Sangeeta Mathew
Alliance for an Energy Efficient Economy,
New Delhi, India
Sandeep Kachhawa
Alliance for an Energy Efficient Economy,
New Delhi, India
Corresponding Author: sandeep@aeee.in
Satish Kumar
Alliance for an Energy Efficient Economy,
New Delhi, India
Gerry George
Alliance for an Energy Efficient Economy,
New Delhi, India
Prashant Kanaujia
Alliance for an Energy Efficient Economy,
New Delhi, India
Cite this article
Highlights
- Evaluation framework for energy-efficient agriculture cold rooms.
- Enabling sustainable cold-chain for agri-business.
- Inclusion of energy efficiency in government subsidies.
Abstract
Post-harvest losses in India are estimated to be 6-15%, with an annual value of about Rs 1 lakh crore. Produce loss impacts farmers’ incomes. Further, every wasted ton of fruit and vegetable decomposes into ~1.5 tons of greenhouse gases. Effective post-harvest protocols and integrated cold-chain infrastructure are essential to reduce post-harvest losses. However, there is a 97% gap in integrated pack-houses. Integrating sustainable technologies in the upcoming cold-chain infrastructure could contribute to a sustainable agri value chain, potentially reducing energy and refrigerant demand compared to business-as-usual scenarios. Currently, there are insufficient guidelines for assessing energy-efficient, climate-friendly technologies for cold-chain. This paper presents an evaluation framework to assess energy efficiency, energy supply, and refrigerants in cold-chain product offerings. The framework was used to evaluate cold room solutions from nine vendors. The framework can be integrated into government schemes for cold-chain and enable agri-businesses to assess and deploy energy-efficient, climate-friendly cold rooms.
References
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- P. Kohli, “Stop Food Loss To Stop Climate Change,” 2016. https://www.huffingtonpost.in/pawanexh-kohli/stop-food-loss-to-stop-climate-change_a_21473513/
- T. Garg, S. Kachhawa, and G. George, “Energy Efficiency in Post-harvest Management in India”, Energise 2020 Paper Proceedings, p. 232. February 2020. Available: https://aeee.in/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Energise-2020-Paper-Proceedings.pdf
- Technical Standards Number NHB-CS-Type 02-2010, Technical Standards and Protocol for the Cold Chain in India: Cold Storage for Fresh Horticulture Produce requiring Pre-cooling before Storage.
- World Food Logistics Organization (WFLO) Commodity Storage Manual.
- National Centre for Cold-chain Development (NCCD): Guidelines & minimum system standards for implementation in coldchain components, May 2015. Available: https://nhb.gov.in/pdf/NCCDGuidelines2014-15.pdf.
- 2021 ASHRAE Handbook- Fundamentals.
- 2022 ASHRAE Handbook- Refrigeration.
- IS 660: Safety code for mechanical refrigeration.
- ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 15-2009 Safety Standard for Refrigeration Systems.
- Technical Standards Number NHB-CS-Type 03-2010, Technical Standards and Protocol for the Cold Chain in India: Control Atmosphere Cold Stores.
- Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, “Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture: Operational Guidelines”, April 2014. Available: https://midh.gov.in/PDF/midh(English).pdf
- APEDA, “Agriculture and Processed Foods Export Promotion Scheme of APEDA for the 15th Finance Commission Cycle: Operational Guidelines”, 2021. Available: https://apeda.gov.in/apedawebsite/Announcements/FAS_Guidelines_05102021.pdf?v=1.
- Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, “Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthan Mahabhiyaan (PM-KUSUM)”. Available: https://pmkusum.mnre.gov.in/landing.html.
- AgDSM. Energy Efficiency Services Limited. Available at: https://eeslindia.org/en/ouragdsm/
- World Bank. BEE. AEEE. Cold Chain Energy Efficiency in India. Analysis of energy efficiency opportunities in packhouses. Available at: https://aeee.in/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/WB-BEE-AEEE-cold-chain-energy-efficiency-in-india.pdf
Bishal Thapa
Fred Sherman
Sumedha Malaviya
Satish Kumar
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Cities are responsible for more than 70% of the world’s energy consumption and 40% to 50% of its greenhouse gas emissions. Managing increasing urbanisation is a challenge, and nations must deal with the effects it will have on the environment in terms of energy and climate.
Our transition to a future with lower carbon emissions depends heavily on buildings. They are our places of residence, rest, and employment; they also account for around one-third of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions and nearly 40% of the world’s energy usage.