The same technology used in PolarPanel’s refrigerated transport has also been used to refrigerate vaccines for third world countries.
Vaccines require careful handling and specific temperatures for transport and storage. Solar refrigeration has been applied to store vaccines in off-grid communities. The solution uses solar power to maintain cold temperatures even in cases without direct sunlight for up to 3 days. The unit requires no batteries or charging system which can eventually become very costly throughout the unit’s lifetime.
While only needing 5 hours of sunlight to function, the solutions are intended to run for at least 15 years with little to no maintenance or repair. The technology has been tested and proven to work in cloudy weather and in temperatures of up to 109°F.
In 2011, the first units were shipped out to help protect fragile vaccines from brutal temperatures in Africa to help undeveloped communities.
PolarPanel utilizes solar refrigeration technology for the transportation industry, aiming to make cold transport of perishable goods a cleaner and more cost efficient solution.