Allart Ligtenberg

From Solar Cooking

Allart at Everest basecamp

Allart's objective in 1992 was to start a sustainable solar cooking and water pasteurization program solving Nepal’s severe health, environmental and energy problems. Solar cooking was not practiced at the time. His successful strategy is: find “champion” organization(s), create Awareness with public/private demonstrations, Build the infrastructure and do Continuous follow-up on programs each year (ABC). He also trains how to use, design and fabricate solar cookers, water pasteurizers, Solar food dryers, heat-retaining boxes; advise organizations to become successful in solar energy projects, help start new NGO’s and businesses; identify reliable workshops producing quality solar devices on-time; and teach responsible eco-tourism with trekking organizations and lodgekeepers. He designed a 400 gram solar backpack cooker for effective dissemination and a 3 kg collapsible parabolic (1 m) cooker for remote and rural households and trekking/expedition groups. New initiatives: - An integrated cooking method adds fuelwood-efficient, smokeless “Rocket stoves” to solar cookers. A further integrated approach offers complete health, energy, environment-friendly solutions with solar space heating, photo-voltaics, efficient WLED lighting, composting, toilets, and biomass briquettes. - He initiated a School of Renewable Energy teaching all RE technologies, plus carpentry, metalworking and small-business. Skilled workforces of RE entrepreneurs will disseminate RE technologies and create jobs. - He initiated 12 Rotary Matching Grant programs in 6 years, resulting in training, distribution of solar/sustainable devices, empowering women, poverty alleviation, improving quality of life for 2200 families (14000 people).

Ligtenberg doesn't let any grass grow under his feet. He travels every year to two or three countries to initiate or follow up on numerous solar cooking and other sustainable technology projects, including projects of his Los Altos Rotary Club and partner Rotary Clubs in the world.