Refrigeration Without Electricity

Zeer Pots or “pot in pot” refrigeration, is an old technique reinvented by Mohammed Bah Abba of northern Nigeria. It is a refrigerator than runs without electricity. “A key reason for the pot-in-pot’s success is the lack of electricity in most of the northern rural communities, for without electricity there can be no refrigeration.”

There is evidence of many different evaporative cooling system throughout the world, some 3000BC.

Here´s how it works and how you can make one.

You take a smaller pot and put it inside a larger pot. Fill the space in between the two pots with wet sand. Cover the pots with a wet cloth. When the water evaporates, it pulls the heat out with it. This simple alternative refrigeration unit uses basic laws of physics to keep the inner vessel cool.

Explanation on wiki

Supplies needed:

• 2 clay pots that are able to nest inside of each other (round pots work best). They need to be clay/earthenware and MUST be unglazed.
• Sand– enough to fill in the space between the 2 pots
• A piece of burlap or thick blanket

How to on wiki

More on Zeer…..

http://www.treehugger.com/kitchen-design/upscale-zeer-for-urban-kitchens-is-a-cool-idea.html

http://www.greenrightnow.com/welcome/2011/01/19/worldwatch-institute-program-highlights-solutions-to-world-hunger/