The groundfridge has the capacity of 12 refrigerators and can ideally be used in large farmhouses and big homestay properties
When mankind came into existence, roots and plants were used to treat ailments. Then as civilisations advanced, so did medication. Several inventions were scaled up to meet the needs of the human race. Earlier when people would store their food, they would put them in cooler spaces that acted like refrigerators (those living in colder regions even had the advantage of storing ice for longer periods). However, electricity changed everything and in the process, technology advanced to what we have today.
However, in order to ensure that our planet isn’t exhausted of its natural resources, individuals are looking at sustainable options and many of them use modern technology, but century-old principles. One such innovation is the Groundfridge that has been invented by Dutch company Weltevree - a modern twist to the refrigerator that uses minimal electricity.
How it works
The Groundfridge is an autonomously operating and actively cooled cellar: an innovative version of the traditional root cellar for today’s sustainable companies and cosmopolitans with their own vegetable garden and who lead modern, self-providing lives.
The Groundfridge uses the insulating capacity of the ground and the cooler night air temperatures. This allows the temperature within the Groundfridge to remain steady and cool throughout the year – the perfect temperature to store, for example, fruits, vegetables, wine and cheese.
The Groundfridge is dug in and covered up with the soil that was taken from its new lodging place. This covering layer of soil is about 1 meter thick and has sufficient insulating properties for the core temperature within the Groundfridge to barely vary. It uses the cooling effect of the groundwater as well, if present.
Furthermore, there are two air currents. The first circulates and cools the air in the Groundfridge: the warm air in the top of the Groundfridge is sucked out and blown down to the deepest point via a tube along the outside to cool it. This cooled air is blown into the Groundfridge again. This system is sufficient to circulate the entire air content every hour. A second fan is for ‘inhalation’: it obtains fresh air. By digital or analog programming, the fan can inhale cooler air at night to actively cool the Groundfridge.
Minimal electricity used
The Groundfridge has a total volume of 7.85 m3: it is big enough to stand in – even with 2 people - and has a storage capacity of 3.000 litres. This equals the contents of 12 large family refrigerators that can store 500 kg of food. On average, 12 refrigerators combined use 3.750 kWh per year, whereas the Groundfridge hardly uses any electricity at all - just 40 kWh per year for the ventilation.
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