What home appliances use a lot of electricity in your opinion? I'm sure one of the first things that comes to mind is a refrigerator. The larger the fridge at home, the more energy it consumes. Furthermore, when the temperature in the room rises, the fridge consumes more power, especially during the summer. If this describes you, a new cooling system known as an underground fridgeis a win-win solution for you! A refrigerator that is both energy-efficient and non-polluting. Have you heard about this innovative and environmentally friendly refrigerator? Floris Schoonderbeek's underground fridge is based on a traditional root cellar and uses the earth's natural cooling and humidifying properties to preserve foods and drinks. This fridge resembles a massive Erlenmeyer flask found in a laboratory, with a round base surrounded by wooden shelves and accessible via a built-in staircase. It can store up to 500 kilograms of food, which is equivalent to 20 standard refrigerators, and 600 bottles of wine.
Since the soil is one of the poor heat conductors, when the underground fridge is placed in an excavated soil, the temperature remains cool and constant throughout the year. This means that root cellars are perfect places to preserve food and drinks because of the stable cool temperatures and do not harm nature. In contrast, normal refrigerators can damage the ozone layer when Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are released into the air.
Scientifically speaking, some fruits and vegetables release a chemical called ethylene gas, which can speed up its ripening process. That is why the built-in battery can operate the ventilator inside to make sure that the unnecessary gas will be diminished. Since it has only one piece of equipment, it needs very little maintenance on our part.
Yes. If you are interested in purchasing these incredible appliances, the underground fridge is available in Belgium and the Netherlands.
The underground fridge costs $15,400.
Since, underground fridge is costly, you can make your own version of a root cellar that is more economical.
- Trash Can Root Cellar
- Store Root Vegetables in Sand
- Bucket Root Cellar
- Pallet Root Cellar
- Bury an Old Freezer (or Refrigerator)
We are living in a world where energy resources become continuously scarce, sustainability should be promoted in everything we do. As the article mentions, an underground fridge is safer and sustainable to use in contrast to a modern domestic refrigerator. Despite the fact that it is expensive, it really pays off in the end because it requires no electricity and it has a larger capacity to store than your typical electrical refrigerator.
If you are one of the avid collectors of wine, and who also owns a vegetable garden, and one who wants to have a self-sustainable lifestyle, then this energy saving fridge is the best thing to invest in and have this in your backyard.