Trane, part of Trane Technologies, has successfully completed seven-day field trials in Germany of the autonomous refrigerated container C-Store PLUS. The unit maintained the set temperature of -18 °C without a grid connection even under mostly overcast weather, demonstrating the potential of fully independent refrigeration equipment for temporary storage.
Container (20 ft) and configuration ⚙️
- 20 ft-high container with enhanced thermal insulation;
- integrated solar structure based on photovoltaic panels;
- separate transformer;
- compact battery with a capacity of 35 kWh from the company’s rental fleet.
Test conditions and performance ☁️☀️
- ambient air temperature: from +20 °C to +30 °C;
- solar panel output:
- 0.5 kW in rain;
- 4.2 kW in direct sunlight;
- at the same time, the battery state of charge remained nearly full.
Despite limited solar irradiance, the system operated fully autonomously, ensuring precise temperature control. The results confirmed that diffused daylight also provides usable energy, while the battery guarantees a reserve to maintain the required cooling mode.
Availability and target audience 🧊 The off-grid refrigerated container will soon be available for short-term and long-term rental through Trane Rental Services and the ICS Cool Energy brand. The solution is aimed at sites with unstable power supply and meets growing demand for flexible, sustainable, low-emission temporary cooling systems.
Additional offering 🔋 In addition, Trane offers a standalone solar setup to reduce the energy consumption of refrigeration equipment already in operation; the number of panels can be adjusted for 40 ft containers, and excess energy—subject to regulatory approval—can be fed into the grid. According to Trane EMEA service product manager Grigoriy Ulubabyants, the trial demonstrated the ability to operate in remote areas with limited access to electricity by combining temperature-control technologies with integrated energy solutions.