As a kid, we had an island cottage with a gas refrigerator- had a pilot light 'n everything. I did a little research, and found out they still make 'em. How does it use heat to provide cooling? Could this same technology be modified using focused solar power? I'm thinkin' the places that need air conditioning the most have the most sunshine, if it could be intensified enough. Just thinkin'....
I can't answer you question, but I remember a thread about off grid air conditioning a year or more back, seems like it was gas or wood fired, same principal as the gas fridge. Might try a search for airconditioning.
This will tell you everything you need to know.....
http://home.howstuffworks.com/refrigerator5.htm
The fridge uses a material that changes from liquid to gas at the desired temperature & pressure (freon, amonia). It pumps it from one chamber to another. When the referigerant flows back, it expands, which creates the cooling effect. The simplest version of this is the "icy ball", which has been used in 3rd world countries & is easily adapted to wood or solar. This web site used to sell plans, might still have 'em.
http://www.aprovecho.org/
Here's a good description of how it works:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icy_Ball
Building one has been on my to-do list for more than 20 years, but the ol' Sears fridge is just too darn convenient!
Ok so just how much heat do you need to recharge it, do you think it would be possible to recharge it with a heat exchanger using water from your outdoor boiler?
We went through Amish country a while back. Their general stores sold these things and I picked up a couple brochures thinking about remote property etc. etc.
Incredibly simple but here's a diagram (maybe I can post this - we'll see)
http://www.lpappliances.com/images/gasabs.jpg
Also they have a fairly decent website explaining how this stuff works. Not much for moving parts.
http://www.lpappliances.com/G-Absorp.html
Links at the bottom of that page will take you to their products. No affiliation with these people yada yada yada.