Nelumbo Partners with Daylight Foods to Revolutionize Cold Storage with IceNein® and Secures a $2.9M CEC Grant to Accelerate Deployment

SAN FRANCISCO, May 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Nelumbo Inc., a pioneering surface and coating technology company, proudly announces that it is partnering with Daylight Foods on a California Energy Commission project to deploy Nelumbo's anti-ice technology, IceNein®. Daylight Foods is a prominent Bay Area food distribution company, and with the receipt of a $2.9 million grant from the California Energy Commission (CEC) Nelumbo will deploy its groundbreaking IceNein® product at their Union City location.

This CEC grant provides funding to deploy IceNein® in cold storage facilities, with a goal of accelerating commercial adoption of IceNein® and assisting decarbonization and energy efficiency of California's cold chain. Refrigeration accounts for an estimated one-third of the total electricity usage for the food processing industry¹, resulting in an estimated 825 GWh of annual energy usage.^2,3  Additionally, refrigeration energy costs are one of the largest operating costs for cold storage facilities and can significantly impact profitability.

"We were thrilled to find a partner like Daylight Foods practically in our backyard," states Cody Oliver, Vice President of Industrial Platform Development at Nelumbo Inc. "Their facility in Union City is a perfect place to demonstrate the energy savings potential of IceNein®, and their sustainability initiatives perfectly align with our mission. We are also very thankful that the CEC continues to recognize the potential of IceNein® to be a transformative solution to decarbonizing our cold chain, and that they are committed to accelerating widespread adoption of this technology.

Daylight Foods is renowned for its commitment to delivering fresh produce while prioritizing sustainability. Keith Brewer COO of Daylight Foods stated, "As the demonstration site partner on this grant, Daylight Foods is proud to collaborate with Nelumbo in pioneering innovative solutions for cold storage efficiency. We believe that IceNein® has the potential to revolutionize the industry, driving both environmental and economic benefits."

IceNein® exists to help decarbonization of cooling systems, including refrigerators and heat pumps. Today, all low-temperature cooling systems require energy-intensive and disruptive defrosting procedures. With IceNein®, the first coating to directly solve frost and ice challenges in cooling products, both existing and new systems can be more productive for longer at lower cost. IceNein® is based on the Mineral® technology platform, has been developed and tested over 8 years, and is currently produced in Nelumbo's SF Bay Area HQ facility.

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About Nelumbo
Founded in 2016 and headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, California, is a leading surface and coating technology company dedicated to transformative progress in climate and sustainability. The company's innovative platform incorporates high-performance metamaterials into everyday products, enabling properties such as extreme water repellency, ice resistance, and corrosion resistance. Nelumbo's environmentally friendly solutions are free of PFAS and other harmful chemicals, offering a sustainable alternative across a wide range of applications.

About Daylight Foods
Daylight Foods is the premier food service distributor in Northern California, delivering the freshest produce and ingredients from field to fork and everything in between. Committed to sustainability and environmental stewardship, Daylight Foods prioritizes innovation in its operations to minimize its ecological footprint while meeting the needs of its customers.

About California Energy Commission (CEC)
As California's primary energy policy and planning agency, the California Energy Commission plays a crucial role in creating a clean, modern energy system for the state. By implementing policies and programs to promote energy efficiency and combat climate change, the CEC aims to ensure California's continued economic prosperity while safeguarding the environment for future generations.

¹ https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2013/11/f4/energy_use_and_loss_and_emissions_food.pdf
² https://downloads.usda.library.cornell.edu/usda-esmis/files/x059c7329/kd17dw989/9p291c96d/rfwh0122.pdf
³ https://www.cbre.us/real-estate-services/real-estate-industries/industrial-and-logistics/industrial-and-logistics-research/us-marketflash---cold-storage-heating-up#:~:text=The%20U.S.%20currently%20has%20approximately,ft.

SOURCE Nelumbo Inc.