Researchers at Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah University of Science and Technology developed a system that uses only salt and sunlight to cool space or refrigerate food at temperatures of 3.6ºC, without any electricity.
The machine takes advantage of a natural “phase-change” phenomenon that sees energy absorbed when salt crystals dissolve in water. In other words, when salt is added to warm water, the water rapidly cools as the salt dissolves.
The system can be used for cooling rooms as well as for food refrigeration. The salt can be crystallized and reused once again by evaporating the water using solar heat. The water can also be reused via a solar still.
What do you think of the potential for cooling without electricity? Would you want something like this for your home? Please let us know in the comments below.