The Koelsch Brothers Do It Again – They Broke the Zero Emissions Code for Californians.     

AEM.green, SolarTechTRU – Ron and Robert Koelsch remember being stuck behind a refrigerated semi-truck, and seeing a big bellow of black smoke blow out its exhaust pipe into the air, and that moment struck them both. They both felt they had to do something about that. The Koelsch brothers have devoted their lives to engineering chip-based, clean power system for industrial systems, and the automotive industry. This time, they were determined to invent a zero-emissions power system for cold chain refrigerated trailers.

There are many companies out there such as Volvo and Tesla working on bringing full-electric semi-truck tractors to market, which qualify for zero-emissions.

What about the refrigerated trailer portion of the semi-truck?

Transport Refrigeration Units (TRUs) have been powering the refrigerated trailer portion of semi-trucks, using diesel-powered internal combustion TRUs since 1923 when Benz and Daimler presented the first diesel truck to the world. These refrigerated trailers have also been referred to as “reefers” – TRUs for reefers. Through the decades, the diesel, combustion powered TRUs used on refrigerated trailers have not changed. 

The California Air Resources Board (CARB), the “clean air agency” of the government of California is determined to keep California on the forefront of zero-emissions transportation. Part of CARB’s quest has homed-in on the cold chain industry, and TRUs. The largest diesel TRU manufacturers in the world are Carrier, Thermo King, and ConMet. They have not been able to engineer a zero emissions TRU. Examples of businesses using these TRUs to refrigerate their trailers include CVS, Wal-Mart, Rite Aid, Health Mart, Trader Joe’s – practically any company transporting refrigerated goods in high quantities are having to rely on these toxic diesel TRUs.

CARB started challenging the cold chain industry to innovate these TRUs to yield ultra-low emissions in 2019. Fast forward to 2022, CARB revised its clean air goals to zero emissions for reefer TRUs. Many years of study after study have shown that these TRUs pour thousands of tons of toxins into California’s air, every day, and every year. These toxins are known to cause serious illnesses, cancers, and death. CARB is currently offering tens of millions of dollars of zero-emissions vouchers to any organization with reefers touching ground in California, for the sake of Californians’ public health.

Circling back to the Koelsch brother’s - the more they researched the impact that diesel has contributed to air pollution, illnesses, and deaths, they felt they had no choice but to take action and innovate an unstoppable clean power system for the cold chain industry – for the sake of public health – and their legacy. Ron and Robert Koelsch both come from the semi-conductor industry, and have been engineering and successfully commercializing industry-changing, chip-based, clean energy power systems for decades. They put their many years of experience as innovators of clean power systems in the microchip industry to create the industry’s first, and only, zero emissions solution for reefers – the SolarTechTRU.  

Advanced Energy Machines (AEM.green) has subjected its SolarTechTRU to millions of miles of torture in real-world road tests, and has proven its exceptional reliability, efficiency, and performance, for more than ten years. The SolarTechTRU can last up to 32 hours without stopping to be charged, in the worst conditions. This engineering and commercialization process that created the SolarTechTRU came naturally for Ron and Robert Koelsch, as outsiders to diesel combustion. Creating a power system that is chip-based differs drastically from traditional combustion-based diesel systems.

“If battery technology was what it is today, years ago, TRUs would have never been diesel at all.”, stated Dr. Ron Koelsch, the CTO of AEM.green. Robert Koelsch, who is the CEO of AEM.green, has forged a terrific relationship with CARB through the success of its SolarTechTRU’s ability to help CARB achieve its zero emissions goals for the residents of California.

Their SolarTechTRU eliminates the need for diesel fuel, and it also functions on low voltage, DC power, so it also eliminates injuries and fatal arc flash electrocutions that happen every year from the traditionally high-voltage AC-powered TRUs.  

This has been no simple feat, but zero emissions has been achieved by AEM.green’s SolarTechTRU. Robert has been awarded Who’s Who Alternative Energy Professional of the Year by Thomson Reuters for 2022, and now also for 2023. Robert and his team are now proudly applying tens of millions of dollars of CARB vouchers against the cost of new installations and conversions of TRUs for fleets of reefers between 28’-53’. Between the CARB vouchers, WAIRE ESG and safety credits, and the SolarTechTRU’s extreme efficiencies, its customers have the perfect parade of ample incentives to fully commit to putting their ESG and zero emissions plans into action. AEM.green’s processes, and the groundbreaking efficiencies of its SolarTechTRU helps them live up to their hidden motto, “Going green doesn’t mean you have to go broke”.

Erika Feinberg, ESG & Communications Director

Zero Emissions Vouchers, & Reefer Fleet Conversions

[email protected]

www.aem.green