Solar panels allow saving fuel and reducing CO2 emissions

ThermoLite™ solar panels by Thermo King comply with sustainability aspirations within 2030 by Trane Technologies, which provide also for the commitment to reducing customers’ carbon emissions
ThermoLite™ solar panels by Thermo King comply with sustainability aspirations within 2030 by Trane Technologies, which provide also for the commitment to reducing customers’ carbon emissions

Thermo King®, leader in the solutions for the temperature controls in the transports branded Trane Technologies, has supplied ThermoLite™ solar panels for 76 new refrigerated semi-trailers by ECS, leader logistic supplier in Europe in the intermodal transport and in integrated distribution services. Solar panels will contribute in supporting ECS vision in favour of sustainable reliable logistics, due to the significant reduction of fuel consumption and the carbon footprint of refrigerating units.
«ThermoLite™ solar panels by Thermo King represent a sustainable energy management solution for refrigeration units because they extend the battery duration while decreasing fuel consumption and CO2emissions» stated Samer Hawat, sales and area service manager for Belgium and Luxembourg at Thermo King. «Integrating solar panels, the refrigeration units by ECS will be provided with a sustainable energy source on the road, which will allow increasing the company’s operational efficiency, will decrease vehicles’ environmental impact and will contribute in achieving some strategic targets in the sustainability matter».
«As supplier of logistic services, ECS recognizes the environmental impact of its activity and is consciously committed to reducing it as much as possible. The care and the improvement of the environmental sustainability have always been part of our daily operations and of our decisional process» affirmed Jonas Van Den Broucke, technical manager of the vehicle fleet at ECS. «Our relationship with Thermo King dates back to over 20 years ago and this company has always stood out for supplying us with reliable cheap products, in addition to specialized service. When they suggested us to consider solar panels for our refrigerated semi-trailers, we had absolutely to make an attempt».
Before engaging, ECS carried out a test on the field for six months, monitoring four Thermo King refrigerated semi-trailers equipped with ThermoLite™ solar panels on four different routes in Europe. The Thermo King TracKing system has allowed the remote monitoring of battery’s recharge levels and of fuel consumptions. ECS compared the results with the performances of other four units of its vehicle fleet not equipped with solar panels on similar routes. The field test demonstrated that the installation of ThermoLite™ solar panels can allow ECS to save up to 1,000 litres of fuel yearly, on a unit for semi-trailer.
After the test, ECS decided installing ThermoLite™ solar panels on 76 new refrigerated semi-trailers. ECS expects that solar panels improve new vehicles’ activity times and estimates saving 76,000 litres diesel fuel per year. Moreover, ECS calculated that the installation of solar panels will reduce these vehicles’ CO2 emissions by 2,000 tons in 10 years.
ThermoLite solar panels assure the battery of the refrigerating unit remains constantly charged, extending its duration and preventing its deterioration. Decreasing the unit motor’s operation hours, solar panels contribute also in extending the intervals between maintenances. Combined with telematics, they allow the managers of vehicle fleets to be constantly in touch with their semi-trailers and to enter units’ critical data at any time, to assure the load is protected and the unit works efficiently.
ThermoLite™ solar panels by Thermo King conform to the sustainability aspirations by 2030 of Trane Technologies, which provide for the commitment to reducing customers’ carbon emissions by one gigaton– the equivalent of the combined annual emissions of Italy, France and United Kingdom.