Preliminary Design and Economic Evaluation of a Solar Powered Freezer

Presently, the unreliable electricity supply is tremendously affecting the growth of the small scale ventures in Nigeria, especially the ice block industry which is commonly a source of lively hood to a good number of families in Nigeria. In this paper, a medium sized solar powered freezer was designed to evaluate the economic feasibility of such system in small. Though, the pay-back period and initial investment of the solar powered system was on the high side, the positive NPV (Net Present Value) has shown to be of greater significance in comparison to the gasoline generator powered freezer on the long run. However, the difference in NPV will continue to appreciate as the operating cost of the gasoline becomes more expensive due to the consequent increase in cost of maintaining the generator, price of oil and also the cost savings advantage of the solar powered system. The design analysis has shown that the solar powered freezer is a stand-alone energy system and is economically feasible. Also, this energy resource is renewable, has zero or low GWP (global warming potential) and zero ODP (ozone depletion potential), it is environmentally friendly, noiseless and stress free during operation.