Making food last longer
While electricity from photovoltaics (PV) generally adds to the supply of a country, a town or a single house, there are also ways for the productive use of energy where PV is applied specifically for a single purpose. Solar cooling is such a purpose-oriented application. In many countries, the demand for cooling is increasing rapidly due to population growth, social progress and economic development. This additional demand for electricity puts even more strain on the often already overloaded grids in countries like Afghanistan and leads to further power outages. Thus, such grids are unable to provide the necessary power for cooling food or vaccines. It is precisely in such situations that special applications such as solar cooling offer reliable and cost-effective solutions. This section puts an emphasis on the opportunity to foster food security through reliable cooling systems based on PV.
Interactive Application
In this application, you will learn about the possibilities of cooling and freezing using the energy from the sun. In a first step, you learn about the components of one solar cooling unit. Afterwards, you can explore different cooling solutions and find out about the effects of cooling and freezing. Can you make food last longer?
Food security through reliable Solar Cooling solutions
There are various user cases for the productive use of PV. Using the sun’s energy for cooling purposes might sound paradoxical, but it holds great potential in many areas, especially when it comes to food security.
Solar cooling units can be installed almost anywhere, even in rural areas. The only condition is that the sun shines regularly, which fortunately is the case in Afghanistan. In regions where the ambient temperature is very high, solar cooling has an enormous potential. Afghanistan has an average annual temperature of 15°C, which does not seem 'very high'. However, due to the dry continental climate in parts of the lowlands, especially in the south and east of Afghanistan, the summer temperature can reach up to 50°C. Here, solar cooling can be a great advantage, as it does not put additional strain on the electricity grids during these times. Most fruits and vegetables need to be cooled immediately after harvesting to provide the consumer with the highest quality product. Refrigeration significantly reduces the rate at which the product deteriorates, thus extending its shelf life.
What are the main opportunities?
- Substitutes for example diesel generators especially in remote areas, because in many cases it is the more economical solution
- Reduction of peak electricity demand, resulting in a more stable grid. Cost savings on a national level if applied on a broad scale.
- Using environmentally sound materials without ozone depletion and with no or very little global warming potential
- Making use of synergies between supply and demand - when it is the hottest, the need for cooling is highest and solar cooling solutions at the same time perform at their best