It’s a thrill to announce the completion of our earthbag cool pantry. As you can read in previous posts, this structure is designed to keep food cool without electricity. It’s a simple design that anyone can build on the side of their house.
Cool Pantry Update
Cool Pantries: Storing Food Without Using Power
Owen, you might try the following in Thailand:
When container are located in desert areas, they normally bake you like hell. THE solution for this is to mount a “sun roof” (which is just a sheet/plate of metal) about 10cm over the container using simple spacers. It provides shadow to the container and forces a wind flow due to temperature differences. This solution is used by companies selling containers full of electronic (e.g. communications centers) which don’t accept high temperatures inside.
Good idea. Do they slope the sun roof to encourage natural convection?
Also note, even though we decided not to use the building as a cool pantry and spend the extra time and effort on insulation, etc. the building is surprising cool inside just as it is.
Cheers Owen!
Just wanted to clarify a point in the comment above – metal roofs are actually among the most energy-efficient roof materials you can find, and if you’re having an issue with heat from the roof, it’s likely more a case of inadequate vent space.
I agree. Metal roofing is one of the most practical roofing solutions. You get a lot of bang for the buck as they say.
Have you done anything special with the roof? Metal roofs usually cook the things/persons under it. Maybe its in the shade and dont get affected so much.
Owen: All the details are explained in the Cool Pantry article. Use a white roof that reflects heat. You can easily hold your hand against a white metal roof in the middle of a hot summer day. Add insulation under the roof with a vent space between the insulation and roofing. The entire pantry is almost entirely in the shade at all times. And when the vines and trees are re-established (we’ll train vines on ropes above the pantry), then it will be entirely shaded.
Do you have earth tube to get cold air in? And is it reasonable to use earth tube in Thailand. The temp in should correspond to the average air temp in the area. Wonder if the earth is cooler in shaded places like under trees or crops.
Owen: Yes, the lower tube (intake vent) runs under the berm to cool the air. Earth is definitely cooler in shaded places. Adding grass and plants and locating the pantry in a breezy area also helps.