E-Conservation solar powered refrigerators

September 26, 1:25 PMHonolulu Green Business ExaminerFranklin Russell

Refrigerators are big energy users.  That is why   

when we moved off the grid our fridge was not electric.  The Servel was a gas fridge and used an interesting type of compressor-less refrigeration called absorption.  I call it fire to ice and literally that is what happens in a servel.  Gas is burned and boils ammonia which goes to a condenser tank and returns to a liquid state then cools the fridge.  It was small and had a condensate water tray that would overflow with regularity.  Also and foremost it used propane like crazy.

Propane is not a green fuel because it is made on Oahu from imported oil.  If you live off the grid and cannot afford a modern inverter/charger and PV panels then the Servel is a good choice.  In the 30's in rural Nebraska farmers had batteries and wind generators and used Servel natural gas fridges.  If you replace the propane or natural gas with solar heat then you have a very green fridge that uses zero electricity. In the movie Mosquito Coast Harrison Ford took his family to a primitive central american farm and builds a giant absorbtion fridge from old pipes and such.  It would be easily do-able to convert a Servel to solar.  Albert Einstein and Leo Szliard invented an absorption fridge in 1926.  Einstein was inspired to build a new type of fridge becausae he heard about an entire family that was killed because of their refrigerator.  The refrigerant was toxic and leaked out.  Their idea was to use ammonia for a refrigerant.  The invention of freon made their invention obsolete, or did it? gomestic.com/consumer-information/eco-fridge-that-uses-zero-electricity/  I am a dreamer, and I know solar powered ice house in Kihei Maui would in fact work!  Anywhere there are bright sunny skys it will work.  The big benefit is the freedom from paying the gargantuan electric bills an ice house that uses conventional compressors will use especially in Hawaii.  A sun powered ice house would provide a cool respite during a hot day and the coolers inside may have cold beverages to drink.  The thermal solar power is the most efficient and free.  Keep on dreamin',

copyright 2009 Franklin Russell smartroofsystems.com