The fridge is a common sight in our kitchens, a staple appliance whether we live in a scorching hot region or freezing cold climate. But with the traditional system of chilling comes a high cost to the environment – chances are your fridge eats electricity like it’s a free buffet. Luckily progress is being made internationally in developing ways to keep our food cold without overheating the planet. It seems some are digging deep into their heritage to find the solution of the future, while others look to high-tech inventions, such as solar energy, magnetic cold and even heat conversion.
Going underground In colder climes, before the arrival of the fridge, the ground itself was used to store food. Canadian Houzzer Cancork Floor Inc. recalls: “In Northern Canada, people built permafrost storage rooms. These were dug into the tundra below the snow line, and some of these freezers were the size of a small house. Sadly, many homes have lost them because of climate change. The permafrost level is sinking deeper, making it harder to store meat during the summer.” But even though global warming is a major concern, people are rediscovering underground food storage, and new solutions are emerging.
Anybody who wants to dig an underground food storage facility in the Netherlands faces challenges. Construction permits are needed and, in this low-lying country, they have to deal with possible floods and underground water that’s usually around 3 meters deep. But Floris Schoonderbeek, art director and designer for his own company, Weltevree, didn’t let this stop him. He invented the Groundfridge, a specific root cellar, which resolves all these problems.
Five years ago, Schoonderbeek noticed householders and chefs alike were changing their way of life, mostly by growing their own fruit and vegetables. He realized many would benefit from a specific storage room to stock the produce. In collaboration with different partners, including Wageningen University, the Groundfridge was born. Waterproof thanks to its polyester membrane, and easy to carry and move to wherever it has to be installed, this organically shaped cellar doesn’t need any building permissions, just thorough knowledge about the ground where it’s to be installed.
Totally off-line, it enables the same amount of food storage as 20 traditional fridges, and maintains a temperature of between 7°C and 12°C all year round. Schoonderbeek set up two models: one has a solar-panel door, which produces a small amount of electricity to offset summer temperatures and cool down the Groundfridge. Another one is linked to the natural supply of underground water (which always stays at 10°C) to constantly cool the goods without a temperature gap. It’s a good example of a product that combines the tradition of old root cellars and the modernity of a designed one.
Rethinking the fridge: Innovative new ways to keep food cool [New Atlas]