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Hi. I'm new here, but looking for an affordable way to power a thermoelectric cooler that draws 4 amps. From what I can tell, it looks like I need at least a 125 watt panel, but those are pretty pricey and heavy. It's for a small camper vehicle, where I have to watch my weight. Is there a way to get by with less panel by going with 24 volt, etc? Thanks.
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The only way to get by with a practical sized panel is not to use a thermoelectric cooler in the first place. Thermoelectric cooling is the least energy-efficient form of cooling known to man.
It has its place where the extra cost and mass of a compressor based system cannot be tolerated. But for solar power you will spend less in the long run by replacing the cooler with a small (or large) refrigerator and using an inverter to power it.
You will almost certainly end up with less weight than you would if you added enough panel and battery to work the cooler. And you will have more stable temperatures.
The typical TE cooler runs continuously and gets the interior as cool as it can. That is typically about 40F lower than the outside temperature, whatever that may be. Too hot during the day and freezing at night.
One good feature of the TE cooler though is that it can be run directly off the panel with only a current/voltage limiter and no batteries, as long as you get enough sun during the day to cool the contents enough to keep through the night.
A second drawback to solar power for this application is that you will either have to park the camper in the sun or provide a remote mount and power cord for the panel.SunnyBoy 3000 US, 18 BP Solar 175B panels.
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