Low-cost, high-efficiency Solar-Powered Fridges for export

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This project will design a new suite of zero-carbon, solar-powered off-grid fridges, primarily for the export market to Africa, where 70% of people live in rural areas and 80% of these have no access to power. This is primarily an export-led market although the fridges may have use in the UK, and developed countries', leisure/camping/outdoor markets.Most Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) countries suffer food shortages and malnutrition (36% under-fives are stunted in Africa, with highest prevalence in East Africa. 54% of under-five mortality is due to malnutrition and related complications). Support, to expand agricultural production and reduce wastage by the productive Use of Energy, is urgently needed in rural areas where grid expansion is not economically viable. Uganda's milk consumption is 65litres/annum, well below the WHO recommendation (210litres/annum)Dairy production is concentrated (\>90%) by smallholder farmers. Unlit roads and lack of refrigeration mean that the night milking (50% of production) cannot be sold and either feeds the family or is wasted together with milk which arrives at the depot with too high a bacterial content. As the Government expands breeding programmes to cross breed local breeds with European high yield strains, this wastage weakens the economic viability for such programmes and does not help farmers already too far from Milk Collection Centres (MCC's), lessening the impact of such modern livestock management programmes.We will produce a specification and drawings for a new low-cost, robust solar-powered, high energy efficient fridges for small-holder dairy farmers and rural off-grid shops: an, as yet, untapped market. This project builds on previously funded UK R&D projects and combines 4 technologies developed independently into a cost/efficient optimised and innovative product design, based on known components.Netzero will lead the project working on the design and specification.A secondary opportunity will be considered for the Leisure industry - Caravans and Large tents that are not connected to the grid in Europe and beyond helping with the carbon neutral drive