Keep the fridge running. Start with the numbers.

Two numbers, two different jobs

Running and starting watts tell you whether a power station can operate the refrigerator. Watt-hours tell you how much energy is available over time. A station can have enough stored energy and still fail to start a compressor.

Find the appliance documentation. Where possible, measure its energy use over a representative day with a suitable plug-in energy meter. A rated wattage alone does not reveal the average consumption of a cycling appliance.

Build a measured estimate

Illustrative example: 1.2kWh measured over a day means an average load of 50W. Eight hours would use around 400Wh at that average. Allowing 85% conversion efficiency, an assumed 8W inverter overhead and 15% reserve gives approximately 629Wh of nominal battery capacity. These are planning assumptions, not a product test.

What makes the result change?

Room temperature, door openings, defrost cycles and the refrigerator model all matter. Use a wider allowance if your measurement does not represent a hot day or the conditions you expect during an outage. Check starting requirements separately with the appliance and power-station manufacturers.

Your next step

Enter your own numbers in the planner. Compare the required capacity with the base unit you intend to buy, and verify the seller’s stock and delivery date. A solar bundle may change the recharge options, but the panel’s rated wattage is not a promise of all-day production.