The refrigerator and the air conditioner are the two appliances that raise the most questions when switching to solar. Yet they’re nothing alike: the first runs all day and all night at moderate power, while the second draws a lot at once but only when switched on. A good solar kit has to be chosen with these two different profiles in mind.

Fridge and freezer: a continuous load

A refrigerator never really stops: it starts, cuts out, restarts, day and night. To keep it running during an outage, you mainly need:

an inverter powerful enough to handle the compressor’s start-up surge,
a battery large enough to last the whole night, when the panels no longer produce.

That’s why kits with a single small battery aren’t recommended for food refrigeration: they’re designed mainly for lighting, fans and TV.

The air conditioner: the biggest consumer

A 1 HP air conditioner uses far more than most other household appliances. To power it with solar, you need a large battery capacity (especially if you use it at night) and a high-power inverter. That’s why it only appears from the 8 KVA kit upward.

Which kit for which appliances?

Here’s what each JP Solaire kit is designed to power:

Kit	Fridge / freezer	Air conditioning	Other appliances
4 KVA, 2 batteries	1 fridge 150 W + 1 freezer 200 W	No	20 LED bulbs, 2 fans, 1 TV
6 KVA	1 fridge 150 W + 1 freezer 200 W	No	20 LED bulbs, 2 fans, 1 TV, 1 h daytime ironing
8 KVA, 8 panels	1 fridge 150 W + 1 freezer 250 W	1 HP air conditioner, 3 h at night	25 LED bulbs, 2 TVs, 1 h ironing
8 KVA, 16 panels	1 fridge 150 W + 1 freezer 250 W	1 HP air conditioner, 3 h at night	+ borehole pump or washing machine 2 h in the daytime
12 KVA, 16 panels, 1 battery	1 fridge 150 W	1 HP air conditioner, 3 h at night	25 LED bulbs, 2 TVs, borehole pump, ironing, washing machine (2 h daytime)
12 KVA, 20 panels, 2 batteries	1 fridge 200 W	2 HP air conditioners, 4 h at night	40 LED bulbs, 2 TVs, washing machine, ironing

Full details for each kit (panels, battery, inverter, included accessories) are on the Our Kits page.

How do you choose between two similar kits?

Refrigeration without air conditioning: the 4 KVA kit with 2 batteries or the 6 KVA kit are enough for a home or small shop. The 6 KVA offers a bigger battery (10 kWh) and also allows daytime ironing.
One air-conditioned room at night: start from an 8 KVA kit. Choose the 16-panel version if you also want to run a borehole pump or washing machine during the day.
Several air conditioners or a large space: the 12 KVA kit with 20 panels and 2 batteries is designed for two air conditioners for several hours at night, plus the washing machine and extended lighting.

The durations shown are guidelines: they vary with sunshine, room temperature, appliance age and your actual usage hours.

A tip to save energy

Before sizing, check whether your appliances are efficient. A recent fridge or air conditioner with a high energy rating uses less and lets you aim for a smaller kit, hence a more reasonable budget.

For individuals, technicians, engineers and entrepreneurs

Individuals: a complete kit delivered with protections, cabling, installation and mounting. Technicians or engineers: inverters, batteries and accessories sold separately for your job sites. Entrepreneurs and resellers: wholesale supply for your own customers.

JP Solaire Sarl, official Felicity Solar distributor in Douala, helps you decide. Message us on WhatsApp with a list of your appliances: we’ll tell you which kit fits and send you a quote. For a first idea of the panel budget, also read our article on the price of a solar panel in Cameroon, or the one on power cuts in Douala.