Power It Up: keeping a full-size refrigerator running
Turn your fridge's EnergyGuide kWh per year into a daily watt-hour need and see which power station carries it overnight or for a day.
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Divide the kWh per year on your fridge's EnergyGuide label by 365. A fridge rated 550 kWh/yr averages about 1,500 Wh per day, or roughly 63 W. A 1kWh-class station keeps it running for about 12–13 hours; a full day needs an expansion battery or a second unit.
- Use the EnergyGuide label, not the compressor wattage × 24.
- Compressor start-up surge needs an inverter well above the running watts.
- Overnight is easy for a 1kWh station; 24 hours needs about 2kWh of rated capacity.
What a full-size fridge draws
| Item | Example figure | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| EnergyGuide figure (example) | 550 kWh/yr | Read yours on the yellow label or the maker's spec sheet |
| Daily energy | ≈1,507 Wh/day | 550,000 ÷ 365 |
| Average draw | ≈63 W | 1,507 ÷ 24 |
| Start-up surge | Several times running watts, briefly | Compressor motors; check the manual or measure |
How we do the math
Runtime (hours) ≈ usable watt-hours ÷ the device's average watts. Our reference set is five portable power stations whose specs we compiled in the Spec Check series. Estimated usable AC energy (our estimate: usable ≈ rated Wh × 0.80 (usable depth, Victron LiFePO4 data) × 0.92 (inverter, the NREL PVWatts manual derate) ≈ 0.736. Applying these to a power station gives a planning estimate, not a measurement): RIVER 3 ≈180Wh, DELTA 3 ≈754Wh, Anker C1000 ≈777Wh, Jackery 1000 v2 ≈788Wh, BLUETTI AC180 ≈848Wh.
Every device wattage on this page is an example. Read your own device's label or EnergyGuide sticker, or measure it with a plug-in energy meter, then put your number into the Power Planner.
Runtime on each reference station
| Power station | Est. usable Wh | Est. runtime |
|---|---|---|
| EcoFlow RIVER 3 | ≈180 | Not suitable (300W outlet too small for a compressor) |
| EcoFlow DELTA 3 | ≈754 | ≈12.0 h |
| Anker SOLIX C1000 | ≈777 | ≈12.3 h |
| Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 | ≈788 | ≈12.5 h |
| BLUETTI AC180 | ≈848 | ≈13.5 h |
The smallest station that fits
The RIVER 3's 300W outlet is too small for a fridge compressor, so rule it out. Any of the four 1kWh-class stations covers an overnight (12-hour) outage at the example figure. For a full day you need about 1,507 ÷ 0.736 ≈ 2,048 Wh of rated capacity: the Anker C1000 (expandable to 2,112Wh) or the DELTA 3 (expandable to 5kWh) can get there with an add-on battery.
Anker SOLIX C1000 (1,056Wh)
Covers overnight; expandable to 2,112Wh for a full day.
Check price on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
EcoFlow DELTA 3 (1,024Wh)
Covers overnight, 3,600W surge for compressor starts, expandable to 5kWh.
Check price on Amazon (opens in a new tab)Make the battery last longer
Keep the door shut. FoodSafety.gov says a refrigerator keeps food safe for about 4 hours without power if unopened, and a full freezer about 48 hours. Running the fridge for part of each day and keeping it closed in between can stretch a smaller battery.
FAQ
Can a 1,000 Wh power station run a fridge for 24 hours?
Usually not a full-size one. At an example 1,500 Wh/day, you'd need around 2,000 Wh of rated capacity once losses are counted. A small or very efficient fridge may fit; check its EnergyGuide figure.
Why not use the wattage on the back of the fridge?
That's a maximum or running figure, not the average. The compressor cycles on and off, so the EnergyGuide kWh/year figure gives a far better daily number.
Where do I go next?
Try the power planner to put numbers to your own situation, or see the product picks on the deals page.
Terms used here
- Watt (W)
- Rate of power use or production.
- Watt-hour (Wh)
- Energy: one watt for one hour.
- Kilowatt-hour (kWh)
- 1,000 watt-hours.
- Depth of discharge (DoD)
- Share of a battery's capacity that is used.
- LiFePO4 (LFP)
- Lithium iron phosphate battery chemistry.
- Inverter
- Converts DC battery power to AC household power.
- Derate
- Factor for real-world losses in solar output.
Sources
This guide is informational and based on published specifications and general references, not hands-on testing. Check the manufacturer's current specs before you buy.