Renewable-driven hybrid refrigeration system for enhancing food preservation: Techno-economic optimization and business modelling

Abstract

This study develops and optimises a renewable-driven hybrid refrigeration system to enhance food preservation in off-grid rural areas. The system integrates solar photovoltaic, solar thermal collectors, wind energy, and battery storage to provide a sustainable, cost-effective cooling solution. A comprehensive techno-economic analysis was conducted using Ethiopia as a case study to evaluate system performance, cost-effectiveness, and market feasibility. The optimised system meets 22.42 kW of thermal power demand and 2.82 kW of electrical power demand, reducing daily operational costs from $100 to $86.2. Optimisation improved system efficiency by increasing photovoltaic panels to 15, reducing battery storage from 11 to 7 units, and optimising solar collector area to 322 m2. The length of underground thermal storage piping was reduced to 1366 m, enhancing thermal efficiency. The system achieved near off-grid operation, with grid dependency reduced from 9.3 W to 3.2 W and auxiliary heater reliance below 1 % of total demand. A business model incorporating subscription-based and lease-to-buy financing supports adoption by smallholder farmers and cooperatives, with a five-year payback period. Survey results indicate that 90 % of farmers lack cooling facilities, while 48 % of cooperatives favour government incentives. The system’s environmental benefits include zero on-site (operational) CO2 emissions and eco-friendly refrigerants. This research demonstrates the feasibility of hybrid renewable energy integration in sustainable cold storage, reducing post-harvest losses and enhancing food supply chains in off-grid communities. Sensitivity analysis against inter-annual resource variability and ± 20 % capital-cost dispersion confirms the robustness of the optimised configuration.