Homes · Faisalabad, Lahore, Punjab
Running Fans, Fridges and Other Appliances on Solar
Short answer
Almost any household appliance can run on solar, as long as the system is sized for its power and the hours you use it. A normal ceiling fan, fridge or TV runs on a standard home solar system through an inverter. 12 volt DC "solar fans" and DC fridges are a different, smaller approach: they run straight from a battery and panel without an inverter, which suits off-grid rooms and small backup setups.
This guide gives typical appliance loads, explains DC appliances versus normal ones, and shows how to estimate what your home needs.
Typical power use of common appliances
The table below gives typical ranges for appliances in Pakistani homes. These are generic, indicative figures. Your appliance's rating plate or manual is the better guide, and actual use varies with age, settings and weather.
| Appliance | Typical power while running | Typical hours per day | Indicative energy per day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ceiling fan, standard AC motor | 70 to 90 W | 12 | 0.8 to 1.1 kWh |
| Ceiling fan, inverter/DC motor | 30 to 45 W | 12 | 0.35 to 0.55 kWh |
| 12 V DC fan (pedestal or bracket) | 15 to 40 W | 10 | 0.15 to 0.4 kWh |
| LED bulb or tube light | 9 to 20 W | 6 | 0.05 to 0.12 kWh each |
| Refrigerator, standard | 100 to 200 W (cycles on and off) | 24 (running about a third to half the time) | 1 to 2 kWh |
| Refrigerator, inverter | 60 to 120 W (cycles on and off) | 24 | 0.7 to 1.3 kWh |
| Deep freezer | 120 to 250 W (cycles) | 24 | 1.5 to 3 kWh |
| LED TV, 40 to 55 inch | 60 to 120 W | 5 | 0.3 to 0.6 kWh |
| Washing machine (automatic) | 400 to 2,000 W during heating | 1 | 0.5 to 1.5 kWh |
| Water pump, 0.5 to 1 HP | 400 to 800 W | 1 | 0.4 to 0.8 kWh |
| Iron | 1,000 to 1,500 W | 0.5 | 0.5 to 0.75 kWh |
| Microwave | 1,000 to 1,400 W | 0.25 | 0.25 to 0.35 kWh |
| 1.5 ton inverter AC | see our AC guide |
For air conditioners, which are usually the largest load in a Punjab summer, see solar for AC: how many panels for a 1 or 1.5 ton AC.
Watch out for starting surges
Fridges, freezers, water pumps and washing machines have motors or compressors. They can draw several times their running power for a moment when they start. An inverter must handle these surges, especially if two motors start together. This is one reason not to undersize the inverter.
Typical running watts of common home appliances
How to estimate your daily energy
- List each appliance, its running watts and how many hours it runs per day.
- Multiply watts by hours to get watt-hours, then divide by 1,000 for kWh.
- Add them up for a daytime total and a night-time total.
For example, with round illustrative numbers: six standard ceiling fans at 80 W for 12 hours is 6 x 80 x 12 = 5,760 Wh, or about 5.8 kWh. A fridge at about 1.5 kWh a day, ten LED lights at 15 W for 6 hours (0.9 kWh) and a TV at 0.5 kWh bring the total to about 8.7 kWh a day. Switching those six fans to inverter fans at 40 W would cut their share to about 2.9 kWh.
The night-time part decides the battery size. See how many kWh of battery you need, or use the solar calculator for a quick estimate.
Normal appliances on a home solar system
In most homes, the simplest approach is to keep your normal 230 V appliances and install a solar system with an inverter. The inverter converts the panels' DC power into ordinary household AC power. Everything on the circuits it feeds simply works, whether the energy comes from the panels, a battery or the grid.
Advantages:
- no need to replace existing appliances
- any brand of fan, fridge or TV can be used and serviced locally
- the system can grow as you add loads
The most useful upgrade is often efficiency, not "solar" appliances: inverter fans, an inverter fridge and LED lights reduce the load, so a smaller battery covers the night. Complete home systems are covered in the solar system price in Pakistan guide.
12 volt DC solar fans and DC appliances
DC appliances run directly on low-voltage DC power, typically 12 V or 24 V, from a battery charged by a solar panel. No inverter is needed. That is what most people mean by a "12 volt solar fan", "solar DC fan" or "solar fridge".
How a small DC setup works:
- A solar panel charges a battery through a charge controller.
- DC fans, lights and sometimes a DC fridge run from the battery.
- Nothing connects to the grid.
Where DC appliances make sense: a room, shop or farm building with no grid supply; a small backup for a few fans and lights during load-shedding; a site where the main concern is simplicity.
Limitations to know:
- DC wiring at 12 V carries high current for the same power, so cables must be thick and runs short.
- The choice of DC appliances is narrower, and spare parts can be harder to find.
- They do not connect to a home's main wiring, so the rest of the house is unaffected.
- A small DC setup does not scale well to a whole home.
For how charge controllers work in these setups, see MPPT vs PWM charge controllers.
Solar fridge: DC or normal?
A DC solar fridge uses a compressor designed for 12 or 24 V and is very efficient, because it avoids inverter losses. It suits off-grid use. In a home that already has a solar system with a battery, a good inverter fridge on the normal supply is usually the more practical choice, with a wider range of sizes and easier servicing.
"Solar generators" and "solar converters"
A solar generator is a marketing name for a portable power station: a battery, inverter and charger in one box, which can be charged from a solar panel. It is useful for a few fans and lights, laptops or camping, but its battery capacity is small compared with a home system. It is not a generator in the fuel-engine sense.
A solar converter usually means a solar inverter, the device that turns panel DC into household AC. Sometimes it refers to a UPS or a DC-DC converter. When comparing products, ask exactly what it does: does it take solar input, does it charge a battery, and what continuous and surge power can it deliver? For systems that run without any battery, see can a solar inverter work without a battery?.
Choosing between a DC setup and a home solar system
| Your need | Sensible approach |
|---|---|
| A few fans and lights in a room or shop with no grid | Small DC setup: panel, controller, battery, DC fans and lights |
| Keep fans and lights running through load-shedding in a whole home | Hybrid solar system with a lithium battery |
| Cut the electricity bill for the whole home, including ACs | Grid-tied or hybrid solar system sized to the full load |
| Portable power for occasional use | Portable power station ("solar generator") |
Solar Works Pakistan designs home, commercial and industrial systems from about 6 kW upwards, with engineering done in-house and installation by our own teams. For battery options from Luminey and current Huawei and Sungrow options, see the lithium battery price in Pakistan.
Solar fan, fridge and appliance setup prices
| Item (indicative) | What is included | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Portable power station ("solar generator") | Unit only | WhatsApp for today's rate |
| Home hybrid solar system for fans, fridge and lights with night backup | Panels, hybrid inverter, lithium battery, structure, cabling, protection, installation | WhatsApp for today's rate |
Solar Works Pakistan does not sell DC fans, DC fridges or other DC appliances. We design home solar systems that run your normal AC appliances, with a battery for the evening if you need one.
Get today's price or a free site survey
Send us a list of your appliances and the hours you use them, along with your last 12 months of electricity bills. Our engineers will suggest a system size.
- WhatsApp or call: 0336 666 4321
- Email: info@solarworks.pk
- Head office: Main Boulevard, Sargodha Rd, Block F FDA City, Faisalabad
- Lahore branch: 2nd Floor, Jeff Heights, Gulberg, Lahore
- Hours: 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, daily
We serve customers across Punjab. Contact us to book a free site survey.
Frequently asked questions
Can a normal ceiling fan run on solar?
Yes. A normal 230 V ceiling fan runs on any home solar system through the inverter. Switching to an inverter or DC-motor ceiling fan roughly halves its power use, which reduces the battery needed for night use.
How much power does a 12 volt solar fan use?
Most 12 V DC fans use roughly 15 to 40 W, depending on size and speed. A fan at 30 W for 10 hours uses about 0.3 kWh, so a modest battery and one solar panel can run one or two fans.
Can I run a fridge on solar panels?
Yes. A normal fridge runs on a home solar system with an inverter, and a battery keeps it running at night. Make sure the inverter can handle the compressor's starting surge.
Is a DC solar fridge better than a normal fridge on solar?
A DC fridge is very efficient and suits off-grid use with a small battery. In a home that already has a hybrid solar system, a normal inverter fridge is usually more practical, with more sizes and easier servicing.
What is a solar generator?
It is a portable power station: a battery, inverter and charger in one unit that can be charged from a solar panel. It suits small loads and occasional use, not running a whole home.
How many solar panels do I need for fans, a fridge and lights?
Add up the daily energy of each appliance, then size the panels to cover it with a margin for dust, heat and winter. For example, a home using about 9 kWh a day typically needs a system of several kW. The solar calculator gives a first estimate.
What is a solar converter?
The term usually refers to a solar inverter, which converts DC power from panels into normal AC power for appliances. It can also mean a UPS or a DC-DC converter, so check what the product actually does before buying.