Complete Solar Direct Drive (SDD) Refrigeration System for

Vaccine Storage
This document contains the following guidance related to Complete Solar Direct Drive (SDD)
Refrigeration System for Vaccine Storage.

• Procurement and Installation Checklist

• Procurement Reference Guide

• Technical Reference Guide

Procurement and Installation Checklist

This section provides a basic guide to UNICEF Country Offices (COs) on ordering of Solar Direct
Drive Refrigeration Systems and related technical assistance. More detailed information in the
context of a specific Cold Chain product can be accessed via the Cold Chain Country Support
Package.

I. Ordering Solar Direct Drive Refrigeration Systems

Considerations for COs:

a. What is the planned timeline for having the Solar Direct Drive Refrigeration Systems
operational?

b. What is the realistic actual timeline for getting the rooms fully installed and ready for use,
taking into consideration:
- Funding
- Order process at country level
- Order process at UNICEF Supply Division (SD) level
- Supplier lead time
- Shipment from supplier port to port of delivery
- Clearance of goods
- In-country transport
- Site-readiness for installation
- Availability of technical personnel with installation capacity (alternative: consider external
installation services and/or training)?

c. What factors would need to be considered for full installation and commissioning of the
systems?

II. Ordering Installation Services for Solar Direct Drive Refrigeration Systems

The installation of Direct Drive Solar Refrigeration Systems is an exercise of limited complexity for
artisan personnel with basic electrical and refrigeration skills. The Technical Unit in Supply Division
can provide guidance and information, enabling local staff to conduct the installation themselves.

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Should sufficient in-country capacity of qualified technical staff to install Solar Direct Drive
Refrigeration Systems be lacking, ordering installation and/or training services from UNICEF
Supply Division is an option.

The following aspects need to be considered and communicated to UNICEF Supply

Division (SD) in a timely manner:

a. By which date are the Solar Direct Drive Refrigeration Systems needed to be in place (timeline
for installation)?
b. What are the requested Terms of Reference (TOR)? Include all relevant information regarding
the expected scope of the work and whether additional work is required such as training, repair of
existing equipment, etc.
c. What are the models to be installed if others exist in a programme?
d. When were the the Solar Direct Drive Refrigeration System delivered and under which PO
reference?
e. What is the exact address of the installation site(s)?
f. Who on the customer side can be contacted for queries (contact details)?

Considerations for COs/PS partners:

It is generally recommended to look at training to be attached to installation projects for Solar

Direct Drive Refrigeration Systems. This will enable local staff to conduct the installation of future
systems on their own which also is a considerable cost saving factor.

In order to ensure timely installation of Solar Direct Drive Refrigeration Systems, the following
aspects are to be considered:

a. Lead time until arrival of the Solar Direct Drive Refrigeration Systems:
The regular supplier lead time from placement of the PO until delivery to port of shipment (FCA)
can vary from 1 to 15 weeks. In addition to lead time, sufficient time needs to be added to allow
for the transit time by sea to the destination port.

b. Installation location(s)
Is there a need to distribute the equipment to one or more sites/locations in the country? The
necessary local resources for such transport and the required time are to be considered.

c. Site preparations/Site Readiness

III. Pre-Installation instructions for Solar Direct Drive Refrigeration Systems

The following instructions give the main guideline of what is defined as Site Readiness. This is
required in order for the contracted technician to start working immediately upon arriving at the
installation site:

a. Ensure that the goods will be at the installation site within carrying distance from the final
installation location before the arrival of the engineer.

b. Store the complete Solar Direct Drive Refrigeration System in a secured area and cover it to

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protect against adverse weather conditions.

c. Ensure that the intended installation site is cleared (for ground mounting) and a strong stable
roof is in place (for roof mounting) for immediate installation to start.

d. Provide installation space/room for the solar refrigerator cabinet with adequate ventilation or
windows for good air circulation and - where security is a concern – with wall(s) including
netting/burglar proof grills.

e. Delivery crates are to be opened by engineers from the service supplier to verify that all
accessories of equipment have arrived as packed by the supplier.

f. Ensure that there is local unskilled labor available for positioning the materials and carrying out
manual installation works such as mounting of the array frame, cabling inter-connecting solar
panels and connecting of cabinet to the array power under the supervision of the supplier
engineer.

g. For solar installation, it is recommended that a local electrician/technician present to assist in

the installation, and to learn from the supplier engineer as a capacity building process.

h. During installation it is recommended that all technical personnel who will be responsible for the
future daily operation, maintenance and service of the Solar Direct Drive Refrigeration System are
present and participate in the installation work, thereby acquiring basic skills and understanding of
the equipment.

IV. Timing of the installation start

A preparation period of 4-6 weeks from declaration of site readiness until arrival of the technicians
should be allowed for. This depends on prevailing circumstances in each case, such as Visa and
medical requirements, period for acquisition, medical requirements, travel conditions and flight
availability, etc.

To facilitate best planning by the service supplier, the customer should provide all relevant
information regarding requirements to be fulfilled by the supplier and support the process of
preparation. This can also include recommending and booking of suitable hotel accommodation
and should always include the provision of local travel to and from the installation site(s).

Please contact the Supply Division Cold Chain Unit for any related queries.

Procurement Reference Guide

I. This section provides specific commercial guidance and references to UNICEF Country
Offices for the ordering of Solar Direct Drive Refrigeration Systems and/or related
installation services. Technical details in this context are provided in the Technical
Reference Guide for Solar Direct Drive Refrigeration Systems. A more general collection of
essential considerations can be found in the Checklist on Procurement and Installation of
Solar Direct Drive Refrigeration.

All UNICEF procurement of Solar Direct Drive Refrigeration Systems must be undertaken
through Supply Division (SD).

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 I. Preparing the procurement of Solar Direct Drive Refrigeration Systems

a. Assessing suitable Solar Direct Drive Refrigeration Systems:

Guidance on technical considerations in the context of Solar Direct Drive Refrigeration
Systems procurement can be found in the Checklist on Procurement and Installation of
Solar Direct Drive Refrigeration Systems and – more specifically – in the Technical
Reference Guide for Solar Direct Drive Refrigeration Systems.

b. Identifying available Solar Direct Drive Refrigeration Systems:

UNICEF only supplies Solar Direct Drive Refrigeration Systems that meet the minimum
quality and performance requirements set by the World health Organization (WHO). As of
March 2013, six systems met WHO pre-qualification criteria and listed in the PQS.

c. Identifying suitable solar system sizing:

The guiding principal is that, based on the chosen vaccine storage capacity, the relevant
SD Technical Unit will upon receipt of the Sales Order or Procurement Service request be
able to identify the solar system size suitable for the specific region in which the Solar
Direct Drive Refrigeration System will be installed. This will ensure that the System is sized
to the optimum power required to run the specific solar refrigeration cabinet in that region,
taking into considerations all the necessary parameters.

d. Calculating timelines for receiving standard sized Solar Direct Drive Refrigeration
Systems:
SD has standard tools to assist with identifying a realistic arrival at point of unloading prior
to ordering.

Standard supplier lead times for Solar Direct Drive Refrigeration Systems have not been
contractually established as yet. Subject to demand, UNICEF intends to have a Long Term
Arrangement for Solar Direct Drive Refrigeration in place during 2013. Until then, demand
is responded to on the basis of spot tenders. If the project is time critical, it is advisable to
contact the SD Cold Chain Unit to obtain the relevant information on estimated supplier
lead times at a given point of time.

The Cold Chain Unit can also provide assistance in identifying the estimated sea transit
time and approximate shipping cost.

II. Ensuring timely installation of ordered Solar Direct Drive Refrigeration

Systems

a. Assessing in-country technical capacity:

Timely identification and preparation of installation sites can save considerable time and
resources. If a country – despite available guidance through the Technical Unit in SD - has
no appropriate capacity to conduct the installation of the Solar Direct Drive Refrigeration
Systems ordered, procurement of installation and/or training services through SD is an
option that can be considered.

b. Communicating the need for installation assistance:

Should SD be chosen to support the installation, early communication will help minimise
the risk of potential bottlenecks, in particular with regard to the availability of external
technicians, practical preparation of travel documentation and organizing training materials
and UNICEF SD verification of their content where necessary.

Consideration for COs:

In case of lack of in-country installation capacity, the installation of Solar Direct Drive
Refrigeration Systems through external technicians can be an opportunity for capacity

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 building on installation, use and maintenance. SD will assist in co-coordinating and
ordering training services.

The following aspects need to be considered and timely communicated to SD:

i. By when do the systems need to be in place (timeline for installation) according to the
programme? This will enable SD to alert the program/customer through the Country Office
in case the envisaged timeline is deemed unrealistic.

ii. Which of the PQS listed models are potentially to be requested for installation?

iii. What are the requested Terms of Reference (TOR)? At the initiation of the project, SD
will be able to explore favorable options with the provider of the services to optimize the
project whenever a country requests specific requirements or is faced with constraints (see
also Checklist on Procurement and Installation of SolarChill PV Refrigeration Systems and
Technical Reference Guide for SolarChill PV Refrigeration Systems).

Considerations for COs and PS partners:

iv. What is the expected scope of the services?

v. Are local staff with suitable base qualifications available for training? If so, roughly how
many participants would be there for the training?

vi. Are there any outstanding repair works that could be implemented during the project
period?

vii. When were the Solar Direct Drive Refrigeration Systems delivered and under which PO
reference?

viii. What is the exact address of the installation site(s)? If different locations are involved,
provide indications such as the distances between the sites, travel time from one site to
another, etc.

ix. Is there a need to distribute the equipment to one or more destinations other than the
place of delivery defined in the PO? Please inform SD whether the Systems are already
available on site or what the estimated timeline is for in-country distribution.

x. If the PV array installation will be roof mounted, provide information on whether the roof
is corrugated iron sheets (GSI), flat cement or of other construction.

xi. Are the installation sites ready for installation? (See Technical Reference Guide for Solar
Direct Drive Refrigeration Systems)

xii. A travel preparation time of approximately 4-6 weeks from declaration of site readiness
until arrival of the technician has to be considered. It should be noted that this general
timeline very much depends on the actual circumstances in each case, such as visa
requirements, medical requirements, travel conditions with flight availability, etc. For best
possible planning the Country Office / PS partner should provide all relevant facts to SD.

xiii. Who on the customer side can be contacted for queries (contact details)?
Contacts should be available for both clarifications of procurement related aspects as well
as for technical inquiries (e.g. site preparation, logistics, etc.)

c. Assessing realistic timelines and budget

SD should be consulted at an early stage with regards to setting a realistic TAD and
determining the necessary budget. SD in conjunction with the Country Office / PS partner

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 and the service provider needs to establish a realistic timeline for starting and finalizing the
service project, based on the information as listed above. Provided all above information is
available, SD will be in a position to provide an estimation of cost in consideration of the
extent of requested services, the individual service program setup and other specific
conditions (e.g. geographical location).

III. Realization of the Installation Project

a. Starting the order process:

Once all elements are clarified, the country program request can be placed. The applicable
UN-code for services (U439102) must be used in the request. The request should further
contain the TOR and any other conditions that have been agreed upon beforehand. SD will
as usual share the PO with the Country Office / PS partner when it is placed with the
service supplier/provider.

b. Post-Order co-ordination:
Based on the PO, direct communication between the service supplier/provider and the
Country Office / PS partner is helpful to organize and co-ordinate project details. SD should
be kept informed at all stages, since SD, as contractual counterpart to the service provider,
needs to monitor the progress of the service delivery.

c. Support towards service supplier:

The service supplier will regularly require assistance in organizing the project based on
national/local conditions. This can for instance include recommending and booking suitable
hotel accommodation by the Country Office / PS partner.

Considerations for Country Offices / PS partners:

Do note that it is the responsibility of the Country Office / PS partner to include the
provision of local travel to and from the installation site(s).

d. Finalising the project

UNICEF requests the service provider as part of the deliveries to issue a completion report.
This report is to be duly signed by a representative of the customer of the project.

Considerations for Country Offices / PS partners:

Any concerns, claims or other issues that make the country/customer regard the service as
not fully and satisfactorily delivered must be raised before signing the completion report. A
signed report serves as confirmation for completed service delivery and therewith also for
release of financial settlement of related invoices.

You can consult the hydrocarbon refrigerant handling and changing procedure and Solar
Direct Drive installation guide for more details.

Please contact the Supply Division Cold Chain Unit for any related queries.

Technical Reference Guide

On March 18, 2010, the World Health Organization prequalified its first solar direct drive vaccine
refrigerator (Vestfrost model MKSO44). Ten years in the making, the SolarChill based technology
vaccine refrigerator operates with a compressor powered directly from sunlight. Instead of storing
electrical energy in a battery, the refrigerator stores thermal energy in an ice bank and a
thermostat maintains the vaccine temperatures between the required +2 to +8ºC. In low-sun
insolation situations or with power completely disrupted, the insulated ice bank of SolarChill
maintains acceptable temperatures for up to five days. The convectional circulation of the cold air

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is enhanced by an intelligent fan that is operated by a small rechargeable battery, which is
recharged by the solar power.

There are currently five SolarChill based technology refrigerators which are prequalified for +20 to
+32ºC, +10 to 32oC and 5 to 43oC ambient temperatures. However, in field tests the units for the
temperate zone have operated under lower and higher ambient temperatures ranges of +10 to
+42ºC.

There are varying emerging technologies for use with the direct current compressor. Use of Phase
Change Materials (PCMs), water gravity related technology and the traditional Ice bank design
makes these systems a groundbreaking technology. Lead acid batteries are expensive, short-lived
(especially in hot climates), toxic to produce and difficult to dispose of properly in remote regions.
They represent a major obstacle to the uptake of solar technology in developing countries.

Surveys conducted on solar-powered vaccine refrigerator performance have found that over 60%
of equipment failures are related to battery systems. It is not a question of if a battery will fail,
but rather when? Batteries can fail due to improper design, poor installation, over use of the
refrigerator, lack of maintenance and delaying repairs. Programmes relying on batteries must plan
for, and fund, the inevitable repair and recurrent replacement costs of batteries.

Installation of Solar Direct Drive (SDD) systems

Solar Pathfinder:
Site selection appropriateness, orientation, solar system sizing, component specification as well as
historical meteorological weather data are pivotal in the successful performance of the solar direct
drive systems. Poor performance of equipment will always result when designers/engineers fail to
accurately assess shading patterns at proposed geographical installation sites.

In the absence of virtual data and extremely skilled technical capacity, inappropriately installed
SDDs will not optimally perform. By combining the capacity to replicate the site-specific annual
shading pattern, the Solar Pathfinder allows an accurate solar site analysis to be made. This
instant annual insolation data, on an hourly and monthly basis, can then be applied to determine
the appropriateness of the selected site intended for the installation, and in retrospect, the
anticipated performance of the equipment.

The Solar Pathfinder is non-electronic instrument, simple and straight-forward in its engineering
and it requires no special skills or technical know-how. One simple tracing does the job and
becomes the permanent record for the solar data.

The Solar Pathfinder uses a highly polished, transparent, convex plastic dome to give a panoramic
view of the entire site. All the trees, buildings or other obstacles to the sun are plainly visible as
reflections on the surface of the dome with the sun path diagram being seen through the
transparent dome at the same time.

The Solar Pathfinder works on a reflective principle rather than actually showing shadows,
therefore it can be used anytime of the day, anytime of the year, in either cloudy or clear
weather. The actual position of the sun at the time of the solar site analysis is irrelevant.

It is with this backdrop that SD is introducing the instrument as a constituent part of accessories
accompanying SDDs procured through SD. This will not only ensure correct site is selected but will
also reduce the implementation delays caused by complicated data compilation which is mostly
unavailable for hard to reach areas where SDDs are most needed.

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WHO - PQS Listing:
To prequalify the technology for product listing in the PQS, WHO established two new categories
for refrigerators in its performance, quality, and safety (PQS) standards, and developed both the
WHO PQS E03 RF5 for battery-free solar direct refrigerators or combined refrigerator/icepack
freezers and the WHO PQS E03 RF06 for solar direct drive refrigerators or combined
refrigerator/icepack freezers that require a small ancillary rechargeable battery for control
purposes. The MKS 044 l (19.5 liter capacity) was the first to fit the latter category. Currently, six
types have been pre-qualified and listed in the PQS catalogue.

Gaining WHO prequalification marked a significant milestone in the effort to produce an

environmentally-friendly, battery-free, affordable solar refrigerator. Prior to the establishment of
the new PQS categories, all prequalified WHO refrigerators using compressors included hydro-
fluorocarbons (HFCs) as refrigerants. HFCs are pollutants that contribute to ozone depletion and
climate change. Concerns about atmospheric concentrations of powerful greenhouse gas HFCs and
their significant impact on climate change have made them less-than-ideal technologies for health
systems. Instead of using fluorocarbons, all but one of the PQS listed Solar Direct Drives uses
hydrocarbon gas as the refrigerant. This technology developed by Greenpeace in 1993 for
insulation foam blowing, which makes them safe for the ozone layer and the climate.

To learn more about the SolarChill based technology refrigerator and the partnership that made it
happen, visit www.solarchill.org.

Please contact the Supply Division Cold Chain Unit for any related queries.

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