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Solar Cooking for Smaller Fuel BillsHelp the Planet by Cooking with Renewable Energy
Modern methods of Solar Fuelled Cookery mean Money In the Bank and Less Global Warming. This economical form of cooking also has implications for the 'Developed World.
It is easy and cheap to make solar ovens using basic materials. They are low-tech, and are powered by a source of heat that is free, non polluting, and clean - the sun. Solar cooking is especially useful in places where there are regular and predictable hours of sunshine. These are often the dryest parts of the world where wood and other fuels are hard to come by. Solar cookers are already being used by those on expeditions as an alternative to calor gas portable cookers or camp fires. In these days of spiralling fuel prices, perhaps there is a place in the developed world for the solar cooker. How Solar Cooking WorksThe underlying principle of solar cooking is to trap sunlight and retain it through insulation. Mirrors or foil covered boards are used to reflect the sun’s rays towards the cooking pot, which is enclosed in either a box with a clear lid or in a polythene bag. Cooking pots used in solar cooking ideally have black, tight fitting lids in order to absorb and retain the maximum heat. Solar Cooker DesignsThere are three main designs; the most popular one is an insulated box with a glass or plastic lid that lets the sunlight through and keeps the warmth in. The parabolic design uses a highly polished reflecting dish to focus the sun’s rays onto the cooking pot. These can get extremely hot and need monitoring constantly. The third type is a panel cooker that reflects light and concentrates it on a cooking pot. The panel type is the cheapest to manufacture and because they are light and inexpensive have been used by the poorest communities in India, Africa and China to great advantage. Smoke Free CookingMany people have traditionally relied upon wood fires for their daily cooking. Anyone who has cooked over a barbeque will know how painful it is if smoke gets in the eyes. For women in Africa this has been a constant problem that is being solved by solar cooking. Another advantage is that solar cooking saves them hours of valuable time that they previously spent searching for wood. PasteurisationHarmful food microbes, including bacteria and viruses, are killed when heated to 65ºC (150ºF). This is called pasteurization. Food cooks at 82 - 91ºC (180 - 195ºF). Simple solar cookers cook can easily achieve such temperatures and have the advantage that they also maintain moisture and nutrients, and rarely burn or overcook. Parabolic solar cookers can cook at temperatures much higher than this. Solar Water PasteurisationWorldwide, unsafe water is a major health problem. Preventable water-borne diseases are responsible for approximately 80% of all illnesses and deaths in the developing world. Two million children die each year from such diseases. These deaths are preventable through solar pasteurisation of polluted water. How is Pasteurization Achieved?Simple solar cookers can pasteurize water for a family at a rate of about one liter per hour. The solar cooker’s built in thermometer is used to check that the water has achieved pasteurisation temperature and is therefore safe to drink. ReferencesSolar Cookers Review, Solar Cookers International, 1919 21st Street, #101 Sacramento, CA 95811, U.S.A. T: +1 (916) 455-4499
The copyright of the article Solar Cooking for Smaller Fuel Bills in Green/Simple Living is owned by Christine Fadhley. Permission to republish Solar Cooking for Smaller Fuel Bills in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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