Cooling-as-a-service model with sustainable cold rooms in Kenya

A case study on the implementation of solar-powered cold rooms in Kenya using a Cooling-as-a-Service (CaaS) model to reduce post-harvest losses for small farmers and traders.

• Phaesun GmbH and WeHub Victoria Limited (WeTu) installed two SelfChill solar-powered cold rooms at marketplaces on the shores of Lake Victoria, utilizing thermal ice storage components and local construction materials. The first unit in Mbita began providing uninterrupted services in January 2024, while the second unit in Homabay started operations in February 2025.
• The Mbita cold room saw a steady increase in occupancy of 7% to 14% per month following awareness campaigns, reaching an occupancy rate of 85% for more than 4 days during its 9th month of operation.
• Usage patterns evolved from vendors storing small quantities of unsold perishable leafy vegetables (one or two crates) to traders buying larger quantities (6 to 12 crates) for daily sale. This shift has led the project team to modify the CaaS model for the Homabay site to specifically target wholesalers of valuable crops.

APA

Ng, L. (2025). Cooling-as-a-service model with sustainable cold rooms in Kenya. Alliance for Renewable Electrification. https://renewelec.org/cooling-as-a-service-model-with-sustainable-cold-rooms-in-kenya/

Chicago

Ng, Ling. Cooling-as-a-service model with sustainable cold rooms in Kenya. Alliance for Renewable Electrification, 2025. https://renewelec.org/cooling-as-a-service-model-with-sustainable-cold-rooms-in-kenya/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Ng |first1=Ling |title=Cooling-as-a-service model with sustainable cold rooms in Kenya |publisher=Alliance for Renewable Electrification |date=18 February 2025 |url=https://renewelec.org/cooling-as-a-service-model-with-sustainable-cold-rooms-in-kenya/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{ng2025coolingasaservice, author = {Ng, Ling}, title = {{Cooling-as-a-service model with sustainable cold rooms in Kenya}}, institution = {Alliance for Renewable Electrification}, year = {2025}, month = feb, url = {https://renewelec.org/cooling-as-a-service-model-with-sustainable-cold-rooms-in-kenya/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }