Demonstration & Deployment of Nelumbo’s Ice-Nein Evaporator Coating
Nelumbo, Inc. has developed Ice-Nein™, an advanced coating for refrigeration coils to reduce energy during refrigeration defrost cycle.
Nelumbo Inc.
Recipient
Hayward, CA
Recipient Location
10th
Senate District
20th
Assembly District
Active
Project Status
Project Update
Nelumbo has installed current-transformer, temperature, and pressure sensors on the refrigeration system at Daylight Foods. These sensors have been collecting data on the refrigerant capacity and energy consumption of the refrigeration system by room, unit, and component.
The Issue
Industrial refrigeration systems frequently experience frost and ice buildup on evaporator and condenser coils, which restricts airflow and creates an insulating layer that reduces heat‑transfer efficiency. As the ice thickens, cooling systems must run longer and harder to maintain target temperatures, driving up energy consumption and operating costs. Many older units rely on resistive‑heated defrost strips to melt accumulated ice, a method that is highly energy‑intensive and adds unwanted heat back into the refrigerated space, further increasing system load. Some facilities attempt to reduce defrost times by applying hydrophobic coatings, but these coatings degrade quickly under real‑world conditions and require frequent resurfacing, limiting their long‑term effectiveness. Because frost forms rapidly and is slow to remove, systems are forced into more frequent and extended defrost cycles, disrupting operations and reducing overall efficiency. This persistent combination of rapid frost growth, inefficient defrost methods, and unreliable mitigation strategies underscores the need for a more durable and effective solution.
Project Innovation
Nelumbo, Inc. has developed Ice-Nein™, an advanced coating for refrigeration coils to reduce energy during refrigeration- defrost cycle. The surface modification utilizes an advanced nano-structured ceramic coating to (1) reduce the onset of frost formation, (2) slow the rate of frost growth, and (3) enhance the removal of frost. Unlike hydrophobic coatings that wear out quickly and require frequent resurfacing, Ice‑Nein™ is a one‑time application designed to be durable and last for the full service life of the equipment.
Project Benefits
This project will demonstrate a durable, one‑time‑application coating that reduces frost buildup on evaporator coils, improving heat‑transfer efficiency and lowering energy use in industrial refrigeration systems. By slowing frost growth and enabling faster, more complete defrost cycles, the technology reduces compressor runtime and cuts overall energy consumption by more than 20%. These improvements also extend the time between defrost cycles and reduce the amount of unwanted heat introduced back into the refrigerated space, helping maintain more stable product temperatures. Because the system spends less time in defrost and more time actively cooling, the same equipment can deliver over 20% higher effective cooling capacity. The coating also enables load shifting by allowing operators to schedule defrosts outside of peak utility hours, contributing to an expected 30% reduction in energy costs. By replacing inefficient resistive‑heated defrost strips and avoiding the frequent resurfacing required by traditional hydrophobic coatings, the solution provides long‑term operational savings and reliability. Overall, the project offers a scalable pathway for more efficient, lower‑cost, and higher‑reliability refrigeration across cold‑storage facilities.
Affordability
Reduction of energy consumption through decreased system defrosts and adding load-shifting capabilities to effectively time high- energy consuming functions during off-peak utility hours can greatly reduce overall operating costs for cold storage.
Key Project Members
Michael Ung
Match Partners
Nelumbo Inc.
