Solar Washing Machine in Pakistan: Run Your Washer on Solar
With high electricity bills, many families want to run the washing machine on solar. The good news: most washing machines run well on a home solar system. This guide explains wattage, which machines suit solar best, and how much solar you need.
Updated 11 November 2026
Is there a special solar washing machine?
There is no separate "solar" category of household washing machine sold by the big brands in Pakistan. A solar washing machine simply means a normal 220V washing machine powered by a solar inverter system. Any machine on our site can run on solar if the system is big enough.
Small 12V DC washers are sold online for camping and boats. They are tiny and wash little. We do not sell DC washers; for a home, an efficient AC machine on a solar inverter is the better choice.
Washing machine wattage by type
Wattage is the power the machine draws while running. Typical figures:
- Single tub: about 300 to 400W. The Nasgas NWM-111 11 KG Semi Automatic Washing Machine lists a 300W motor and the Dawlance DW-9100 12 KG Semi Automatic Washing Machine lists 400W.
- Twin tub: the wash motor is small; the Dawlance DW-6570 8 KG Twin Tub Washing Machine lists a 180W wash motor. The spin motor runs only a few minutes.
- Top load automatic without heater: a few hundred watts for the motor, with short peaks during spin.
- Front load with heater: the motor uses a few hundred watts, but heating water can add around 2,000W while the heater is on.
- Washer dryer and tumble dryer: drying uses the most power.
Check the rating plate at the back of your machine for the exact figure.
Best washing machines for solar
Pick a machine that draws low, steady power and handles voltage changes:
- Single tub or twin tub: low watts and no electronics to damage. Great for small solar setups.
- Inverter top load automatic: the inverter motor starts softly and uses less power. Examples: Haier HWM150-B699S8 15 KG Inverter Top Load Automatic Washing Machine (DD inverter, 160 to 260V), Samsung WA10CK4545BYRT 10 KG Inverter Top Load Automatic Washing Machine (Digital Inverter) and Super Asia SA-812i 12 KG Inverter Top Load Automatic Washing Machine (DD inverter).
- Inverter front loader on cold wash: very efficient if you avoid hot programs. The Dawlance DWF-7310 INV 7 KG Inverter Front Load Washing Machine has an A+++ rating.
See all inverter washing machines.
How many solar panels for a washing machine?
A washing machine is a small load compared with an AC. As a general guide:
- A twin tub or single tub runs comfortably on a small system of about 1 kW of panels with a matching inverter, in good sunlight.
- A top load automatic without heater also suits a 1 to 2 kW system, especially if other big loads are off while it runs.
- A front loader on a hot wash, or a dryer, needs an inverter that can handle around 2 to 3 kW of load at the same time.
Always add up everything that runs together (fans, fridge, pump, washing machine). Ask your solar installer to size the inverter for the total.
Run it in the daytime
Solar panels give the most power from late morning to mid afternoon. Run the washing machine then, straight from the panels, instead of at night from batteries. Batteries lose capacity fast if you run heaters or dryers on them. Use Delay Start to set the wash for midday, and choose cold or 30 degree programs. See washing machine settings explained.
Inverter, UPS and voltage tips
- A pure sine wave solar inverter is best for automatic machines with control boards.
- Automatics with memory or auto restart, such as many Haier and Kenwood models, continue after a power switch-over.
- If your area also has low grid voltage, pick a model with a wide voltage range, like the Dawlance DWT-9060 EZ 9 KG Top Load Automatic Washing Machine (down to 150V).
- Do not start the washing machine, water pump and iron at the same moment; staggering loads keeps the inverter from tripping.
Twin tub on solar: the simplest setup
If you are building a small solar system on a tight budget, a twin tub is the easiest washing machine to run on it. It has no control board, so voltage dips do not harm it, and the wash motor draws little power. You can also reuse wash water for the next load, which saves water if you pump it with a solar pump.
Good choices include the Haier HTW110-186 11 KG Twin Tub Washing Machine (11 kg, with soak and air dry spin) and the Kenwood KWM-21059SAG 10 KG Twin Tub Washing Machine (10 kg, copper motor). Browse all twin tub washing machines.
Hot water and drying on solar
Heating water and drying clothes are the two jobs that need real power. If you want hot washes, run them only in strong midday sun, or connect a top loader with a hot water inlet to a solar or gas geyser line instead of using the machine's own heater. The Dawlance DWT-1580 INV C Glow 15 KG Inverter Top Load Automatic Washing Machine has hot and cold water inputs.
For drying, the sun itself is free: a high spin or Air Dry program followed by a short time on the line costs far less than a tumble dryer. If you do need a dryer, choose a heat pump model, which uses less power than a heater dryer.
Units per wash and solar savings
Units = watts x hours / 1000. A 400W single tub running 15 minutes uses about 0.1 unit. A top loader without heater uses well under one unit per load. Over a month these are small numbers, so the biggest savings come from avoiding hot washes and dryers. For the full method see washing machine electricity consumption, and compare motors on inverter vs non inverter washing machine.
