Start date:  October 1^st, 2006

Duration: 3 years 

Title: MEDiterranean food and agro Industry applications of Solar COoling technologies

Acronym: MEDISCO

Objectives

- Contribute to the application of environmentally sustainable and economically viable cooling systems in the food & agro industry of the South Mediterranean countries.

- Develop and experimentally test two innovative cost-effective solar cooling concepts

Abstract

MEDISCO aims to develop, test and optimize solar thermally driven cooling concepts for the food and agro industry in the Mediterranean region, which under local conditions can result economically and socially sustainable. The objective is to asses which systems could better suite the actual and future demand of the food and conservation industry sectors in the south edge of the basin and estimate in technical and economical terms the most appropriate approach for the application of solar thermally driven systems. The partners will carry out a survey of the energy requirement of the industrial sector analyzed in Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia. Further the project will be devoted to the development of novel high performing solar driven cooling and refrigeration concept, aiming at the best compromise towards innovative technologies use, primary energy savings and economic issues. The concepts developed will be implemented through the collaborative work of the research institutions and the technology providers involved, resulting in theoretical and simulation activities. Therefore the optimized system will be constructed and installed in two experimental set up (one in Tunisia), allowing on site monitoring activities of the system performance. The experiences gained through the experimental activities will be used to create guidelines for best practice applications. The project results will increase the knowledge and strengthen the awareness among the major stakeholders on the penetration potential of solar technologies in the food industry in the region. They will contribute to future Community RTD activities related to these systems. Transfer of experiences within the MEDISCO project, at a regional level, will be amplified thanks to the Mediterranean Renewable Energy Centre (MEDREC), based in Tunis within the Mediterranean Renewable Energy Programme (MEDREP). Further dissemination towards the international scientific community will be carried out (IES- SHC Tasks).