In most 3rd world places, where electricity and other fuel sources are hard to come by, solar oven designs have been used. Not only are they effective in cooking food, but also for water purification in sunny countries like Sudan.
With energy supplies coming under threat, first world countries should get more involved in using solar cooking in households. The nice thing about a solar cooker is that is uses an abundant fuel source – the sun – so it helps to conserve the non-renewable sources of energy. Though it takes about 4 times longer than conventional ovens, it is worth the wait if you think how much it is benefiting the environment.
A number of interesting solar oven designs have been made over the years, but they typically take one of three forms: parabolic design, panel design, or box design.
Parabolic Shape:
As the name suggests, a parabolic cooker is made from reflective material that is molded into bowl. This helps it concentrate the sunlight in one area and effectively cook your food. However, this design typically costs more and it’s rigid structure makes it less practical for traveling.
Panel Cooker:
A panel cooker is any cooker made with a series of flat, reflective panels arranged to direct sunlight to a focal point.
Although not as effective as a parabolic cooker, it is safer, easier to make, and can be folded up for portability. Panel cookers come in a number of innovative designs, the simplest being made from a fold-able, reflective windshield shade.
Box Shape:
Very different to the other two designs, the box cooker works by trapping the sun’s heat, instead of simply focusing it on a central point. It is designed in such a way that it let’s light in, but stops that heat from escaping. As more sunlight comes in, the hotter it gets.
This results in the entire area of the box to get hot and be able to cook larger portions of food at a time. This design is by far the simplest to put together – all you need is a black cardboard box with one side covered in tin foil and a sheet of clear perspex or glass on top to hold in the heat.
What I like most about solar oven designs is that they can be put together with simple materials found at home in the course of an afternoon. It’s a fun project to do with your kids, and the shapes you come up with are really limited to your imagination. And do not just think your solar cooker is only good for boiling water or steaming vegetables. People have successfully roasted meat in them and even baked bread. Another pro is that your solar cooker will be outside when used, so it will not cause your whole kitchen to heat up and put strain on your indoor cooling system – another way it helps you to conserve energy.
And since over two-thirds of Americans (according to the Residential Energy Consumption Survey) cook food on a daily basis, just imagine how much power we could save if more of us used solar oven designs during the sunny months.
So why not solar cooking out for yourself. You really have nothing to lose. If you are not willing to spend money on a professionally made design, why not build one at home with the kids – the internet provides a whole host of free blueprints and instructions, so try it out and have fun saving power.
Related posts:
- DIY Solar Power System – Few Useful Tips When Building A Power System Using Solar Panels By using a DIY solar power system you can convert...
- All About The Solar Power Plants Your electric company allows you to power all the electronics...
- The Benefit Of Using Solar Christmas Lights Almost everyone enjoys the Christmas festive season. It is a...
- Do It Yourself Solar Power Modules Advice The Watt Power output of a Solar module is the...
- Solar Bluetooth Solar Bluetooth Where can I find solar Bluetooth hands-free kits...
Comments on this entry are closed.