Phaesun GmbH – The world’s first “Low-Carbon Cold Room” (Kenya)

Phaesun GmbH, in collaboration with Solar Cooling Engineering GmbH and Efficiency for Access, installed a solar-powered cold room in Homabay, Kenya, between April and September 2024. The facility, operated by WeHub Victoria Limited, uses SelfChill technology and thermal energy storage to chill up to 500 kg of agricultural products daily to 10°C. Built with wood and straw to minimize costs and carbon footprint, the project was funded by the Siemens initiative Cents4Sense, Siemens Stiftung, and the Efficiency for Access Research and Development Fund, keeping total investment costs under 30,000 EUR.

• The "Low-Carbon Cold Room" is a PV-powered system capable of chilling up to 500 kg of agricultural products per day to a temperature of 10°C, maintaining this performance even when ambient temperatures reach 35°C.
• The facility utilizes the SelfChill concept, which employs thermal energy storage for cooling and uses wood and straw for construction and insulation to reduce both the CO2 footprint and overall costs.
• The project's technical configuration includes a 20 m³ cold room volume, 300 kg of ice storage, and a total PV capacity of 3,040 Wp (2,280 Wp for cooling units and 760 Wp for the pump and heat exchanger).
• The pilot project was funded by the Efficiency for Access Research and Development Fund (EforA), the Siemens Stiftung, and the Siemens initiative Cents4Sense, successfully keeping total investment costs below 30,000 EUR.
• Operated by WeHub Victoria Limited in Homabay, West Kenya, the facility provides a rental service where market traders can store fruits and vegetables in individual crates overnight or for several days.

APA

Alliance for Renewable Electrification (2025). Phaesun GmbH – The world’s first “Low-Carbon Cold Room” (Kenya). https://renewelec.org/case-study/phaesun-gmbh-the-worlds-first-low-carbon-cold-room-kenya/

Chicago

Alliance for Renewable Electrification. Phaesun GmbH – The world’s first “Low-Carbon Cold Room” (Kenya). 2025. https://renewelec.org/case-study/phaesun-gmbh-the-worlds-first-low-carbon-cold-room-kenya/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Alliance for Renewable Electrification |title=Phaesun GmbH – The world’s first “Low-Carbon Cold Room” (Kenya) |date=28 July 2025 |url=https://renewelec.org/case-study/phaesun-gmbh-the-worlds-first-low-carbon-cold-room-kenya/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{allianceforrenewableelectrification2025phaesun, author = {{Alliance for Renewable Electrification}}, title = {{Phaesun GmbH – The world’s first “Low-Carbon Cold Room” (Kenya)}}, institution = {Alliance for Renewable Electrification}, year = {2025}, month = jul, url = {https://renewelec.org/case-study/phaesun-gmbh-the-worlds-first-low-carbon-cold-room-kenya/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }