As the cabin runs exclusively on solar power, a normal refrigerator would not work for us. Typically refrigerators use 0.75 to 1.2 kw of power per day. I’ve read that a chest freezer can be converted to a refrigerator by using an external temperature control and running the compressor until the desired temperature is achieved. The energy conservation comes from the chest property that keeps the cold in.
I purchased a [very small] 2 cubic feet chest freezer at my local Bi-Mart. I got the last Arctic King (made by Midea) model ARC21MW. The label on the back states it is consumes 86 watts. I bench-marked the inrush power at about ~300 watts. Using a Johnson Controls Digital Thermostat Control Unit
