Michael Bonke
From Solar Cooking
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[edit] News and recent developments
28th of June, 2009
Solar Cooker Building Competition
Under the patronage from the Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development of the Federal Republic of Germany, Frau Wieczorek-Zeul.
Together with Armin Schmidt of Deya Consulting and with the support from SPD Heiligenhaus, we would like to invite all inventors to the Solar Cooker Building Competition.
Background:
About two billion people on earth are suffering from the shortage of
fuel. In many countries, the main source of fuel for cooking is still
the traditional firewood. Logging of trees in the forested areas are in
large scale and the deforestation and desertification is an on going
issue that is causing extinction. Besides, burning firewood causes air
pollution which poses risk not only to the environment but to the user
from (IAP = Indoor air pollution) as well. Survey shows that more people
died from suffocation than malaria (approximately 1,5 million) .
Cooking with solar energy will be an alternative to replace the fuel shortage problem since the sunlight cost nothing to run and is always available. Unfortunately, the existing cookers which are obtainable are too expensive for the people especially those living in the under-developed countries. Besides, the accessibility is not often possible, perhaps only through some development project scheme. There is a possibility in developing such simple solar cooker with cartonboard and aluminium foil. This method is very economical but not very durable.
Therefore, we would like to invite all resourceful inventors to submit your patterns for the solar cookers within the next few months. The successful developer of such solar cooker will be invited to Berlin, possibly be meeting Frau Wieczorek-Zeul from the Ministry of Economic Cooperation and De velopment.
This competition will begin on the 28th of June, 2009 at the “Stadtfest” in Heiligenhaus. Evaluation will be done within the framework of the cultural capital in summer 2010. A summer camp has been planned for participants from 15 countries to illustrate on the practical suitability of their invented solar cookers.
Competition Regulations
To begin with, all patterns should be submitted with photos, drawings and description for evaluation purposes. The selected inventors and their solar cooker patterns will be invited to compete in the final and the selected objects will be exhibited.
It will be assessed in 3 categories:
- Material and Production costs under 10€
- Material and Production costs between 10€ - 50€
- Material and Production costs over 50€
The acceptance will be assessed with the following aspects:
- practical application in assemble / disassemble / storage
- practical suitability in usage (for cooking and baking)
- Efficiency
- Stability
- Durability
- Multi-functional abilities for different cooking methods.
It is important for the initiators of this competition that all submitted ideas can later be accessible for all general users. The copyright will be registered for the selected pattern and at the same time, it is given the free right for all users, that is, so called, the “Copyleft” ( It is the general method for making a program free software and requiring all modified and extended versions of the program to be free software as well.) So that many common people could benefit from the invention and in order no one turns it into an absolute monopoly. This term and condition shall be agreed and accepted by all participants for this competition.
All drafts shall be submitted in via E-Mail to info@solargourmet.de by the 31st of March, 2010. All patterns shall be illustrated in text form, drawings and/or with photos. Data may be sent in jpg, gif and rtf format. And, the judges’ decision is final.
The organizers will seek for sponsors and Experts as jurors for the preselection of the candidates. More information regarding further development of this competition will be notified.
Michael Bonke www.solargourmet.de
The homepage of the competition is here: Wettbewerb Solarkocherbau
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
[edit] Contact
Friedeberger Weg 14
40667 Meerbusch
Germany
Tel: +49 21 32 - 58 10 36
