Techno-Economic Comparison of Renewable Energy-Driven Cooling Systems for Food Preservation in a Nigerian Farm

Food preservation is a critical challenge, particularly in developing countries. Among the available solutions, active cooling stands out as it maintains food quality without altering its flavor or texture. However, the widespread adoption of such technologies for food preservation, especially in developing regions, requires overcoming key challenges, including energy availability and cost. In response, researchers are increasingly investigating renewable energy-driven cooling systems, leveraging abundant resources like solar energy in these regions. In this context, this study compares the techno-economic performance of different variants of vapor compression cycle and absorption refrigeration technologies, designed to be integrated with a renewable energy system to meet cooling needs of a farm in Nigeria. The evaluation was based on two key indicators: technical performance, measured by the coefficient of performance, and economic performance, assessed using the levelized cost of cooling. The results showed that advanced cycles provided notable improvements over standard configurations from both technical and economic perspectives. Additionally, refrigerants with low global warming potential exhibited competitive performance compared to the reference refrigerant, R134a. Vapor compression cycle variants outperformed absorption refrigeration systems in both efficiency and economic viability. Furthermore, operating the cooling systems under variable conditions significantly reduced annual energy consumption compared to fixed operation.