This report describes the efficacy of a solar-powered cooler in Kenya. In addition to keeping the produce cooler, it also maintains the carbon dioxide and oxygen balance and reduces spoilage. These conclusions were drawn from variations of storage conditions and climate conditions of the beans in the study.
This NASA report describes a solar-powered refrigeration system that uses a variable speed, direct current (DC) vapor compression cooling system, connected to a solar photovoltaic panel. The system, patented by NASA, eliminates reliance on an electric grid, requires no batteries and stores thermal energy for efficient use when sunlight is absent. The system is specifically ideal for off-grid applications, and works well for vaccine coolers and solar-ice makers, among other things. Some of the contexts of this system’s application has been found in various agrisolar operations.
This report describes a food storage structure that includes a solar-powered, evaporative cooler. The storage structure was designed and developed to increase the shelf life of fresh fruits and vegetables. The report shows that this is made possible by solar-powered exhaust fans and a cooling pump that provides water to the pads. These applications may be useful when agrisolar operations are located in dry or desert conditions.
This report describes a cold-storage structure that employs a solar-powered cooler to reduce food spoilage after harvest. The results of this project show that through low-cost cold rooms powered by solar energy, farmers can extend shelf life of fruits and vegetables which ultimately increases revenue for smallholder farms and their bargaining power in the marketplace.
This article discusses the effectiveness of solar PV in a twin-circuit DC milk chiller in rural India. The study measured average amounts of ice formed per day for a period of eighteen days out of each season as well as the climactic conditions that variations of the refrigerants operated under. The system ultimately operates with less power during conditions that include automated temperature-based shut offs based on milk temperature. This allows energy to be utilized elsewhere when shut-off systems are engaged.
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