<![CDATA[The dependence on manufacturer feed causes high costs in farm production and, therefore, makes it susceptible to price fluctuations in the feed. This study aims to design, develop, and evaluate a solar-powered fish feed chopper suitable for off-grid aquaculture applications. The method of this study uses an engineering-based approach. It involves mechanical system design, analytical energy requirement calculations, battery sizing with depth-of-discharge considerations, and prototype fabrication. Experimental testing was conducted under solar-assisted and battery-only operating conditions using a 0.5-phase induction motor (370 W). Results showed that a six-hour no-load operation required 2,220 Wh of energy. Considering inverter losses and VRLA battery limitations, the effective safe operating time was limited to approximately three hours without solar input. A PV configuration consisting of three 200 Wp panels with an MPPT charge controller was sufficient to maintain stable daytime operation and sustain battery state-of-charge between 90–100%. The findings demonstrate that the proposed off-grid PV system can reliably support fish feed chopping operations, although system performance is constrained by battery depth-of-discharge and solar irradiance. This study confirms the feasibility of solar-powered feed choppers as a sustainable solution for small-scale aquaculture.]]>
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