Brussels, Belgium: Claiming that they offer continuous charging, thus extending refrigeration units’ battery life preventing costly road calls for flat batteries, Thermo King, manufacturer of transport temperature control solutions for mobile applications, and a brand of Ingersoll Rand, has announced introducing ThermoLite solar panels.

This solution, Thermo King said, which is based on the same technology that was launched by the company in the US in 2015, has a new solar panel charging system, which helps prevent battery deterioration caused by natural or deep discharge through auxiliary loads like telematics systems or other devices like lights and sensors. The panel offers, the company added, regular charging even in low light and winter conditions, and thus increasing fuel savings.

ThermoLite’s patent-pending charge controller, the company claimed, is the only automotive-rated charge controller on the market, which eliminates concerns regarding electrical power surges, reverse polarity that creates a potential shock hazard, overcharging and high-voltage jump-starting.

The company highlighted that the solar panels are designed to fit directly to the insulated bodies’ rooftops, and have undergone extensive tests and validations, including resistance to vibrations, pressure washing and exposure to high- and low-ambient environments, to ensure the robustness and reliability needed for transport applications.

“Batteries, discharged for many reasons, may reach a point where they have been fully discharged so often that they become un-rechargeable, and lead to expensive service call-outs and, eventually, battery replacement,” said Gary Mullins, Aftermarket Product Manager at Thermo King in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. “Our solar panels enable TracKing and other telematics systems to monitor assets over long periods of time, even when the transport refrigeration unit is off, while also safeguarding the health of the battery.”