Solar for a fridge, TV and lights in Ghana: how to size it
How many solar panels you need in Ghana to run a fridge, TV and lights: Accra's real sunshine figures, a simple sizing method, batteries and inverters.
By the Landed team · · 5 min read
To size solar for a fridge, TV and lights in Ghana, add up how much electricity they use in a day, in watt-hours, and divide by the energy each kilowatt of panels produces in your area. In Accra that is about 4 kWh per kilowatt of panels per day on average, but only about 3.5 kWh in June to August. So plan on roughly 0.3 kW of panels for every 1 kWh you use a day, plus a battery for the hours without sun and an inverter big enough to start the fridge.
Here is the method step by step, with the real sunshine figures for Accra.
How much sun does Ghana get?
The World Bank's Global Solar Atlas, using Solargis data, gives these long-term averages for central Accra:
- Sunshine: about 1,841 kWh per square metre a year, or about 5.0 kWh a day. This is what installers call about 5 "peak sun hours".
- Panel output: about 1,469 kWh a year for every kilowatt of panels installed, or about 4.0 kWh a day, after typical system losses.
- Worst months: June to August, when panels produce about 3.5 kWh per kilowatt a day.
- Best months: April and October, at about 4.4 to 4.5 kWh per kilowatt a day.
- Best panel tilt: about 7 degrees.
Size your system for the cloudy rainy-season months, not the yearly average, or the fridge will run short in July. Figures differ by town, so check your own location on the Global Solar Atlas map.
Step 1: Add up what you use in a day
For each appliance, find its power in watts on the label or in the manual, and estimate how many hours a day it runs. Multiply the two to get watt-hours (Wh) per day.
Fridges and freezers are the exception: the compressor switches on and off, so the watts on the label overstate what they use. Look for the energy figure instead, usually given in kWh per year or per day on the energy label. Divide a yearly figure by 365.
Write it down as a list:
| Appliance | Watts or energy label | Hours a day | Wh a day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fridge or chest freezer | From the energy label | All day | From the label |
| TV | From the label | Your hours | Watts × hours |
| Lights | Watts × number of bulbs | Your hours | Watts × hours |
| Fans and phone charging | From the label | Your hours | Watts × hours |
Add the last column. That total is your daily energy use.
Step 2: Work out how many panels you need
Divide your daily use by what a kilowatt of panels produces in your worst month. For Accra, use about 3.5 kWh per kilowatt a day.
Example: say your list adds up to 2 kWh a day. This is only an example to show the sums, not a typical home.
- 2 kWh ÷ 3.5 = about 0.57 kW of panels.
- Batteries and inverters lose some energy along the way, so round up. Your installer or the inverter's datasheet can tell you how much.
- With 400-watt panels, two panels give 0.8 kW, which leaves a margin.
The panel count depends on the panel size you buy, so always work it out in kilowatts first.
Step 3: Choose a battery for nights and dumsor
Panels only produce in daylight. For the evening, the night and power cuts, you need a battery.
- Work out how much of your daily energy is used when there is no sun. In the example, if half the 2 kWh is used at night, that is 1 kWh.
- Add the hours of power cuts you want to ride through.
- Check how much of the battery you can safely use. Batteries are not meant to be emptied completely, and the datasheet gives the usable share, often called depth of discharge. Lithium batteries can usually use more of their rated capacity than lead-acid ones, but check the datasheet for the battery you buy.
- Divide what you need by that usable share. If a datasheet allowed 80% use, 1 kWh ÷ 0.8 = 1.25 kWh of battery.
Step 4: Size the inverter, and allow for the fridge's start
The inverter turns battery power into the 230-volt power your appliances use. It needs two ratings:
- Continuous power: at least the total watts of everything that runs at the same time.
- Surge power: fridges, freezers and pumps draw much more power for a moment when their motor starts. Check the inverter's surge rating, and if you can, the starting figure from the fridge maker.
A hybrid inverter can charge the battery from both the panels and the grid, and switches over when the grid goes off. For a home with ECG power most of the day and solar as backup, that is usually the simplest set-up.
Step 5: Buy equipment that meets Ghana's standards
Regulations that came into force in Ghana in November 2022 set energy standards for many appliances, including solar panels. Buy new, from a known brand, with a datasheet and a receipt.
If you import from China, electrical equipment is one of the groups that now needs the Ghana Standards Authority's EasyPASS check before it ships. Ask the supplier about it before you pay, and see our guide to importing from China to Ghana. Our guide on how to calculate import duty in Ghana explains the taxes on arrival.
A quick checklist before you buy
- Your daily use in kWh, from labels, not guesses.
- Panels sized for June to August, not the yearly average.
- A battery sized for the hours without sun, using the datasheet's usable share.
- An inverter that covers the fridge's starting surge.
- Room on the roof, a slight tilt, and no shade from trees or water tanks.
- A qualified electrician to wire it, with proper fuses and earthing.
Solar panels, inverters and batteries, delivered
Landed buys solar equipment from factories in China and stores in the USA, ships it, clears it through Ghana customs and holds it at our Accra showroom. You pay one all-in price in cedis, agreed before you pay, covering the equipment, the shipping, the duty and clearing, and our service.
- Send us your appliance list or the exact panels, inverter and battery you want, and get a price.
- Browse solar panels, inverters and batteries and energy-saving fridges, freezers and fans.
