Introduction
The Africa Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Cooling and Cold Chain (ACES) invites applications for the One-Day Systems Sizing for Cold Room Applications Course. This advanced workshop is designed to equip participants with the technical knowledge required to understand what is required for the correct sizing of key cold room systems, including refrigeration capacity, insulation, and energy requirements—to ensure efficient, cost-effective, and climate-appropriate operations.
Proper sizing of cold room systems is critical for maintaining temperature stability, avoiding overdesign or underperformance, and minimizing energy consumption. Oversized systems waste energy and capital; undersized systems compromise food safety and product quality.
1 Day Workshop
In-Person
[email protected]
Athanase Dalson Gace
Programme Dates
Course Fees
Attendance is currently FREE for all course dates.25th August 2025
ACES Rubirizi Campus, Kigali, Rwanda
- Apply by email to [email protected] before 4th August 2025.
- Shortlisted candidates will be notified by August 11th, 2025
Course Description
Given the technical depth of this course, it is most appropriate for participants who have prior training or hands-on experience in refrigeration, cold room design, or engineering principles. At the end of the course, participants are expected to have more confidence in analysing heat loads and selecting components across a range of real-world cold room scenarios.
Through interactive sessions and simulation-based exercises, participants will explore sizing considerations for various cold chain applications.
Who Should Apply?
This course is ideal for individuals working with or responsible for refrigeration systems, including:
- Refrigeration system designers
- Cold chain consultants and engineers
- Energy officers and infrastructure planners
- Technically inclined entrepreneurs offering cold chain services
- Refrigeration technicians
Syllabus Outline
The Systems Sizing for Cold Room Applications Course (Advanced) will cover the following key topics:
Introduction to cold rooms
- Purpose and function of cold rooms in different value chains
- Importance of proper system sizing for reliability, efficiency, and product protection
- Types of cold rooms: pre-cooling, storage, walk-in vs reach-in, modular vs built-in
- Planning for a cold room during the design phase
Understanding heat load components
- Internal loads: product load, respiration, lighting, equipment
- External loads: conduction through walls/roof, infiltration, solar gain
- Usage-related loads: door openings, people, forklifts
- Tools and formulas for load estimation (spreadsheet-based)
Insulation considerations
- Cold room insulation types
- Determining appropriate insulation thickness based
- Thermal bridging
Power and energy considerations
- Energy sources for cold rooms
- Estimating daily and peak energy consumption
- Load-shifting opportunities using thermal energy storage
How To Apply
Applicants must submit a single PDF document containing the following:
- A cover letter addressed to the Academic Head, ACES, stating your motivation for attending the training
- A Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- Short responses (maximum 150 words each) to the following questions:
- What experience do you have in system sizing for cold rooms or other refrigeration systems?
- Are there any particular aspects of cold room system sizing such as heat load estimation, energy consumption, or insulation requirements—that you find challenging or would want to learn more about?
- Do you have any dietary requirements or mobility restrictions that you want us to be aware of? (This will be treated confidentially to support your attendance.)
Interested and qualified candidates should submit their applications online by the designated deadline to ACES through [email protected], with the subject line:
" Systems Sizing for Cold Room Applications Course (Advanced) – [Your Name]"
Join us in advancing your cold room system sizing skills with the course!