Solar Ovens
Three Types Heat Trap boxes Curved Concentrators (parabolics) Panel Cookers There are many variations on these basic types Also, large scale solar cooking systems have been developed to meet the needs of people worldwide
Basic Principles Sunlight as Fuel (Energy source) Solar cooker needs an outdoor spot that is sunny for several hours and protected from strong wind They don’t work at night or if it is cloudy
Convert sunlight to heat energy Dark surfaces get very hot in sunlight whereas light surfaces don’t So food cookers should be dark, shallow, thin metal pots with tight fitting lids
Retain Heat Transparent heat trap around the dark pot lets un sunlight but keeps in the heat Things that can be used: clear heat resistant plastic bag or large inverted glass bowl
Capture Extra Sunlight More shiny surfaces the better to capture extra sunlight to increase heat potential
Box Cooker
Curved Concentrator Cooker
Panel Cooker
Building Instructions Use one of these three as a model and make it your own – be creative Before beginning make a plan! Decide what your cooker will look like and what you need to make it Don’t waste time! It is not a fast project and it pays off to finish this class