CONSOLFOOD 2016,International Conference on Advances in Solar Thermal Food Processing, Faro, Portugal, 22-23 , January , 2016

NECESSARY DEVELOPMENTS IN SOLAR COOKERS TO MAKE THEM MORE POPULARDr Ashok Kundapur,

(Solar Cooker International Associate) ‘Kalashree”, Hayagreva Nagara, Udupi—576102,

Email : arkundapur,@yahoo.com Web: http://www.solcooker.net 

Use of ONE solar cookers can mitigate ONE TON of GHS entering our atmosphere per year.

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If THREE Billion families out there, use solar cookers, health and wealth of user families as well as that Planet will improve. Solar cookers are not popular as they are not versatile, expandable to cook more food when needed, cooking at night is not possible, cooking has to be done in open and also they are costly. By offsetting these problems, at least the COST, Solar Cookers would become more popular

Versatile SOLAR Concentrating Cookers come in various shapes and sizes. They can cook as well as fry food that too at a fast phase. Developments to To make them more popular are:1. Reduce cost 2. Make stand more stable3. Swinging arm for cooking pot to make it easier to handle4. Low cost Sun tracking mechanism5. Easy method to increase capacity of cooking by adding fins

BOX SOLAR COOKERS, which can only cook, are fairly popular. In this category, Jim’s All season cooker is better, for it can trap more sun light.Improvements needed are :1.Sizing of these cookers depending on local needs has to be done carefully, 2. Pot holder of Jim’s cooker needs insulation, like Foam Glass, for better results,3. Better material & design of Green Box4. Low cost tracking device too will be beneficial.  

• SOLAR PANEL COOKERS LIKE ‘COOKIT’ have become very popular especially among refugees of Africa. They are very efficient in cooking food and three vessels can be used at the same time.

• Solar FUNNEL cookers could be better as they can capture more Sun light.

• Improvements needed are :1. Rendering the cooker more stable,2. Enabling tracking with out disturbing cooking vessel assembly 3. Sizing the cooker to suit local needs,4. Better design of cooking vessel enclosure5. Low cost tracking system.

Cookers like BLAZING SUN SOLAR COOKERS, seem better. Further developments needed are 1. Suitable sizing to suit local requirement 2. In Blazing sun type cooking part can be kept inside the kitchen, and energy capturing unit out side house with tracking facility.

Recent Solar cookers like GOSUN & SLICK cook well, but are bit small, delicate and costly as well.They too need sizing, & cost reduction.

Everyone is looking for a Solar cooker with which one can cook in the comforts of their kitchen.  

Some good designs like Scheffler’s Cookers are in vogue. At Barefoot College, India, even ILLITERATE ladies fabricate such cookers.

But residents in multistoried building have no choice. There is an urgent need to develop such a Solar Cooker. Ideas are there, but development is needed.

Another design is BALCONY COOKER of Prof. Ajay Chandak, which hasn’t become popular as yet.

• THERE IS ALSO AN URGENT NEED TO WORK ON LOW COST STORAGE SYSTEM WITH SUBSTANCES LIKE GRAVEL OR SAND TO STORE SOLAR ENERGY FOR NIGHT TIME HEATING OF FOOD, IF NOT FOR COOKING

SRI DEEPAK GADHIA, A PIONEER AND STALWART HAS INSTALLED SEVERAL COMMERCIAL SOLAR COOKERS, SOME IN TEMPLES & AT MILITARY CAMPS. BUT THEY ARE VERY FEW. CHOICE NOW MOSTLY FOR SCHEFFLER’S TYPE COOKERS.

DEVELOPMENT OF COMMERCIAL SOLAR COOKERS TOO NEED IMMEDIATE & GREATER ATTENTION. IT WILL BE VERY PROFITABLE FOR ESTABLISHMENTS.

NGOs & GOVERNMENT SHOULD INTENSIFY SOLAR COOKER CAMPAIGNS THROUGH

1. ACTIVE ADVERTISEMENTS2. PUBLISIZING SUCCESS STORIES,3. SHOULD SELECT BEST DESIGNS FOR DIY

PROJECTS,4. SHOULD ALSO SELECT BEST MATERIALS

FOR DIY PROJECTS, STOCK THEM, (like durable reflector materials and transparent plastic materials) & can sell them may be for a small profit.

COME - LET’S WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE SOLAR COOKERS MORE POPULAR AND SAVE THE PLANET

THANK YOU