By Kabelo Khumalo
Leading appliance manufacturer Defy has launched a fridge and freezer that are designed to function completely off-grid, aiding consumers to mitigate the effects of loadeshedding.
A study by Debt Rescue in 2022 showed that 93% of South Africans have had to throw away refrigerated food which was spoilt during load-shedding and 38% had go replace their refrigerators due to damage caused by daily power outages.
In 2023 TrendER/infoQuest, an online research provider, published an update to a survey that was also conducted in 2022 tracking the effects of load-shedding on consumers. Interviews with 300 respondents across the country showed that in 2023, which was the worst year of load-shedding to date, about 75% of people had at least one home appliance damaged or destroyed by load-shedding compared to 57% in 2022.
These are the daily frustrations that Defy’s off-grid, solar-powered appliances are intended to address.
The appliances are powered by solar panels and batteries, and come with a smart control box which shows the active power source. The smart control box also comes with a built-in fuse and two USB outputs that can be used to power devices such as smartphones, routers and tablets.
“We believe our solar off-grid fridges and freezers are real game-changers for SA and the continent at large, as they solve both the issue of accessibility to power, as well as the issue of clean energy,” Defy CEO Mustafa Soylu said.
Speaking at the official product launch in Johannesburg on Tuesday, minister of trade, industry & competition Ebrahim Patel said the release of these products was “timely as it responds to challenges” in SA.
“For consumers it means greater food safety even during load-shedding it also speaks to the needs of small businesses outside of areas that are serviced by the national grid,” he said.
The appliances, a fridge/freezer and a chest freezer, are made at Defy’s factories in SA which employ about 2,500 people.
Despite being a solar-powered fridge and freezer, Defy’s solar off-grid range operates differently from other solar appliances on the market in that they run directly off solar panels during a sunny day and switch to the battery at night or when it is rainy and overcast.
Defy recommends 550W panels for inland areas, while coastal and neighboring regions areas will require a 700W panel, and a 200Ah 12V lithium-ion battery. Based on the current electricity price in SA, Defy estimates the annual cost saving to the consumer, by switching to an off-grid appliance, is about R600 a year.
