There's no environmentally cleaner way to keep food cold than a solar fridge (save a root cellar, and most of us don't want to live in a house built in the 1840s). Unlike conventional refrigerators, which run on electric that is likely generated by burning fossil fuels, a solar fridge runs on energy provided directly by the sun.
Solar fridges are the best sort of coolers for off-the-grid locations where AC power is not available and no conventional fridges dare to tread. They can keep food preserved without the need for utility-provided power, a major advantage in undeveloped areas where electricity availability is intermittent and unreliable.
Solar fridges use thick insulation and a DC compressor (not AC) to cool food. Older forms of solar fridges used a combination of solar panels , inverters for the AC power, and lead batteries to store enough energy for cloudy days or at night when the absence of sunlight meant the absence of power input. Lead batteries were heavy and mitigated the advantages of a solar fridge's portability.
Newer models such as the GoSun Chill work around these disadvantages. The Chill from GoSun uses a portable solar table that has built in solar photovoltaic panels and a lightweight, a portable, and compact battery system, that allows for a completely portable power and cooling system. Plus, the shading of the table allows the cooler to stay even colder, even in direct sunlight and operate at temperatures down to -18 degrees c, ( 0 degrees F).
A portable lithium battery pack powers the GoSun Chill. The large 150 watt-hour solar power lithium battery pack can also power laptops, cell phones, and many other portable accessories, making it the perfect outdoor product to be prepared for a power outage or emergency.
In the video below, GoSun customer Peter Salib unboxes this innovative cooler than uses solar energy to keep your food and drinks cool and explains how it works.
This post is part of our larger information resource on solar coolers. Click here to read our post Solar Fridge Guide: Stay Cool Off The Grid