Solar/DC powered appliances

I found an interesting product surfing the internet last night. A company by the name of Sundanzer makes DC powered refrigerators and freezers.

I've been looking at potential back up systems in the event of power outages. Ever since Hurricane Juan, there have been quite a few of them each year.

What I was looking for was something that could power a fridge, freezer, my oil furnace, a water pump and a handful of lights. These are definitely options. The pricing is roughly the same as what an AC fridge and freezer would be (perhaps a little more) and either of these panels could be powered by a 80-100 W PV panel. The site gives specs as well in terms of sizing a solar power system to accomodate the appliance.

I'm sure there are other products out there, hopefully, with the price of oil where it is, they will become more prevalent over the next few years. With solar energy systems you've got to not only look at your energy usage to size the system, but more energy efficient appliances so you can size your system without draining your bank account.