Solutions based on thermoelectric refrigerators in humanitarian contexts

In humanitarian and refugees contexts, to give an adequate quality of life to people living in emergency conditions, energy supply is very important to face with the main problems concerning food cooking and food preservation. The traditional vapour compression refrigerators have relatively high efficiency, but they may have a critical impact on the electric supply system. For this reason, new solutions with thermoelectric refrigerators are emerging; in spite of lower efficiency, they may be more compatible with proper operation of the electrical grid. Furthermore, thermoelectric refrigerators can be used in any position, do not depend on a circulating refrigerant fluid, and are not sensitive to mechanical vibrations. These properties are useful for temporary installations that have to be moved from time to time – typical conditions for some humanitarian camps – and to avoid the use of toxic or flammable refrigerant. This paper addresses the electrical characteristics of a thermoelectric refrigerator connected to the power grid in a microgrid-like installation. A sustainable solution, in which the thermoelectric refrigerator is connected to a microgrid powered by a photovoltaic plant and equipped with an electric storage system, is designed and simulated.