Our tailor-made solar cooling systems are a solution to a well-documented challenge in markets with limited or no cold supply chains, such as in Sub-Saharan Africa. In our market study, we found that this lack of cold-storage can lead to 80% unnecessary waste! There are some agricultural value chains and marketplaces with cold storage to keep vegetables, fruit, meat or fish cold or frozen. However, these cold storage units usually operate on costly and polluting diesel powered generators or unreliable grid electricity. This not only leads to pollution and emission of greenhouse gases, it also results in food waste when there is a power outage.
Our proprietary, solar-cooling technology was developed in partnership with the Technical University of Delft. This technology was then tested through a project supported by the African Development Bank (AfDB). With the support of AfDB, Emergi constructed 10 units for field testing in Ivory Coast. After this successful trial, Emergi received the Momo4Climate award in 2017. Having received this award, we were able to build our next generation solar cooling unit, incorporating all the lessons learned from the AfDB project. Our tailor-made solar cooling systems present a zero-carbon and zero-electricity cold storage solution – using sustainable and cost-free solar energy to maintain cold or freezing temperatures (5C to -5C). Every country has its specific weather and solar patterns and every produce item has its specific cooling requirements. Therefore, we use context specific and proven cooling technologies or combine them for the optimum result.
Our tailor-made solar cooling systems present a zero-carbon and zero-electricity cold storage solution – using sustainable and cost-free solar energy to maintain cold or freezing temperatures (5C to -5C).
The lack of infrastructure to provide temperature-controlled storage and transportation in developing countries has huge economic and social costs. In Sub-Saharan Africa alone up to an estimated 50% of food and vegetable produce go to waste, 97% of meat and fish is sold warm, and over 50 million vaccine doses spoil every year. In developed countries this problem is solved by an integrated ‘cold-chain’ of refrigeration, cold-storage and refrigerated transportation that protects produce and perishable goods from the point of production to wholesalers, retailers, to consumers and domestically. Only parts of this chain exist in many emerging markets.
Climate controlled, carbon neutral storage will reduce post harvest losses for farmers. In doing so,it will result in improved income of smallholder farms and increased production quality of agricultural produce.
At Emergi, we develop our products in close collaboration with our customers. We always ask and listen first before we think, design and do! To develop the solar cooling technology we interviewed and worked with many local actors in order to best understand their struggles and requirements. This was possible through conducting one-on-one interviews in the market and holding around table discussion. These discussions included those operating at urban markets as well as participants operating in rural markets present.