Phaesun and Solar Cooling Engineering, a spin-off company of the University of Hohenheim, have been developing a modular cooling technologies since 2013. SelfChill implements core components called cooling units, which are powered by photovoltaic modules to generate cold (thermal energy).
The SelfChill Solar Cooling Unit is a hermetically sealed vapor compression heat pump comprising a compressor, condenser, evaporator plate, and control unit. Its low starting current eliminates the need for batteries, but a small, optional battery bank can be used to extend the cooling units’ operation after sunset using surplus energy. Ice is produced as an energy storage medium, ensuring that cold power is always available even when the cooling units are inactive.
Using thermal storage instead of batteries enables high discharge rates, which are essential for cooling in various agricultural value chains. This approach avoids the high costs associated with electronic equipment such as inverters, which are required for traditional cooling applications.