Sentinelle dell'Energia (SELENE) was founded in 2014 to include teaching and promoting solar cooking at a national level as part of its program of alternative energy initiatives and sustainable living strategies.
They also wish to offer assistance to other international organizations involved with spreading solar cooking in developing countries. Davide Bianchini, a biomedical engineer in Pesaro, Italy, is the founder of the organization.
As a social promotion association, they welcome new members.
August 2019: Sentinelle dell'Energia published a handbook describing how to build and use the Copenhagen solar cooker, based on its experience on the utilization of this solar cooker. The handbook comprises the description on how to build and mount the cooker, some cooking recipes, a theoretical description on how to calculate the maximum temperature that can be reached and some considerations on the sanitary and environmental benefits that can be obtained thanks this solar cooker.
February, March, June 2019: Sentinelle dell'Energia completed the project "A Scuola di Cucina Solare 2019-2019", by holding another workshop on the building of the Copenhagen Solar Cooker Light and realizing a demonstration of solar cooking during the school end-of-year party.
November - December 2018: Sentinelle dell'Energia started the realization of the project "A Scuola di Cucina Solare 2018-2019" at Mamiani high school in Pesaro. In particular, they held a class lesson in which they described the different types of solar ovens and solar cookers and their principle of functioning. The presentation is available here. Moreover, they realized a workshop during which the students built their own Copenhagen Solar Cooker Light, using different kinds of reflective materials (aluminum foil, mylar sheet, mylar foil).
8 and 9 September 2018: Sentinelle dell'Energia together with L'Africa Chiama onlus from Fano near Pesaro, organized some workshops of solar cooking for children during the event of "Aria. L'evento dedicato alla tua casa", which took place in Fano from 7 to 9 September 2018.
July - August 2018: Sentinelle dell'Energia realized several workshops and demonstrations of solar cooking for children at the beach and in youth summer camps.
9 June 2018: Sentinelle dell'Energia participated to a festivity day near the summer, which was organized by La Palla Rotonda together with Pesaro Language Exchange, Rimini Language Exchange and Sentinelle dell'Energia. During the day, there was a walk in the countryside of Candelara, which is near Pesaro and then several activities, like a workshop on making Italian pasta with eggs, a yoga lesson, music and a demonstration of solar cooking, during which Sentinelle dell'Energia prepared again some "almost-veggy crepes".
2, 3June 2018: Sentinelle dell'Energia presented its experience with solar ovens at "Caprile Agrishow 2018" of Cecchi Agriculture Institute. During the event, they also prepared some "almost-veggy crepes", of which you can find the video-recipe (in Italian) here.
April -May 2018: Sentinelle dell'Energia realized the project "A Scuola di Cucina Solare" 2018 at Mamiani high school in Pesaro with some classes from the fourth year. In particular, Sentinelle dell'Energia firstly made a theoretical presentation which is available here(in Italian). Then they realized a practical lesson in which the students and the professor of the classes measured the rising temperature of the oven and were provided with the mathematical equations allowing to determine the maximum reachable temperature in the differen months of a year. These equations and their explanation are available here, in the sheet "Temperature massime mensili a vuoto".
23 September 2017: Sentinelle dell'Energia realized one public initiative of solar cooking in the local Scarpellini Park, patronized by the District 7 of Montegranaro and Muraglia where the park is placed. The participants comprised associates from Sentinelle dell'Energia, associates from Festa dei Popoli non profit organisation and participants invited by the organizers of "Aggregazione Sostenibile" juvenile project. The lunch was based only on vegan food, partly cooked with Copenhagen solar cookers, partly with gas and electricity. For more information, you can visit the website of Sentinelle dell'Energia.
23 July 2017: Sentinelle dell'Energia realized one workshop for the self-construction of Copenhagen Solar Cooker Light panel cookers for children and adults and organized a public demonstration of solar cooking at Bahia del Sol beach in Pesaro. In particular, we newly cooked rice salad for the people at the beach!
13-14 July 2017: Sentinelle dell'Energia participated in "EcoFuturo 2017" , Festival of ecotechnologies and self construction, organizing one workshop for the self-construction of Copenhagen Solar Cooker Light panel cookers for children and organizing a public demonstration of solar cooking, during which they prepared rice salad and they offered it to the participants at the Festival. On our website, you can find some photos and further description of the event.
22-25 June 2017: Sentinelle dell'Energia participated in "Passaggi Festival 2017", the essay writing Festival of Fano, Currently, the association organizes laboratories for the self-construction of Copenhagen Solar Cooker Light panel cookers and public demonstrations of solar cooking. About 35 children, boys and girls participated to the laboratories throughout the four days and then built about fifteen Copenhagens. During the demonstration of solar cooking, rice salad and an Indian dish made of mixed vegetables and spices were prepared and were served to the people interested in tasting the results.
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June 2017: Sentinelle dell'Energia has built a new prototype of the Copenhagen Solar Cooker Light by using sheets made of Mylar and polystyrene, which are then assembled one to the other with sticky velcro. At midday, the cooker was able to reach more than 195 °C (383 °F). There is still the need to improve the assembly by using a more durable sticky velcro.
Fiera del Riuso
2-4 June 2017: Sentinelle dell'Energia participated to "Fiera Regionale del Riuso 2017", which took place at Scarpellini Park in Pesaro. During the days, the association promoted public demonstrations of solar cooking. cooking rice salad and an Indian dish made of mixed vegetables and spices. Moreover, Sentinelle dell'Energia organized laboratories for the self construction of Copenhagen Solar Cooker Light panel cookers, building 8 new ones and donating two more of them to some of the participants at the "Fiera". More information can be found on Sentinelle dell'Energia website.
23 May 2017: Sentinelle dell'Energia participated at the conference "Digitale e Green" in Fano, near Pesaro. There, we brought some solar cookers and we showed a brief presentation on solar cooking. You can find more information on our website at the following link.
8 May 2017: Sentinelle dell'Energia organized a new public laboratory for the selfconstruction of Copenhagen Solar Cooker Light panel cookers, following the first laboratory that took place in August 2015, during which we built solar box cookers. In this new laboratory, the four participants built together two Copenhagens! Other laboratories are expected to come this summer.
May 2017 - June 2017: Sentinelle dell'Energia organized the project "A Scuola di Cucina Solare" at junior high school "Giovanni Branca" ages 10 to 13 in Sant'Angelo in Lizzola, near Pesaro. They first made a theoretical lesson on solar cooking with the third year students, which is available on Slideshare. Then, they realized a laboratory for the construction of Sharon Clausson's Copenhagen Solar Cooker Light, using cheap materials as cardboard, aluminum foil, liquid white glue, twines and clothespines. The students and teachers were provided with a manual for the self construction of the oven, they were helped by a volunteer from Sentinelle dell'Energia and made a fantastic job: indeed, they built 8 Copenhagens! You can find more information about the project on Sentinelle dell'Energia website.
late 2016 - beginning 2017: Sentinelle dell'Energia, together with CND Fenile , developed a new model of parabolic solar cooker made of wood and mirror polished aluminum sheets. They tested the first prototype, managing to cook pasta very well. They still need to think to give a name for the cooker and they plan to develop it further in the coming months.
12-13 August 2016: Sentinelle dell'Energia, together with CND Fenile and Monte Illuminato organized two solar cooking days at Parco Miralfiore in Pesaro. Using their personally-built Fun Panels, Copenhagens, Heaven's Flame and a rudimental cardboard parabolic solar oven, they cooked pasta with pendolini (tiny tomatoes) and arugula, rice salad, boiled zucchini, boiled eggplants and boiled potatoes, spinach and tofu balls, vegan cocoa biscuits. They plan to repeat a similar initiative at the seaside in the coming weeks.
July 2016, 28th. Sentinelle dell'Energia and CND Fenile participated to EcoFuturo, Festival of ecotechnologies and self construction and they prepared salad rice for about 20 visitors. More information (in Italian) and photos on Sentinelle dell'Energia dedicated blog post.
July 2016. Sentinelle dell'Energia, together with CND Fenile, and Monte Illuminato developed a bigger version of the Copenhagen solar cooker, whose four petals are now 50 cm x 50 cm big (about 19,68 inches x 19,68 inches). The cardboard base was about 32 cm x 32 cm (12,59 cm x 12,59 cm). The cooker reached a temperature of about 140 °C at midday in Pesaro, Central Italy, with the thermometer put inside a transparent glass cup containing a dark pot inside. They were also able to cook rice, boiled potatoes and boiled carrots, as represented by the following video.
Lessatura delle carote con il Copenaghen Solar Cooker modificato (dimensioni maggiori)
A greenhouse enclosure is added around the base of the cooker.
July 2016: Sentinelle dell'Energia developed an improved version of Joe Radabaugh's Heaven's Flame. In particular, they added a "heat trap" or "solar trap" all around the oven, in order to increase the cooking temperature. The "heat trap" is a small greenhouse made of recovered cardboard, alluminum foil, paper scotch tape, iron wire and transparent and flexible pvc cloth. The increase in temperature all around the oven allows to reduce the thermal dissipations, thus reaching higher cooking temperatures. Thanks to this improvement, we were able to pass from a maximum temperature of 165 °C (329 °F) to a maximum temperature of more than 195 °C (383 °F).
June 2016: Sentinelle dell'Energia are signing a collaboration agreement with I.R.S. Aurora socialcooperative, which manages and directs several therapeutic communities in Marche Region. According to that, one of the associates of Sentinelle dell'Energia is collaborating with some youngsters from the community of CND Fenile and of Monte Illuminato for the construction and realization of some solar ovens, starting with Teong Tan's Fun Panel. At the time of writing, thy've already realized three Fun Panels and they managed to cook rice and an egg yolk, as reported in Sentinelle dell'Energia blog post.
