Solar-powered refrigeration container to be unveiled at Intersolar Europe trade fair

Phaesun will reportedly display their latest solutions for the off-grid operation of refrigeration containers at their booth at the Intersolar Europe, a trade fair for solar technology, being held in Munich from June 9 to 11.

To be used in hospitals, medical supply depots and food storage centres in regions with insecure or unavailable energy supply, the new solar refrigeration container is claimed to have a storage capacity for a reserve of three consecutive days without noteworthy solar irradiation.

Designed by ILK Dresden, for whom Phaesun distributes the container solutions, the system has a modular structure, including integrated solar modules with a capacity of 1.7 or 3.6 kilowatts, depending on the respective design. The larger system consists of a single cooling chamber for the storage of up to 400 kilogrammes of meat or vegetables at a temperature of 0ºC to 10ºC. The smaller container includes three separate chambers for the storage of drugs at temperatures from 0ºC to 8ºC, 10ºC to 15ºC and 22ºC to 25ºC. The maximum ambient temperature amounts to 52ºC. The containers being flexible, they can be adjusted to customer requirements.

According to Phaesun, the standard container can be easily transported by truck, train, or helicopter and is, therefore, suitable both for stationary applications and for use in different locations. The company issues a 10-year guarantee on the main components.

In addition to the refrigeration container, Phaesun will display a solar module with integrated lithium-iron battery, produced by the Chinese manufacturer, Build Your Dreams (BYD), for the supply of a streetlamp. Lithium-iron batteries are believed to be many times lighter than gel batteries, while providing the same capacity. “Moreover, their energy density is by far higher,” said Tobias Zwirner, Managing Director, Phaesun GmbH, explaining the advantages of the battery technology. By comparison, a gel battery with a capacity of 150 ampere hours weighs approximately 50 kilogrammes, depending on the manufacturer, while a lithium-iron battery weighs only 28 kilogrammes. Moreover, the number of cycles of a lithium-iron battery is up to four times higher than the number of cycles of a lithium-iron battery, and up to six times higher than those of a gel battery.

Solar water pump and cleansing systems, as well as a hybrid system and a wind power station are also among the other offgrid solutions to be presented at the Phaesun GmbH fair booth. Since being founded in 2001, Phaesun GmbH, headquartered in Memmingen, Germany, specialises in the sales, service and installation of off-grid photovoltaics and wind energy systems. It also offers solutions for energy supply and telecommunication