Food-truck electrical without the diesel-generator roar
A commercial espresso machine and a generator that idles through the lunch rush is a losing combo. PowerLab shows you exactly when a hybrid battery + solar system pays back.
Commercial loads, real numbers
Commercial fridge, freezer, espresso, deep fryer, griddle, warming drawer, POS — each with honest peak + duty cycle.
Hybrid sizing
Size the battery-inverter, size the small silent inverter-generator, know exactly when each is running.
Insurance + code
Most food trucks need an electrical inspection annually. The permit-ready PDF covers it.
Payback math
See the $/year fuel-savings of swapping your 10kW diesel for a 2kW inverter gen + battery.
Typical loads we already model
These are realistic watt draws and duty cycles pulled from the PowerLab appliance catalog. When you start a design, you pick from this catalog and customize \u2014 nothing to re-type.
| Load | Watts | Hrs/day | Wh/day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial refrigerator | 400 | 12 | 4,800 |
| Espresso machine | 1,800 | 4 | 7,200 |
| Deep fryer | 1,800 | 3 | 5,400 |
| Ice maker | 350 | 6 | 2,100 |
| POS + tablet | 30 | 10 | 300 |
| Vent hood fan | 400 | 8 | 3,200 |
| LED service lights | 50 | 8 | 400 |
| Sample total | 23,400 Wh/day |
Typical real-world band for this niche: 10,000\u201330,000 Wh/day (midpoint 20,000). Your actual number depends on your gear and how you use it; PowerLab calculates it exactly.
Ask these once your design is loaded
PowerLab Co-Pilot sees your exact design and can answer questions in plain English. Starter prompts for this niche:
- \u203aWhat’s my peak simultaneous draw during morning rush?
- \u203aIf I add a battery + 1500W solar, how much generator fuel do I save per month?
- \u203aDoes my shore-power inlet amperage cover my full service cycle?
Frequently asked
Can I run a food truck on solar?
Partially. A commercial fridge + lights + POS can be covered solar-only with 1200–2000W of panels. Cooking loads (espresso, fryer, griddle) almost always need a generator or shore power during service — but you can shift everything else to battery.
What size generator do I need?
Depends on peak simultaneous draw. A small espresso + griddle truck can do it on 3500W continuous; a deep-fryer-heavy truck wants 7000W+. PowerLab shows you the real peak, not the nameplate.
Do I need a licensed electrician?
For the install, yes — most jurisdictions require it for commercial mobile. PowerLab gives them the engineering inputs so you don’t pay their hourly rate for a load calc.
Design yours in the next 10 minutes
Free tier gets you load + battery + solar sizing for up to 3 designs. No credit card required. Upgrade when you need the Co-Pilot, live BMS monitoring (Victron live today), or permit-ready PDFs.
Start designing free