A solar refrigerator has been developed by the Appropriate Technology Collaborative (ATC). The purpose is for storing vaccines, but it could easily be used for other purposes.
It does not use electricity, but directly uses the sun's heat to run its refrigeration process.
It has "no moving parts that need maintenance" and it can also run on biofuels. It is made out of simple, widely-available materials: steel, charcoal and ethanol or methanol. Being a simple technology, it can be made locally.
References
- A Low Cost Solar Vaccine Refrigerator - design competition entry by John Barrie of ATC.
- Appropriate Technology Solar Powered Refrigerator to Store Vaccines and Save Lives, Ecogeek.org, 12 June 2010.