Unusual Time in Utah: Solar Backup For Your Refrigerator?

Backup Power Should the Grid Go Down 

There have been numerous power outages this year and even though it was soon restored, it makes you wonder if you should have some sort of backup. Many people have a gas generator hooked into their house that can restore power at these times, but what if the outage is bigger and lasts longer? 

If something happened to disrupt the supply chain and took out the power grid, what would happen to all your refrigerated food? If there were a natural disaster that made it hard to get fuel for a backup generator, it might be a good idea to have a solar option. 

How Many Solar Panels Would You Need to Run Your Fridge or Freezer? 

Maybe you’re not ready to call in a solar expert to go over your needs and give you an estimate and payment plan to convert to energy from the sun. This YouTube video gives you some good information on what it would take to get power to your refrigerator and keep it cold. 

He shows you how to estimate how much power the appliance will need and how to multiply it to find how many solar panels you would require and how much battery storage would get the job done. This is helpful information if you are just curious about what it would cost. 

I did the estimates to run the freezer in my garage and it looks like it would cost about $1,500 bucks. Of course, if everything went down in the summer, I would be standing in front of it with the door open to get some cool, so I may need to up the wattage. 

Read More: Jerusalem Artichokes Can Feed a Utah Family in a Pinch

Anyway, if you are starting to wonder if you should be better prepared for an emergency, there is a surprising amount of information available like this on the internet.