About Us
History
SunDanzer was founded by the leader of NASA’s Advanced Technology Refrigeration Project with the goal of utilizing state-of-the-art technology for solving age-old earth-bound problems. Beginning in 1999, SunDanzer began an improbable journey of bringing real-world, sustainable solutions to off-grid refrigeration needs. The NASA technology translated into the world’s first battery-free solar powered refrigerator, designed for small, off-grid consumers. Since that time, SunDanzer has expanded to offer an increasing array of products while maintaining our focus on refrigeration. By forming strategic alliances with world-class refrigerator manufacturers, SunDanzer has been able to bring cutting edge technology into the remote homes of customers at a very low cost. Our unwavering commitment to quality and service has allowed us to maintain and grow our loyal customer and dealer base.
Values
From our inception, our guiding principles have been:
1. Always put the customer first and everything else will follow.
Since the beginning, we’ve focused on providing the best to our customers. We know that the best way is to do it right the first time. Thus our units are among the most reliable in the world. We stand always and everywhere ready to support our product.
2. It’s best to do one thing really, really well.
Our expertise is refrigeration. Our research facilities, our people, and our experience put us in a unique situation to solve refrigeration problems with speed and cost-effectiveness that are unrivaled. Our dedication to finding better solutions to refrigeration needs, whether for home, commercial, or industrial applications, allows us to apply what we’ve learned to new products, like battery-free vaccine units. Our hope is to continue to improve the possibilities of highly efficient refrigeration in an increasingly energy-scarce world.
Battery-Free Solar Powered Refrigerator Patents – 1996
Developed by SunDanzer Founder, David Bergeron, while working at Johnson Space center in Houston Texas. The Battery-free designed used thermal energy storage rather than a batteries to eliminate the recurring battery replace cost of a typical solar refrigerator.
Lunar Base Heat Pump – NASA SBIR 1999
Development contract for an engineering test article for the NASA lunar base thermal control system. The heat pump design goal was to heat or cool the lunar base using only solar energy. The system was variable speed and operated efficiently over a wide range of temperature conditions.
SunDanzer organized – 1999
Formed to product and sell lost cost battery-free refrigerators.
1st battery-free fridge sold – 1999
Sold to NASA.
Cycle-X – NASA SBIR – 2004
Cycle-X was a derivative of the classical reverse Rankine cycle cooling system, but included a feature to mostly eliminate the irreversible expanse losses of a standard vapor compression refrigeration system.
Solar Powered Military Food Container – DOD SBIR – 2005
Based somewhat on the NASA lunar heat pump design the military container incorporated high efficiency refrigeration with a well-insulated container to allow cooling by solar power
Passively cooled Military storage container – DOD SBIR – 2007
A passively cooled container used material with low solar absorptivity and high IR radiative properties to maintain cooler internal temperatures that standard food storage containers
Solar cooled water bottle dispenser – DOD SBIR – 2008
A ruggedized water bottle cooler with a first-in first-out bottle deliver design used only solar power and the thermal storage of the bottle to deliver cool water 24/7.
Path Co-Funded Solar Direct Drive Medical Refrigerator – 2010
The NASA battery-free technology was adapted to maintain temperature for vaccine storage (2-8C). This included a new Phase Change Material and significantly more autonomy that the 1999 commercial product.
NASA Commercial Invention of the year – 2011
Based on the success with WHO. NASA selected the SunDanzer Battery-Free Refrigerator as their Commercial Invention of the Year for 2011.
World’s first WHO certified solar direct drive medical fridge – 2012
The SunDanzer design was WHO’s first fielded solar direct drive unit (equivalent to the SDZR Battery-Free Refrigerator). 15 units were deployed in Senegal.
40-Ft Solar Cooler, fridge, and Freezer – Midway Island – 2014
Three 40-ft containers were constructed and deployed on midway island to provide cooling, refrigeration, and freezing using mostly solar power, with local design back-up
Global Leap Awards – 2016/2017
In 2018, SunDanzer was awarded 2 Global Leap Awards for the most efficient solar refrigerator( DCR165) and the best Value refrigerator (DCR50). The energy consumption of these units were almost ½ of the next best product.
Global Leap Awards – 2019
In 2019, SunDanzer was award the winner for the solar direct drive refrigerator category. The BFR29 was a combination of SunDanzer’s solar direct drive technology and phase change material.
Today
SunDanzer is paving the way with the next generation of off-grid vaccine refrigerators.
