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Half the worlds people must burn wood or dried dung to cook their food. Nearly 1.2 billion people, a fifth of the worlds population, do not have access to clean drinking water. Over 1 million children die yearly because of un-boiled drinking water. Wood cut for cooking purposes contributes to the 16 million hectares of forest destroyed annually. Half the worlds population is exposed to indoor air pollution, mainly the result of burning solid fuels for cooking and heating.
Id put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we dont have to wait til oil and coal run out before we tackle that. Thomas Edison
Overview
Types of cookers Principles of solar cooker design Retained heat cooking Cooking guidelines Teaching ideas Examples Additional information and resources
Box cooker
Among easiest and most popular to build and use Lid of a cardboard box reflects light onto pots under glass Advantage of slow, even cooking of large quantities of food
Panel Cooker
Sunlight is reflected off of multiple panels onto a pot under a glass lid or in a bag Can be built quickly and at low cost Many different varieties
Safe, inexpensive and easy to use Concentrates sunlight into a dark pot in a plastic bag Combines best of parabolic and box cookers Anyone can make one
Parabolic Cooker
Highly focused light and high temperatures Cooks nearly as fast as a conventional oven Costly and complicated to make and use have to turn frequently to follow the sun Potentially hazardous-not recommended
The basic principles - C.A.R.E.S. Collect the light Absorb the light Retain the heat
Ease and Efficiency
Safety
A note on plastics Oven bags are the best way to retain heat. They are sold in most large U.S. grocery stores, although they may be hard to find in other places (Reynolds bags work well) If you cant find oven bags, an alternate solution is transparent High Density Polyethylene bags (HDPE) Prevent the HDPE bags from touching the pots or jars, as they may melt Avoid polyethylene it melts too easily Good plastic may be the most difficult material to find, and may require extra planning, possibly including importing the oven bags
S: Safety
Safety Avoid highly focused light such as that
in the parabolic cooker. It can damage eyes and start fires Always exercise caution with cookers. Sunglasses are useful when looking into a cooker Cooking pots are hot and should be treated as though they were on a stove-top
Remember - C.A.R.E.S. Collect the light Absorb the light Retain the heat
Ease and Efficiency
Safety
Temperatures
Sunny Day: heats from 130-145C (265-300F) Cloudy Day: heats from 95-105C (200-220F) Hot enough to pasteurize water (at least 65-70C for 20 minutes) Hot enough to fully cook meats, breads, grains, vegetables, etc. Kills disease-causing bacteria
Impact
Expect solar ovens to replace 60% of fuel needs in most places The other 40% of the time, due to inclement weather or special types of food, traditional methods can still be used Doesnt replace fire as a way to heat homes
**Teaching Ideas**
Give construction seminar Can accompany current educational programs such as hygiene, gardening, or English/literacy Takes as little as half a day training Train a group to teach others--little efforts can achieve large impacts Remember: Focus on training and sustainability rather than handouts
Step-by-Step Instructions
Funnel Cooker Instructions included on this CD Box Cooker are at http://solarcooking.org/ in both the box cooker section and with pictures in the slide show For more construction ideas see Alternative Cookers PowerPoint also on this CD
Additional Resources
Recipe File on this CD Packet of articles also on this CD including
Background information Case-studies Ideas for micro-enterprise Frequently Asked Questions Contact list of NGOs using solar technology
Additional Resources
Comprehensive Internet Site www.solarcooking.org For questions or feedback contact Dr. Steven Jones at Brigham Young University
Email: stevejones@byu.edu Phone: (801) 422-2749