Development of a Mobile Solar Cooling System for Enhanced Shelf Life of Fruits and Vegetables

: This study presents a novel Mobile Solar Cooling System (MSCS) designed to enhance the cold chain for leafy vegetables by leveraging solar energy for sustainable and cost-effective refrigeration. The MSCS maintained an average storage temperature of 9 ± 4°C and relative humidity of 85 ± 10%, significantly improving the preservation of green amaranth compared to ambient conditions (average temperature: 30 ± 2°C). Key system metrics include a coefficient of performance (COP) of 1.6, indicating efficient energy use, with an average daily energy consumption of 1190 Wh. The system extended the shelf life of green amaranth to 18 days, as opposed to 5 days under ambient storage, while minimizing weight loss, retaining up to 87.25% moisture, and preserving essential nutrients such as Vitamin A (51.35 mg/100 g) and beta carotene (22.49 mg/100 g). The microbial load remained within internationally acceptable limits, with bacterial counts below 10⁵ and fungal counts of 10³-10⁴. This innovative system has the potential to reduce postharvest losses, ensure food safety, and enhance food security in regions with limited access to conventional refrigeration infrastructure. The MSCS is recommended for scaling and adoption by stakeholders in fruit and vegetable supply chains, with further potential for application across a variety of perishable crops.