March 11, 2025 – Secondary 2 students engaged in an exciting hands-on activity, constructing a Zero Energy Cooling Chamber (ZECC) as part of their chemistry project related to the endothermic reaction. The project aimed to introduce students to eco-friendly cooling technologies while fostering teamwork and practical learning.
A ZECC is an innovative cooling system that uses evaporative cooling principles to maintain temperatures 10-15°C lower than the surrounding environment while preserving 90% humidity. Made from locally available materials such as clay pot, sand and water, the ZECC provides a low-cost and energy-efficient solution for storing fresh produce without electricity.
The students worked collaboratively to construct a small-scale ZECC on school. Guided by their teachers, they followed these steps: Building double-layered clay pots with a sand-filled cavity for insulation, applying water to the sand to initiate the cooling process and observe the temperature inside ZECC in 3 days.
This hands-on approach allowed students to understand that the temperature inside the ZECC as water evaporate is decreasing. As water evaporates, it absorbs heat from its surroundings, which significantly lowers the temperature inside. This activity also highlighting the importance of sustainable practices in addressing real-world challenges like food preservation and energy conservation.
