Off-grid solar power plant for refrigeration system: A case study in Bandung, Indonesia

Abstract

The tropical climate in Indonesia promises the availability of solar energy year-round. However, the utilization is very limited. This paper discuses an experimental investigation on the use of solar energy for supplying a refrigeration machine using an AC mini freezer with power input of 85 W supplied by 200 Watt-peak solar panel. The experiment was carried out in Bandung, Indonesia, and showed that the average energy density of solar radiation is 445 W/m2 while the average output of the panel is 106.4 Watts. The daily average energy supplied to the battery is 1182 Wh, sufficient for continuous operation of the freezer in 13.9 hours. If the machine has an on/off cycle with a usage factor of 56.8%, as in the experiment, the energy could operate the machine within 24.4 hours.