Kenya Solar Concentrator

Peter Mwathi, designer, with the Kenya Solar Concentrator.

The Kenya Solar Concentrator model, created by Peter Mwathi, has been designed in such a way that it can collect solar heat from up to a large surface area (> 30 sq meters) and concentrate it on an area as small as 0.01 sq meters to attain very high temperatures using a parabolic style reflector. This will be useful in rural industrialization of the developing countries. Smaller sizes,combined with heat retention boxes will be very useful in institutional cooking not only in Kenya, but also in other countries. The benefits of using these methods will range from job creation to better environmental stewardship.

Solar heat is acurately focused at a fixed point fron sunrise to sunset. It is relatively very simple to reproduce and also very easy to operate. For daily tracking of the sun, a very efficient, cheap- inbuilt electronic system has been created that operates at voltages as low as 3V. The seasonal movements of the sun between the tropics has also been perfectly taken care of through a provision for simple manual adjustments. In equatorial regions the model will have two focal points: the north focal point (March to September) and the south focal point (September to March) to increase efficiency with sun`s movements across Equator. For field installations, a survey tool has been designed to facilitate apropriate geographical orientations. All these achievements have been made almost single-handedly. However, for there to be a positive impact, partnerships with relevant institutions in Kenya and abroad is necessary. If not available the pace of adopting and developing this model will become long overtaken by the need for alternative energy.

See also

• Peter Mwathi

Contact

• Peter Mwathi