100% Solar energy run Cold Storage (SolCoS)

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The collaborative SolCoS project among two UK industries Solar Polar and CoolSky, one Kenyan industry, Kijani and one UK university, Brunel University London (BUL), aims to deliver a radically innovative cold storage for horticultural produce of smallholders of Kenya. SolCoS cold storage will comprise of three innovative novel features -- (i) a compact, modular heat run (200-250C) diffusion absorption chiller (DAR) able to deliver a chilled space at 13 C at COP of \>0.7; (ii) a specially developed concentrating solar technology to harness Kenya's vast solar resource supply heating and electrical energy required and (iii) vacuum insulation to achieve a storage level U-value of <0.25 W/m2K. The project will demonstrate the SolCoS technology for banana fruit, though any horticulture produce could be preserved using it. Minimising loss and waste of horticultural products can effectively reduce the area needed for production and/or increase food availability. In Kenya, about 25-45% of Banana fruit is lost due to lack of storage facilities causing economic loss to 400,000 farmers, majority of whom are women, and 500,000 subsector employees. A nutrition loss of a proportionate amount can be comprehended. The solar run cold storage SolCoS technology is proposed as a cost-effective and technologically viable solution because it proposes to maximise the value of high solar resource of Kenya allowing agro-industrial development without biting into network electricity, thus without hindering Kenya's electrification target of reaching power to every household by 2030; current rate is 75%. SolCoS project will design, manufacture and install a prototype comprising vacuum panel insulated cold storage equipped with modular Diffusion absorption chillers and solar concentrator at Kijani's testing site at Kisumu. A successful demonstration at Kisumu will enable rolling out the SolCoS cold storage technology to all major banana production clusters and markets providing a direct route to pass economic benefits to 900,000 smallholders and small businesses. Banana fruit thus saved will deliver nutrition to millions. Additionally, this grant will unleash an opportunity for solar heat technology in African and global banana industry, growing UK's solar energy business. Africa despite the richest solar resources in the world, has installed only 5 gigawatts (GW) of solar power, less than 1% of the global installed capacity, and nearly zero solar heat for industrial processes.