Solar cooling: Developing countries

In order to help Jean-Louis Julliard, a French producer, market local-fish precooked meals in Mali, Lionel Bataille improved existing solar-cooling technology developed by a CNRS laboratory in Perpignan, France. The cooling system used a solar-heat powered solid/gas thermochemical reaction. Thanks to financial assistance from Oséo, Bataille designed a prototype capable of producing 7 kg of ice daily. In order to avoid being dependent on battery-assisted load regulators between the photovoltaic cells and the cooling systems, he connected the solar panel directly to the compressors. In this case, the amount of energy is smaller, but sufficient to power the refrigeration system, which is well insulated thanks to a composite material. They launched the Freecold range in 2009, starting with 150-450 l autonomous solar freezers already sold to distributors in Lebanon and Tunisia, but also a water-cooled air-conditioning system using similar technology. Source: L'Usine Nouvelle, May 2010