The Global Partnership for Improving the food Cold Chain in the Philippines (FCC) project features a technology showcase in the Cold Chain Innovation (CCI) Hub located at the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority – National Capital Region (TESDA-NCR) Compound, Taguig City. Among the first batch of technologies exhibited is an R600a Solar Driven Refrigerator contributed by Vestfrost Solutions, a key global player in the refrigeration industry based in Denmark.
The R600a Solar Driven Refrigerator is an energy efficient unit designed for off-grid use. It uses R600, a hydrocarbon refrigerant, with low Global Warming Potential (GWP). The unit is equipped with 200 watts 12-24 DC volts compressor designed to pull down the cabinet temperature to -15 C. This type of technology is suitable for preserving produce from geographically disadvantage areas with no electricity.
CCI Coordinator Mr. Manuel Azucena facilitated the establishment of the said unit at the CCI Hub. It operates via an off-grid power supply designed by Mr. Jerry O. Taroy, photovoltaic (PV) trainer of TESDA’s Regional Training Center (RTC) -NCR. The equipment was set-up with 450 watts of solar panel, 24 volts 200 Ah battery and a charger controller. The unit was run for two (2) days as initial testing and the cabinet was able to reached the target temperature of -15 C after an hour of operation. The set up can lead to 12 hours of operation when there is low or no sunlight, such as night time, cloudy and rainy days. The RTC-NCR plans to set up more solar powered systems for small refrigeration units at the CCI-Hub.
The R600a Solar Driven Refrigerator and CCI Hub’s technology showcase is part of the FCC project’s goal of establishing the best in class systems and components from around the globe presented as technology product examples, exhibited on site and used for education. The said equipment will be used for training refrigeration and air conditioning (RAC) technicians on climate-friendly and energy efficient cold chain technologies
National Policy and Regulations Coordinator
Global Partnership for Food Cold Chain in the Philippines Project