I am fortunate enough to already have electrical generation through solar & wind power, but I want to get away from reliance on my fossil based propane refrigerator & freezer and go with all electric refrigeration. However, the average electric frig is highly inefficient from an electrical standpoint. Does anyone have any experience with, or is any one aware of any domestic manufacturers (excluding SunFrost) who make a super efficient refrigerator and/or freezer?

Thank you.

-- Molson (jsk@redwings.com), October 05, 1998

Answers

Don't know of another domestic brand. Assume you're aware of ConServ (formerly Vest Frost) from Scandinavia. Golden Genesis Solar Catalog lists the fridge/freezer at $1040 and the 7.5 cu ft chest freezer at $695.

-- Sylvia (in Miss'ippi) (bluebirdms@aol.com), October 05, 1998.

What do you have against Sunfrost?

-- Will Huett (willhuett@usa.net), October 05, 1998.

The only difference I am aware of between the high efficiency models and the normal low electricity usage models is the amount of insulation in the machine. If it has external coils, it should be no great trick to add insulation to the outside of the unit, I have heard of people just hot gluing 2 or 3 inch thick foam board insulation to help out on heat loss. The Mother Earth News had an article about a fellow who built a box entirely around his old freezer (leaving out the coils of course) and got pretty good results. The same kind of thing applies to hot water heaters of course, just add insulation to use less power. The electric co will even install a second meter in many places to help you schedule these power guzzling units to off peak load times - and charge less for the power on the second meter! Perhaps you could schedule your freezer to run at times when you usually generate excess power.

-- Paul Davis (davisp1953@yahoo.com), October 05, 1998.

Hi folks, Just want to add a couple things...first, the SunFrost units generate significantly less waste heat than standard refrigation does. So even though superinsulating your standard fridge should help quite a bit, don't expect to see the same very low energy draw of a SunFrost. And if you're really convinced that your ultra-efficient fridge has to be domestically manufactured, then Lowkeep fridges and freezers are the only ones I'm aware of. They're located in Michigan...URL: www.datawise.net/~lowkeep E-mail: lowkeep@datawise.net And Molson...sounds as though we share the same philosophy. I too am off-grid and feel that efficient electric appliances are the answer (at least for me)...I can't make LP gas, gasoline or diesel, but I can make my own electricity... Roy

-- Roy Butler @ Four Winds (4windpwr@infoblvd.net), October 06, 1998.

Molson,

I'd check the Lehman's catalog. I don't have their number handy, but they are on the web. They have a store in Kidron, Ohio too. They sell non-electric and energy efficient appliances to their Amish customers and I saw quite a few in their catalog.

Best of Luck in your preparations.

Dale

-- Dale R. (dale@spicreative.com), October 07, 1998.