Overview
In many parts of sub-Saharan Africa, up to 40% of harvested produce is lost due to lack of preservation infrastructure. Drying – a simple yet powerful method of extending shelf life – is often underutilised due to inconsistent results, fuel dependency, or a complete absence of control and validation.
Solar Saver II is a next-generation, solar-powered vegetable drying system built to change that. It’s affordable, field-ready, and engineered with Sematics®’ intelligent monitoring and control technology at its core.
Funded through a £1 million Innovate UK grant and led by a consortium including Brunel University, AgrifoodX, Biopower, Sescom, and Taha, the system combines clean energy, wireless resilience, and data-driven optimisation to transform food security and rural income.
The Challenge
Sematics® was brought in to solve a set of complex, interlinked problems:
- High post-harvest waste due to spoilage and lack of preservation
- Inconsistent and unvalidated performance from traditional solar dryers
- No infrastructure for real-time monitoring, validation, or quality assurance
- The need for a solution that could work off-grid, with minimal training
The Sematics® Solution
Sematics® designed and deployed the full intelligence layer – transforming a passive drying chamber into an active, smart platform that adapts, learns, and verifies.
Key Features
- Multi-point sensing of temperature, humidity, airflow, solar yield, and battery status
- Embedded control logic with adaptive cycles based on crop type and weather
- Ultra-low-power architecture with local storage to ensure resilience without cloud dependency
- BLE networking between internal modules for robust wireless operation
- Farmer-facing HMI interface for simple use and zero-training operation
- Optional cloud sync to support remote data access, traceability, and support
This architecture allows the dryer to operate completely autonomously while still producing valuable data. Farmers get visibility. NGOs and governments get traceability. Everyone gets better results.
Validation & Compliance
Sematics® worked closely with AgrifoodX to ensure that Solar Saver II met modern standards for food drying and quality assurance.
Validation trials tested a variety of produce types under different conditions, capturing consistent improvements in drying quality and process control.
- Drying times and moisture profiles were optimised using live feedback
- Performance data supported export compliance and donor reporting
- Energy losses were minimised by aligning fan speed and heater use to solar yield
Socio-Economic Impact
The system is more than a machine – it’s an enabler.
- Less waste, improving food security for farming communities
- Increased income, as farmers produce higher-quality, shelf-stable goods
- Cleaner operation, powered by solar rather than diesel or wood
- Scalable model, deployable across rural areas with no existing infrastructure
- Insight-rich design, informing future government or NGO interventions
What’s Next?
Following initial deployment:
- Field trials continue across East and Southern Africa
- Additional AI modules will be added for predictive crop drying and forecasting
- Partnerships with ministries, cooperatives, and aid organisations are underway to fund wider deployment
We’ve created something elegant and powerful: a clean, solar-powered dryer that self-optimises, collects performance data, and helps farmers prove the quality of their produce.
Oliver J Sharpe, Technical Director, Sematics
Project Partners
- Brunel University – Academic lead and research coordination
- AgrifoodX – Food safety and compliance validation
- Biopower – Power system integration
- Sescom & Taha – Local partners and field deployment
- Sematics® – Monitoring, control, HMI, and platform intelligence
To learn more or to partner with the Solar Saver project, visit sematics.com.