When was the first solar ovens made

Solar Cooking actually has some pretty early recorded beginnings starting with the documented efforts of French-Swiss Physicist Horace de Saussure in But the use of solar energy within various cultures through out history begins much further back in time.

The use of solar energy in its simplest forms was known to have existed amongst the Greeks, Romans and the Chinese, though it was not used for cooking purposes. The history of this unique art is long, but is difficult to present in a complete and detailed manner due to a lack of documentation and verification. It is not until most recently, the last twenty years in fact, that we have seen greater strides and developments occur in this field. We have much more recorded information on the subject today, and it is helping to spread the knowledge and application of this beneficial art.

One of the best sources I have found on Solar Cooking History is by the Author and advocate Barbara Knudson, who has been involved with the movement for over twenty years now. She has written a well documented time line about solar cooking while expanding on the subject with more detail. You can read an excerpt from her published book State of the Art of Solar Cooking an excellent Ancient Documentary at the solarcookers. Also, for documented sources of current information on the continuing progress and accomplishments in this field throughout the world, see our page on world wide initiatives.

As for solar cooking here in the US, the movement did not have much of a presence or a foundation until about the early s, although there were some scattered documentations of cases of individuals who had built and used solar cookers for experimental and entertainment purposes as far back as the s and 50s. The most recognized first real advocate here in the United States is considered to be Barbara Kerr of Arizona. She is attributed with having designed and developed the first feasible and functional box style solar cooker in the US.

Below is a general timeline of the history of Solar Cooking. This time line courtesy of Solar Cookers International. This time line along with other solar cooking information and news is found on Solar Cooker International's Solar Cooking Wiki. This was first reported in the first-published study of solar cookers in by French-Swiss scientist Horace de Saussure Halacy, p. He built a miniature greenhouse with 5 layers of glass boxes turned upside down on a black table and reported cooking fruit.

He later built a cooker of 2 pine boxes topped with 3 layers of glass, and later still added wool insulation between the two boxes. French contemporary, DuCarlu, added mirrors and reported cooking meat in one hour Halacy, , p. In Mouchot devised solar cookers for French soldiers in Algeria, including a shiny metal cone, made from a He baked bread in 3 hours, built a separate cooker to steam vegetables, tried shishkabobs in a parabolic cooker and also wrote the first book on Solar Energy and its Industrial Applications.

He also pasteurized water and wine, and worked on a solar device to break down water to hydrogen and oxygen. Adams developed an octagonal oven with 8 mirrors which cooked rations for 7 soldiers in 2 hours Narayanaswamy, , p.

Charles G. Abbot, Secretary of the American Smithsonian Institution, was the first recorded inventor of solar cookers in which the heat collector was outside in the sun but the cooker itself was in the house, with heat carried from collector to cooker by circulating oil. Samuel P. Langley, solar cooked meals atop Mt. Working with other members of the international solar cooking network builds awareness and support for solar cooking among policy makers in government, business and humanitarian agencies at local, regional, national and international levels Solar Cooker Review, Using a project-based curriculum, students actively participate in authentic learning experiences.

The purpose of Solar Solutions put forward by this programme is to promote solar cooking in developing countries through curriculum design, teacher resources, web casts, videoconferencing, fundraising, and model solar cooking programmes and manufacturing opportunities Solar cooking archive, The students actively invite other student participants from around the world and encourage collaborative research on cooker design, materials, and recipes.

The most rewarding part of the project has been the outreach to developing countries. The students have formed a non-profit corporation and raised funds to provide solar cookers and solar cooker training in several countries and refugee camps.

These programmes are continuously growing, thus saving the lives of hundreds of families, providing jobs and income for women, and making a positive impact on their local environment. Several organisations have been involved in the financing of solar cooker projects. For instance, the Solar Oven Society SOS exists to promote solar cooking to the American public and to provide a way to partner with over 2 billion people worldwide who lack adequate fuel for cooking their food SOS, no date.

Following the wishes of its first donor, Virginia Persons, PHP is dedicated to helping alleviate hunger in developing countries by helping people help themselves. The main focus of SOS may be summarised as follows:. As of March , there are 10 solar cooking projects in the CDM pipeline, out of which 5 projects are registered and for 1 project CERs have been issued. Connecting countries to climate technology solutions.

Toggle navigation. Breadcrumb Home. Solar cooking. Renewable energy. Opportunities enabled:. Reduce GHG emissions. Technology group:. Improved cook stoves. A solar cooker is a device which uses the energy of direct sunlight to heat, cook or pasteurise drink. Introduction There are a variety of types of solar cookers : over 65 major designs and hundreds of variations of them.

The basic principles of all solar cookers are: Concentrating sunlight: Some device, usually a mirror or some type of reflective metal, is used to concentrate light and heat from the sun into a small cooking area, making the energy more concentrated and therefore more potent.

Converting light to heat: Any black on the inside of a solar cooker, as well as certain materials for pots, will improve the effectiveness of turning light into heat. A black pan will absorb almost all of the sun's light and turn it into heat, substantially improving the effectiveness of the cooker. Also, the better a pan conducts heat, the faster the oven will work. Trapping heat: Isolating the air inside the cooker from the air outside the cooker makes an important difference.

Using a clear solid, like a plastic bag or a glass cover, will allow light to enter, but once the light is absorbed and converted to heat, a plastic bag or glass cover will trap the heat inside.

This makes it possible to reach similar temperatures on cold and windy days as on hot days. Plastic Sheet: Uses plastic sheets to assure that liquids do not seep through into the oven. Also they prevent staining of the underlying sheet in the oven. Feasibility of technology and operational necessities Despite the popularity of solar cookers and various supportive actions for the development projects, there are still few barriers reported for the successful implementation of this technology around the globe, especially in the developing nations.

Status of the technology and its future market potential The Temple Solar Project in Honduras finances, purchases, delivers and sets in operation large baking and cooking sun ovens in locations where natural fuels are depleted and populations are undernourished. How the technology could contribute to socio-economic development and environmental protection Although efforts to introduce solar cookers have been fragmented in the past, they have nevertheless recently overcome most of the technical supply side barriers that have inhibited the wide-scale introduction of this technology, such as poor performance and safety characteristics.

The introduction of a worldwide solar cooker programme, implemented through a network of local and regional actors, has the potential to have a significant effect in the following activities: Mitigate CO2 emissions; Reduce local environmental degradation; Improve health; Stimulate economic activity and promote gender equity; Promote equitable access to energy; and Poverty alleviation.

Contribution of the technology to social development Since it is mainly women who do the cooking in the household, it is mainly their time that is being saved by using a solar cooker. Contribution of the technology to economic development including energy market support The economic benefits associated with time-savings can be significant if the time is spent on productive, income generating activities.

Contribution of the technology to protection of the environment In the industrialised countries, the environmental benefits are mainly related to the mitigation of CO2 emissions and reduction of local environmental degradation, whereas in developing nations improvement of health conditions, promotion on equitable access to energy and poverty alleviation are the key benefits from the programme. Climate Solar cooking has been proposed as a potential solution for the GHG emission reduction.

Financial requirements and costs With a rapid development in solar cooking technology, many financing schemes for the promotion of the solar cooker projects have been noticed throughout the world. The main focus of SOS may be summarised as follows: Production of low-cost, high-performance, durable, aesthetically-pleasing solar ovens, Establishing multi-faceted centers in developing countries for: Displays of varieties of solar cookers, Education and training, Assembly of solar cookers, Demonstrations of solar cooking, Wholesale and retail sales, Financing of solar cookers via village banking systems, and Encouraging Americans to use solar cookers and support a world wide solar cooking effort.

Case studies Morocco: Women and school children install and use solar cookers to preserve the Argan forest India: Solar Thermal Cooking System STCS is an innovative low-carbon, all weather cooking solution capable of cooking in all 3 modes i.

This STCS is a 'proof of concept' plant. Once various technology elements of STCS are proved and its efficacy is established, same can be replicated in other canteens of NTPC power station, with or without scale up. References Cal Max, Solar Cooking Compendium. GTZ, Pretoria. Grupp, M. Inter Action, no date. Solar Cooker Review, Solar Cookers International.

A Project of Persons Helping People. Can solar cooking save the forests? UNDP, The development impact of solar cookers: A review of solar cooking impact research in South Africa.

It was also demonstrated at the world Exhibition in Paris by cooking a pound of beef in 20 minutes. Adams developed one of the first mirror, or panel style solar cookers, which could cook vegetables and meat. Box-style cookers, as mentioned, are the first known solar box cooker, but are also the most commonly used style.

In general, they are insulated boxes that have a transparent top and a reflective lid. First, when sunlight hits a dark surface, it is partially transformed into infrared radiation, or heat.

Secondly, when light hits shiny or reflective surfaces, the light bounces off the surface at particular angles, which can be used to direct sunlight. Finally, transparent materials allow sunlight to pass, but traps heat.