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Panel Solar Cooker (1/2)

Jewish World Watch, “Solar Cooker Project”, Best Practices Manual, 2012

Least expensive type of solar cooker;

Reflects sunlight into the entire suface of a cooking pot painted black on the outside with non-toxic paint;

Can reach temperatures of 120 °C (Cookit in tropical regions) or of more than 130 °C (Copenhagen Solar Cooker Light) in temperate climates;

Cookit panel, made of cardboard and aluminum foil glued on it, has been used for thousand of refugees in Chad. It must be protected from moisture.

Public DomainSource, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Solar-Panel-Cooker-in-front-of-hut.jpg

Panel Solar Cooker (2/2)

Jewish World Watch, “Solar Cooker Project”, Best Practices Manual, 2012

Public DomainSource, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Solar-Panel-Cooker-in-front-of-hut.jpg

Women → simmering food for several hours and attending to other duties;

Men → preparing tea during the day;

No danger of burning the food → children can be left alone to take care of the Cookit;

Requires only slight rotation towards the sun every hour or two;

In equatorial desert regions:- meat can be cooked in two to three hours; - beans can be cooked in three to four hours;- rice, peas e la farina di mais in 60 – 90 minuti;

Nell'introdurre questa nuova tecnologia, gli istruttori devono ripetutamente dimostrare tutti questi aspetti e fornire follow up di lungo termine per assicurare che le donne nella comunità hanno fatto della cucina solare un elemento permanente della propria routine giornaliera;

Box Solar Cooker

Jewish World Watch, “Solar Cooker Project”, Best Practices Manual, 2012

Insulated box made of cardboard, wood, metal or plastic;

Usually painted black on the inside;

Large glass or plexiglass window on top to let in sunlight;

Like panel cookers, box cookers can be left unattended for hours to cook food and pasteurize water. There is no danger of burning food;

Just few adjustments for tracking the sun;

Bulkier and usually more durable than panel cookers;Can also reach higher temperatures (177° C and higher) and can sometimes hold more than one pot;

Some have aluminum rflectors on the outside;

There are hundreds of thousands of box cookers in India alone. Some of them are built in factories, but can also be easily made with local materials;

Public DomainSource, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Minimum-Solar-Box-Cooker.jpeg

Parabolic Solar Cooker

Jewish World Watch, “Solar Cooker Project”, Best Practices Manual, 2012

Can reach much higher temperatures (maximum of 260 °C and above) than the other solar ovens (powerful as an open fir or a gas burner);

Concentrate solar radiation on the focus of the parabola;

Frequently adjusted to follow the sun (best every 15 min);

Can be used from sunrise to sunset even in freezing temperatures;

Hundreds of thousands of families in China and India use parabolic solar cookers;

There are also large institutional parabolic reflectors for cooking in community kitchens at schools, health centers, bakeries and orphanages;

Public DomainSource, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%22Sungril%22_solar_cooker_photo1.jpg

Key Points to Consider when Introducing a Solar Cooker

Jewish World Watch, “Solar Cooker Project”, Best Practices Manual, 2012

“People in traditional societies, like people everywhere, may be resistant to change. A woman's daily cooking routine, no matter how inefficient, is not something she will be willing to give up or modify without a good deal of persuasion.

Because women will continue to use other methods to cook their food, it is important to present solar cooking not as a replacement for traditional cooking methods but as a complement to these methods. Over time, as village women become engaged in the process and aware that they are using less fuel, their cooking habits will begin to change”.

Potential initial intimidation by the technology.Regard solar ovens as strange devices.Women may be reluctant to express their worries in public.Facilitated, open-ended discussions will allow them to share their concerns with trainers and the neighbors in order to come up with group solution.

Women can think that food will taste different when it doesn't produce smoke. They may also worry that their husband and children will not like the food.For example, ugaly maize meal (similarto mashed potatoes).

Source wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Yawo_food_staples_-_ugali_and_usipa.jpglicence

CC BY-SA 4.0

Key Points to Consider when Introducing a Solar Cooker

Jewish World Watch, “Solar Cooker Project”, Best Practices Manual, 2012

“School age children are among the best candidatesFor training and demonstrating solar cookingtechnology since they seem open to new ideas And they love competition. Solar cooking can be introduced as part of thir science classes in school.

It is essential to allow sufficient time for cookingtrial and error – initially with small, representativegroups in a new community – bfore proceding withthe large-scale introduction of solar cooking technology.Motivated teams of women should be selected for training from each sector of a village or camp.They will be the ones to carry out follow-up training,solve problems, monitor local usage, conduct periodicdemonstrations and provide repair services.

Women must see solar cookers in operation and have the opportunity to serv solar cooked food to their families before they will be willing to adopt this new technology [...]Trainers should provide ingredients and close supervision during the introductory phase. A neighborhood or village festival where everyone can sample solar cooked food is an excellent wayto introduce the concept to the whole community and allow family members to taste the food before the mother brings a solar cooker into their home.

Source Flickr. https://www.flickr.com/photos/ericpgreen/ 4791637775/

Licence CC BY - NC - SA 2.0

Key Points to Consider when Introducing a Solar Cooker

Jewish World Watch, “Solar Cooker Project”, Best Practices Manual, 2012

“If the family of community leaders are observed using solar cookers, the rest of the community is farmore likely to copy this behavior”.

Engage local male and female leaders indiscussions with the rest of the communityon the main issues, that is: hard labor for females, erosion and deforestation.This in order to understand the long termimplications of the traditional cooking habits.

If possible, involve regional and national leaders.

Beginning of solar cookers not immediate: needof subsidies.

Transition from work based on harvesting of food and charcoal towards solar cooking manufacturing, use and repair.

Not competition among humanitarian organisations and ngos → integrated solar cooking.

United Nations Chad“Ndoki”

Source Flickr. https://www.flickr.com/photos/unchad/24480173370/

Licence CC BY - NC - ND 2.0

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