Solar Cooking
Quinton Stowell
Product Development
Manager
Nordson UV Ltd
Overview of sessions
1. Theory of Solar Energy/Cooking
2. Solar –v– Wood/gas
3. Design features of Solar Cookers
4. Case Study in Peru
5. Successful initiatives
6. Practical session
Who am I? – Nordson UV?
Links with Peru
Peru Children’s
Trust
Shantytown in
Peru
Why is Solar Cooking
Important?
2,000 million cook with wood (TFL)
20-25,000km2 of forest lost/year (UNEP)
Contaminated water = 80% illnesses
ARI (Acute Respiratory Infections)
Solar Cooking = no wood & no smoke
Energy from
the Sun?
Solar Constant =
1367 W/m2
Clear sunny day =
83% = 1134 W/m2
Engineers=
1kW/m2
Energy from
the Sun?
Theory behind Solar Energy
Low grade energy
Collect/retain…..
Box type cooker
Magnification…..
Parabolic cooker
Parabolic and Box Cookers
Wood/Gas – V – Solar
Wood Burners or Gas Solar Cookers
Disadvantages Advantages
Takes time to collect wood, Solar energy is free
and is using up natural
resources.
Smoke filled rooms = ARI Smoke free cooking
(Acute Respiratory
Infections)
Wood/Gas – V – Solar
Wood Burners or Gas Solar Cookers
Advantages Disadvantages
Cook any time. Only cook when it is
Day/night/cloudy. sunny.
Gas is instantaneous and Box cookers take time to
controllable. heat up. Parabolic cookers
need frequent adjustment.
Cook summer and winter. Need to store cooker in
rainy season.
Parabolic – Design Features
Size of reflector
Reflectivity of
reflector
Accuracy of reflector
Emmisivity of
cooking vessel
Energy Calculations
Area = 1 m2
Power = 700 Watts
1 litre of water = 7 to 8 minutes
Temperature at focus =
420 deg C. (small black thermocouple)
Box Cooker – Design Features
Greenhouse principle
Area of collection
Transmission of
glass/plastic
Emissivity of cooking
vessel
Insulation of box
WAPI (Water Pasteurisation
Indicator)
SUNSTOVE ® Design
Low cost enclosure
Sloped side walls, scrap Aluminium
Fibreglass insulation
Clear glass/plastic cover
80 – 100 deg C
10,000 in SA & India
Parabolic – v – Box Cooker
Parabolic Cooker Box Cooker
Disadvantages Advantages
Needs frequent Adjust once an hour.
adjustment
More likely to be dazzled Much less reflected light.
by reflected light.
Unstable Very stable
Parabolic – v – Box Cooker
Parabolic Cooker Box Cooker
Advantages Disadvantages
Very high temperatures. Only 80 – 100 deg C.
More like a BBQ or Grill Cooking takes much longer.
Easy to see it cooking Not too sure it is working!
quickly. (WAPI – 65 deg C)
Trip to Peru
10 teenagers
£30 of materials
Woodwork
Cardboard
Metalwork
Fun time
How did it go?
Workshops
Language!
New skills
Too small!
Too big!
Rainy season
Years later….
What makes an Initiative
Successful?
Choosing the right
design for the right
location.
Not this one for
£750 in Australia!
What makes it successful?
Over 4kWhr per m2 per day.
e.g. India, China, South Africa.
Robust, easy to use.
Perform well/efficient.
Local materials.
Very low cost.
Scheffler Design
Community Kitchen -
India
Refugee Camp - CooKit
What makes an Initiative
Successful?
Marketing & contacts with organisations
Existing charities
NGO’s – sustainable development
Government initiatives
Demonstrators – evangelists
Local entrepreneurs
Empowering the right people
Useful information
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]
[Link] (Practical Action)
[Link]/ewb
Making your Solar Cooker
Split into groups
2 hours
Safety
Inner and outer sheets
Mark out
according to the
drawing
Cut with a pair of
sharp scissors
Fold with a block
of wood.
Make wooden frame and fit outer
Fit insulation then inner panel
Paint base plate and fit acrylic cover
