A Problem

Major problems are linked to no or unreliable refrigeration in Emerging Economies. Spoilt food and water can lead to diseases and even to death. Vaccines reach their destination spoiled due to breaks in the cold chain. In India alone, hundreds of millions of people live without reliable access to electricity, it has a reported electrification rate of 56% in 2008 (UNDP). Solarbear will deliver cooling systems without any need for an electricity connection. It has an eventual goal of providing aid to these countries, by providing an affordible form of refrigeration. Many of these regions have one important thing in common, the power of the sun. Normally, the sun is the catalyst of food, drinks and medicine to spoil, but it can also be harvested for exactly the opposite. Not dependant on any electricity grid and providing a free costs during usage.

Some facts:

[1] A large share of all distributed vaccines transported to rural villages is lost due to breaks in the cold chain.
[2] 1.5 billion children related child diseases per year in Developing Countries (WHO, UNICEF).
[3] 2.3 million child related deaths due to inacurate vaccines and spoiled foods per year (WHO).
[4] Around one third of the food & drink produce in rural area's spoils before reaching their city destination. (TIME, UNICEF, WHO).
[5] 8000 times the energy needed in the world hits the earth every day due to the sun.

there's enough to do!

A Solution

A solar driven refrigeration element has been optimally designed to actually use the sun for refrigeration purposes. The proposed solution has a few main advantages:

[1] Affordable and no costs during lifetime.
[2] No need for electricity.
[3] Possible to move around.
[4] Element generates around 2Kg of ice a day.
[5] Estimated payback time of 1 year.
[6] Completely sustainable.

Prototype

We have build our first prototype! It is only to prove the working principle, and by doing so, Leonard Schürg is now officially an engineering master and graduated cum laude on the solarbear project!

Our team has been working very hard to create a first prototype, validating market potential and in the coming time multiple tests will be conducted to ensure the next prototyping phases, on top of that, the gap in between market and technique will be closed by envisioned product design and our natural working principle.