Designing for Sustainability: Blueprint for a Low-Carbon Cold Room
A blueprint for off-grid solar companies and practitioners to design sustainable cooling solutions
In Sub-Saharan Africa, access to electricity is limited, leading to a lack of cold storage, and significant food loss. Strengthening cold chain management in this region could help reduce these emissions by two thirds and cut food loss. The need for locally created, sustainable cooling solutions, suited to off- and weak-grid areas, is more pressing than ever.
Efficiency for Access’ report, Designing for Sustainability: Blueprint for a Low-Carbon Cold Room, helps to address these challenges. This publication is an essential resource for off-grid solar companies and practitioners aiming to design and implement high-performing, low-carbon cooling solutions. Drawing on insights from a pilot project in Western Kenya, supported by the Siemens Cents4Sense initiative with the facilitation of Siemens Stiftung and the Efficiency for Access Research and Development Fund, this project built on the findings of Efficiency for Access’ Life Cycle Assessment report to demonstrate that a cold room made from locally available materials could generate minimal greenhouse gas emissions. The goal was to create an energy-efficient, high-quality cold room that used solar photovoltaic panels, thermal and battery storage, and natural, environmentally friendly materials for wall insulation.
Key recommendations include:
- Multidisciplinary Expertise: Assemble diverse experts and local stakeholders early
- Local Collaboration: Work with local suppliers and professionals from the start
- Smart Designs: Use simple, effective designs and optimisation tools
- Life Cycle Assessment: Use LCA tools for informed design decisions that reduce environmental impact and lower costs.
- Mock-Ups: Test key construction elements with mock-ups
- Storage Compliance: Ensure design meets storage and food safety regulations
- Humidity Management: Choose insulation materials suitable for recommended humidity levels
- Carbon Reduction: Choose hybrid energy storage solutions to minimise GHG emissions
- Green Techniques: Implement eco-friendly materials passive cooling technique
- Cooling Efficiency: Enhance energy efficiency with evaporative cooling and thermal storage
Explore how sustainable design can help improve food security, support local economies and lower greenhouse gas emissions.
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This report was led by Energy Saving Trust, co-Secretariat of Efficiency for Access, and funded by UK aid from the UK government via the Transforming Energy Access platform and the IKEA Foundation.