Solar Baby

I covered information in my previous post about the SunDanzer solar refrigerators. They are the units I will be adding to my own off-the-grid homestead in the near future. But they are not the only choice you have. I feel that for me they are the only ones that will best suit my needs. For some people though, they are not going to be pleased with them after time. Due to the fact that they are built like the chest freezers. Many people did not like them. You can see that by the fact that many more people own the upright freezers. They did not like digging through the chest for their foods. I plan on right from the start using the movable racks and keeping things organized. It will be just my husband and me using them and we can be very organized.

The Sun Frost refrigerator and freezers are very efficient units that can even be utilized on a typical on-the- grid-home. The Sun Frost RF-19 and F-19 is much more quieter than the conventional AC refrigerators. It uses a quiet and highly efficient fan to cool the condenser. On the other Sun Frost Models the condensers are cooled passively. Their compressors are so much smaller which makes them produce less noise. Like I said on my previous post, I hate those noisey refrigerators so that would be an important point for me.

Since a refrigerator is one of the biggest energy hogs you can have on your energy system, whether on the grid or off, that is one place where you can cut down energy costs by replacing the one you have with the Sun Frost. No matter how energy efficient your present one is, this one is better! Not to mention how hot a conventional refrigerator can make your house in the summer time. It can be like having a 1000 watt heater running for five hours in your kitchen! I am not kidding! That is pretty hot if you ask me. That in turn, causes your air conditioner to run more to cool your house because of the refrigerator. So it will increase the cost of your refrigeration by an extra fifty percent!

In the cooling system of the Sun Frost there is a very small number of moving parts. The AC and DC compressors also are using highly reliable, hermetically sealed, brushless motors. Not to mention the extremely efficient thermal design which makes it a quality product you can count on. A top mounted cooling system which runs at a much lower temperature than conventional refrigerators extends the life of the system’s lubricants and minimizes the mechanical strain on the compressor. This cooling system should give you over 15 years of worry free usage.

The Sun Frost RF-16 DC model (12 volt) uses only about 20 KWH monthly or an average of 53 amp hours per day. Compare that to the conventional refrigerators which normally consume about 110 KWH per month or 305 amp hours daily. Now that’s a big difference! Not only will that eliminate the need for more solar panels, but the DC model also eliminates the need of using your inverter for it will run directly from your system.

The Sun Frost RF16 is an extremely efficient full-size refrigerator. It has two independent cooling systems and temperature controls. In fact, one compartment may be left running while the other is shut off. The uniquely designed cooling coils on the outside of the Sun Frost do not require fans. The Sun Frost RF16 may be mounted on a 13 inch high cabinet for maximum convenience.

These refrigerators do have to be defrosted……I KNOW what you are thinking! “Oh no! I thought those jobs were gone forever!” It’s not as hard as you think. Remember you are paying for the privilege of not defrosting your conventional refrigerator yourself. That automatic defroster is part of that BIG energy draw on your refrigerator. First of all, on the Sun Frost freezer the frost build-up is very slow since there is no air circulating between the freezer and refrigerator compartments. Ice forming in the freezer will usually be on the ceiling. So you can put your frozen foods in the refrigerator while you are defrosting the freezer. In about twenty minutes after you have turned it off the ice can be easily removed in large sections. The ice does not need to be melted to be removed. Very simple!

By maintaining high humid conditons the food will stay fresh longer. It also prevents your foods from that “freezer burn” that I hate so much. No wilting which is caused by water loss in your food which is usually what makes your food not stay fresh. So I’d say the food would last about two to three times longer than in the conventional refrigerators. In those refrigerators the water from the stored foods is what makes the ice on the freezer’s cooling coils. That is what causes the dehyydration of fruits and vegetables stored in your refrigerator. It also increases the energy draw and the frost build-up.

High humidity in conventional refrigerators is obtained by storing the food in airtight containers which is what actually creates the high humid conditions. But it does cut off the food’s oxygen supply and that is not good.  Without oxygen the plant cells can break down very rapidly and shortens it’s shelf life. With the Sun Frost you can store your foods in breathable containers such as paper bags or mesh type bags and that will more than double your foods’ life.

The Sun Frost is custom made and can be finished with a choice of a variety of laminates or wood finishes to suit your taste. The refrigerators are available in several different models and sizes and the cabinets can be ordered and  built to fit. It would be a wonderful addition to a off-the-grid homestead.

Copyright © 2009 Kathleen G. Lupole

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Tags: Energy Efficient Electric Refrigeration | Energy Efficient Refrigerators | Off the grid refrigeration | Sun Frost refrigerators