Keeping food fresh without refrigeration is near impossible in the hot climate of sub-Saharan Africa. But it's hard to power fridges in a region where almost 600 million people live off the grid(电网).
That's where Brazil's Youmma comes in. The company has developed a pay as you go(预付费的) solar powered fridge that is being bought by small business owners. The fridges help to reduce food waste, store medicine safely, and allow shops to keep products fresh for longer, says Andre Morriesen, research and development manager at Nidec Global Appliance, which owns Youmma.
The cooling system of the small 100 -liter fridge has been designed for off grid use, and it consumes a quarter of the energy of a regular fridge, according to Nidec. That means it can be powered by a smaller solar panel and a smaller battery, reducing costs. The battery can keep the fridge running for a day and a half without sunlight.
Customers pay for the fridge in daily installments(分期付款) via cell phones, through M-Kopa, a Kenyan solar energy company. New M-Kopa customers pay a $ 100 deposit. Daily payments range from $1 to $ 1.50 for a package that includes solar lighting and covers the installation(安装) of a rooftop solar panel. M-Kopa says it costs more than a conventional fridge, but the package includes lighting as well as continued access to free off- the grid energy.
Pay- as your go"is useful for rural households or businesses with an uneven cash flow, such as income based on harvesting seasons", says' Teresa Le, a climate change and energy specialist for the UN Development Program.
However, even when paired with pay as you go systems like M-Kopa's, solar fridges are still costly for the average person and that's why they mostly appeal to small businesses, says Le. Of about 2, 000 fridges sold since Youmma launched it in 2019, around 80% were to small businesses.
Kioko Mwange runs a small shop in the village of Kithungo, eastern Kenya. Since signing up for the Youmma fridge he has increased his sales. "It helps me preserve milk for up to 10 days," says Mwange." I have seen an increase in customers. "Morriesen believes the fridge can be a "life changing product "for rural families and "bring freedom to women" who often spend hours each day walking to food markets.
