Project

Silaa Cooling. Energy self-sufficient air-conditioned food storage for off-grid areas

In the BMBF-funded project "KMU-innovativ: Verbundvorhaben Klimaschutz. Development of energy self-sufficient cold storage facilities based on solar energy for off-grid areas in the ASEAN region" (SilaaCooling for short), algorithms and electronic components are being developed to enable the economical long-term storage of food with a minimum of energy generation - in areas that are difficult to reach and connect in terms of infrastructure.

Machine learning methods and photovoltaic technology are being used. A demonstration cold store is being developed for the SilaaFarms cooperative in Mae Lai (Thailand) for the climate-controlled storage of coffee beans. Climate-controlled storage of coffee at producers' premises is rather unusual, but coffee spoils quickly when stored in warm and humid conditions. Fungi and bacteria attack it and leave behind substances that have a toxic effect even after the heat of the roasting process. If proper storage can be ensured until a favorable time of sale, this increases the yield potential for small farmers.

Although the technology is based on now proven components, it requires workload optimization to make the concept economically viable and thus usable in many other off-grid regions. Once developed, tested and optimized, the concept is to be used commercially and exported profitably in many cases for potential users.

In line with the motto of high-tech with low-tech components, photovoltaic modules and lead-acid and lead-gel batteries are used to power the air conditioning technology, which reduces temperature and humidity. The technology will be completely climate-neutral in operation. Machine learning (ML) methods will help to set the system's operating point to the optimum in each case, based among other things on monitoring the environment using weather sensors.

At the pilot plant in the Thai mountain region, experience is to be gained in the operation and optimization of the ML algorithms so that the algorithms developed can then be applied to other classes of food that require harsher air conditioning conditions. In the future, it will also be possible to serve other climatic zones, e.g. in Africa or Central Asia.

More information on the SilaaCooling project

© AG Griehl