSolarSaga 100W Solar Panels, 3x1000W AC Outlets, Portable Power Station Ideal for Home Backup, Emergency, RV Outdoor Camping

When we saw the customer ratings on this beauty, we just had to see what all the fuss was about - and we weren’t disappointed!

After approximately 900 individual customer ratings, the average Amazon customer rating still comes out at an unbelievable full 5 starts out of 5.

The great thing about this generator is that it comes with not one but two solar panels included in the price. This will really help the generator’s battery to charge up quicker.

It can provide you with up to 1000 watts of running power.

And while it’s marketed as a solar generator for camping, we can also confirm that it's great for backup use for the home too, and can power a full size refrigerator.

(Though if you have doubts, you should check the wattage of your particular refrigerator.) On a full charge, it can power a mini fridge for up to 17 hours.

It features 3 AC outlets, A 12 volt DC outlet, and other outlets besides, including a USB-C outlet for charging smartphones and tablets. 

And if you ever want to charge it up when you don’t have any sun, you can also charge it up via a wall outlet or a car outlet. And there’s a handy display to show you how much it charged up.

We also love how compact and portable it is with it’s integrated carry handle at the top.

We were also reassured to learn that the generator is backed by a lengthy 2-year warranty.

Amazon occasionally has deals on this particular generator, simply click on “Check price” to see if there’s a deal on now.

Pros

  • It comes with not one but two solar panels
  • It can supply a total of 1000 Watts of power 
  • Several outlets, inc. 3 AC, 1 DC and more 
  • It can also be charged on the wall or by a car
  • Very compact & portable with integrated handle
  • It comes backed by a lengthy 2-year warranty

Cons

  • Relatively long charging time at 8 and a half hours

RUNNER UP

Duracell Power Source Electric Generator, Solar Capable, Gasless, Quiet, 1440W Output Power Inverter, High Capacity Power Bank

Now, this is a great solar generator for those with a more limited budget. At a price point significantly under $1000, it’s easily the most affordable solar generator on our shortlist.

It comes from a good, well established brand that we all know and trust, Duracell no less.

And it has proved very popular with customers having earned an average customer rating on Amazon of an impressive 4 and a half stars out of 5, even after about 200 individual ratings.

The most obvious drawback to it is that it doesn’t hold quite as much power as the more expensive models in our shortlist.

However, with 1440 watts of running power, and 1800 watts of peak power, it is able to run many refrigerators. 

You will have to check the wattage of your refrigerator to see if it will run yours. It can be used to power most refrigerators for up to 5 hours per full charge.

There’s a total of 4 AC outlets, 2 USB ports and a 12 volt DC port for vehicle accessories. So, if you have a low power refrigerator you’ll be able to run other devices besides.

You don’t have to wait for the generator to “warm up” and once set up, you get uninterrupted power. 

It’s also a great solar generator for taking on vacation, because it’s very compact and portable, with integrated carry handles.

Pros

  • Relatively affordable for a solar generator
  • Comes from a good well established brand
  • It can generate a peak power of 1800 watts
  • Integrated carry handles for easy transportation

Cons

  • Relatively slow charging
  • Maximum running power of 1440 watts
  • No solar panels included, they have to be bought separately

Best Solar Generators For Refrigerator Buying Guide

As promised, here’s your buying guide. This will help inform your decision of which one to buy.

How Much Power Do You Need

This should be your first and foremost consideration. A generator with insufficient power will not power your refrigerator. You will need to find out how many watts are needed to power your particular refrigerator.

Most home refrigerators need around 2,000 starting watts of power, but 1,500 watts of running power will be fine. However the starting watts for an RV refrigerator is much lower at around 500 to 600 watts.

Solar Panels Included

You should also decide if you want to buy the solar generator as part of a kit, with solar panels included.

This can be very helpful, because it ensures that you will get a compatible working cable between the solar panels and the generator.

Number And Variety Of Outlets

Sure having your refrigerator working is important, but sometimes it’s nice to have other things running too. Like a laptop or a coffee machine for instance. This would require more than one outlet.

Fast Charging

If you fail to have the foresight to charge your generator in case of an emergency, then when an emergency does hit, you will need that generator charged up as fast as possible, so that the food in your refrigerator doesn’t start to go bad.

Portability

Solar generators don’t have to be used exclusively in the home, you can take them camping or in your RV or tailgating. But this would be made much easier if the generator is compact, taking up less space, and is also lightweight for easier transportation.

Budget

We’re going to level with you here. Solar generators, like most generators, can be very expensive.

Sure you can get some that cost under $200, but these are unlikely to have enough power to run your refrigerator for you. Meanwhile, you can also get solar generators that cost about $3000.

The key here then, is to check the prices as you go along, and ensure that you’re happy with your decision before you hit the “Buy now” button.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is The Best Solar Generator To Run A Refrigerator?

Our favorite solar generator for running a refrigerator is the Nature's Generator Gold System. And there are several reasons why it’s our favorite…

But perhaps the best thing about it is that you can use it with an app on your smartphone (Android or Apple) that will tell you the battery level, the charging status, and your usage history. 

But that’s not all. It can be powered by both sunlight and wind. And it comes with its own compatible solar panel, which is tilted and on wheels, connected by a very long cable, making it easy to position the solar panel wherever the sunlight happens to be.

It provides plenty of power, coming in at 1800 watts (easily enough to run a refrigerator uninterrupted through the night). And it has three 120 volt AC outlets, one 12 volt DC outlet, and 2 USB ports.

It’s also very reasonably priced, and is available at a listing price of under $1000.

How many watts of solar do I need to run a refrigerator?

The truth is, there’s quite some variation in how many watts it takes to run a refrigerator. Our advice is to check the wattage in your refrigerator’s user manual, and buy accordingly. 

I'm an environment and energy blogger who teaches outdoor and energy enthusiasts how to be better informed when it comes to purchasing or maintaining a generator, solar panel system, or anything else related to your energy needs.