Industries: Post-Harvest Construction

Cold Temp Solutions designs and constructs post-harvest cooling and storage facilities for California agricultural producers, packinghouses, and cold chain operators handling fresh fruits, vegetables, cut flowers, and specialty crops across the San Francisco Bay Area, Sacramento Valley, San Joaquin Valley, and Central Coast growing regions. Post-harvest facility types constructed by Cold Temp Solutions include forced-air precooling rooms, hydrocooling and vacuum cooling systems, room cooling cold storage, controlled atmosphere (CA) storage for apples, pears, kiwi, and stonefruit, and modified atmosphere (MA) packaging cold rooms for fresh-cut and ready-to-eat produce. Refrigeration systems are sized and specified based on field heat load, commodity respiration rate, target pull-down time, and long-term storage temperature requirements — variables that differ significantly between commodity types and determine whether a single-stage DX system, a secondary glycol loop, or an ammonia recirculation system is the correct mechanical solution for a given facility. All post-harvest refrigeration systems are engineered in compliance with ASHRAE Standard 15, California Mechanical Code Title 24, and applicable California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) food safety facility requirements.

Controlled atmosphere (CA) storage facilities require a higher level of mechanical and controls precision than standard refrigerated warehouses — maintaining oxygen concentrations between 1% and 5%, carbon dioxide levels between 1% and 8%, and temperature tolerances within ±0.5°F of setpoint for storage periods ranging from 60 days to 12 months depending on commodity and market timing. Cold Temp Solutions designs and installs the refrigeration systems, room sealing and pressure relief systems, atmosphere generation equipment (nitrogen generators and CO₂ scrubbers), and supervisory controls packages required for certified CA storage operations. Refrigeration controls for CA and MA facilities are integrated with atmosphere monitoring systems using Danfoss AK-SM 800 or Emerson E2 supervisory platforms, providing continuous temperature logging and alarm notification compliant with USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) requirements for CA storage certification and FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) produce safety rule recordkeeping. For facilities using ammonia refrigeration systems in post-harvest applications, Cold Temp Solutions prepares the full OSHA PSM and EPA RMP documentation package required for facilities with ammonia charges at or above federal threshold quantities.

Cold Temp Solutions serves post-harvest cooling and storage operators handling apples, pears, cherries, stonefruit, table grapes, kiwifruit, strawberries, leafy greens, broccoli, citrus, cut flowers, and fresh herbs — commodity groups with distinct refrigeration requirements that Cold Temp Solutions technicians are trained to address through proper system selection, pull-down scheduling, and humidity management. Post-harvest construction and refrigeration projects are completed throughout Contra Costa, Alameda, Solano, Napa, Sonoma, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced, Fresno, Tulare, and Monterey counties — covering the major California agricultural production and packinghouse regions where post-harvest infrastructure demand is highest. Energy efficiency is a priority in post-harvest facility design: variable frequency drives (VFDs) on evaporator fans and compressors reduce energy consumption during lower-load overnight and off-season periods, and Cold Temp Solutions evaluates PG&E FRIP rebate eligibility for qualifying natural refrigerant installations during the design phase. Following project commissioning, Cold Temp Solutions provides seasonal maintenance programs timed to the harvest cycle, 24/7 emergency refrigeration response during peak storage periods, and updated as-built documentation after any system modification. Contact Cold Temp Solutions at (925) 374-4014 or inquiry@coldtemps.com to discuss a post-harvest cooling or controlled atmosphere storage project in California.

Cold Temp Solutions — Post-Harvest Facility Types:

Forced-Air Precooling Rooms — Rapid field heat removal for fruits, vegetables, and cut flowers
Controlled Atmosphere (CA) Storage — O₂/CO₂ management for apples, pears, kiwi, and stonefruit
Room Cooling Cold Storage — Standard refrigerated storage for produce, dairy, and cut flowers
Hydrocooling Systems — Water-immersion precooling for sweet corn, peaches, and broccoli
Vacuum Cooling Systems — High-speed evaporative cooling for lettuce, spinach, and leafy greens
MA Packaging Cold Rooms — Modified atmosphere storage for fresh-cut and ready-to-eat produce

Cold Temp Solutions post-harvest construction scope:

✔ Refrigeration load calculation based on commodity field heat, respiration rate, and pull-down time
✔ Compressor, evaporator, and condenser sizing for target temperature and humidity requirements
✔ Forced-air, hydrocooling, or vacuum cooling system design and installation
✔ CA room sealing, pressure relief, nitrogen generation, and CO₂ scrubber integration
✔ Supervisory controls with USDA AMS-compliant temperature and atmosphere logging
✔ Ammonia, CO₂, HFC, or glycol secondary loop system installation
✔ OSHA PSM / EPA RMP documentation for qualifying ammonia systems
✔ PG&E FRIP rebate evaluation for natural refrigerant installations
✔ Commissioning, startup, and seasonal maintenance program setup