Cold storage firm, Isla Frio Refrigeration Corp., recently acquired a former PepsiCo bottling and distribution plant in Cidra, Puerto Rico. The 147,000 square-foot building on eight acres is being fully renovated to become a state-of-the-art frozen and refrigerated food warehouse, beginning with 50,000 square feet of frozen storage. The end goal of the $10 million project is to supply hurricane-resistant cold and dry storage space for the island while also providing thermal resilience with our Thermal Energy Storage (TES) technology for temperature-controlled goods in the event of a power outage. Over the years, Puerto Rico has been hit exceptionally hard by natural disasters and other crises, and with an unreliable power grid, these events inflict significant impacts on supply chain efficiency and functionality. During Hurricane Maria in 2017 and the lengthy power loss that followed, our clients’ facilities on the island did not lose any food product, thanks to the TES systems they have installed. The recent coronavirus pandemic has also amplified the growing need for more cold storage capacity and the island-wide shortage of warehouse space. The recent acquisition of the PepsiCo plant provides an opportunity to build a highly efficient, energy-secure cold storage facility to support the recovering supply chain and electrical grid on the island. The energy resources of this construction project are in alignment with the guiding principles of Puerto Rico’s overall grid modernization plan. Led by the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA), the $20 billion plan will reconstruct the island’s grid, ultimately dividing it into eight self-sufficient mini-grids and providing residents with a safer, greener, and more resilient energy supply. In addition, the island has committed to generating 40% of its power from renewables by 2025 and 100% by 2050. These ambitious clean energy goals will drive the widespread adoption of renewable energy generation, which is complemented through the use of sustainable energy storage technologies like our TES systems. “Puerto Rico has always been very important to Viking Cold Solutions. Our first warehouse installation was on this beautiful island, and it’s appropriate that our first new cold storage construction project be right here in Cidre, PR,” said Paul Robbins, Founder of Viking Cold Solutions. The Isla Frio project, which began construction in June 2020, will be Viking Cold’s first system installation to be part of a facility’s original design and construction plan; previous installations have been facility retrofit projects. Phase One will be to install our technology and get the cold storage facility up and running by December. Phase Two will build out the rest of the site and may eventually include an onsite solar power resource to assist in powering the facility. Once the plant is operational with TES technology, carbon emissions and energy use will be minimized, enhanced energy resilience and flexibility will be in place, and the facility will benefit from lower electricity costs – a significant value on an island with among the highest electricity costs in the U.S. The building itself is connected to a large diesel generator to provide backup power and is built at a high elevation, better protecting it from floods. During extended grid interruptions or power outages, the generator and its fuel can be conserved because the TES technology provides built-in temperature resilience to protect food up to several days without power. We are proud to again be working with another Puerto Rico-based company, this time to help them build their cold storage resources in a sustainable way right from the start. By implementing our energy storage technology, Puerto Rico is one step closer to meeting its goal of generating 100% of its power from renewables by 2050.

Karma Impact, the impact investment news site aimed at the alternative investment community, published an overview of the impact of Viking Cold Solutions' technology on energy consumption and costs, resilience, and sustainability. Starting with the story of Viking Cold, from the initial insight of its founder Paul Robbins, up to its current status as a provider of proven energy savings, Karma Impact outlines the key advantages of Viking Cold Solutions for impact investors. Karma Impact describes how Viking Cold's Thermal Energy Storage (TES) technology allows cold storage facilities to consume electricity when prices are lowest, and then maintain low temperatures within each facility while reducing refrigeration energy through the rest of the day. Using sealed containers of a phase change material, managed and monitored through intelligent software, the system with no mechanical components provides efficiency and cost reductions of 25-50% for low-temperature facilities. Of particular interest to the impact investment community, as Karma Impact noted, is the potential to pair Viking Cold’s TES solutions with renewable energy, such as solar. This combination allows facilities to reduce electricity consumed from the grid by up to 95%, and while facilities managers would be impressed by the resulting cost savings, impact investors will be struck by the ability to dramatically reduce electricity consumption in an energy intensive sector of the economy. Alternatives to Viking Cold’s TES technologies might understandably be less attractive to impact investors. Traditional batteries, such as Lithium-ion batteries, are environmentally damaging, Karma Impact notes. Alternatively, sub-cooling food to attempt to lower energy costs (often called “flywheeling”) can decrease food quality. Moreover, Karma Impact notes the impact of Viking Cold’s technology in improving resilience in the face of natural disasters, referencing the experiences of Viking Cold’s customers in Puerto Rico during Hurricanes Maria and Irma. You can read the full coverage on Karma Impact’s site, here. To speak directly to Viking Cold, to find out how we can help you reduce electricity consumption, cut carbon emissions, and improve resilience, contact us here.

Thunder Said Energy, the research consultancy for energy technologies, has released a review of the benefits of thermal energy storage for refrigeration, renewable energy sources, and energy storage at large. Phase Change Materials (PCM), such as those used by Viking Cold Solutions, are described by the report as a “game-changer” for energy storage technology, particularly with reference to their use alongside renewable energy. The report explains the economics of cold storage, the functioning of Phase Change Materials, and covers a review of 5,800 patents in the space. Thunder Said’s Phase Change Materials review made the key observation that PCM technologies can: Earn double-digit Internal Rate of Return Unlock 20% efficiency gains in freezers and refrigerators Provide superior efficiency over battery storage Noting that refrigerators and freezers comprise 9% of the US electric grid, including consumption across 4,200 warehouses, 40,000 supermarkets, and 620,000 restaurants, Thunder Said is bullish on the potentials of Phase Change Materials. The PCM report, which can be purchased from the authors here, highlights the achievements of Viking Cold Solutions’ thermal energy management technologies, the industry-leading performance that will be of particular interest to the readers. While Thunder Said expects 20% improvements in efficiency gains and commensurate cost savings, Viking Cold’s own installations have delivered efficiency improvements and cost savings of between 25% and 50%, out-performing the analysts’ expectations. Viking Cold Solutions has developed its own PCMs and proprietary software from its headquarters in Houston, Texas, and now has the technology installed and running in locations from California to Puerto Rico and Mexico to Australia, with years of reliable operation and documented case studies to confirm the technology’s effectiveness in reducing cost, energy consumption, and carbon emissions. For specific case studies and overviews of Viking Cold Solutions’ technology’s performance, see our Resources. And to find out how we can improve your energy efficiency and reduce your energy costs, contact us here.