The Pakistan Council for Renewable Energy Technologies (PCRET) is a government-funded research and development organization working in renewable energy in Pakistan. A number of public sector organizations have worked in the past and are still working on the development of low cost and efficient designs of both box and concentrator type solar cookers. Non-governmental organizations are also active in this field and have supplied a number of such cookers to rural areas. The Pakistan Council for Renewable Energy Technologies (PCRET), routinely organizes training workshops on the use and maintenance of such devices. The number of solar cookers in use in Pakistan is more than 2000, but it is still far less than that being used in China and India. Pakistan needs to popularize solar cookers to reduce the use of precious forest resources as fuel wood.
Solar cookers come in two types: box types that are more suitable for baking the food, and concentrating (parabolic) type that works at high temperatures. Foods prepared in solar ovens keep their natural flavor and taste and retain their vitamin content. Less oil is required for cooking in the solar oven, therefore, solar oven cooked food is good for weight conscious people.
All Pakistani dishes including prathas and chapati can be prepared on concentrated type cooker in the same time interval as taken by a conventional single stove gas cooker. The method of cooking is also similar to that of conventional cooker. The cooker emits no harmful smoke to harm eyes and lungs of the cook. The cooking can be done on this cooker from 9.00 am to 3.00 p.m. on all sunny days of the year.
External links
- http://www.pcret.gov.pk
- Brochure about PCRET
- Supply Chain-use of renewable energy throughout the food supply chain
Contact
Saeed Hussain
Head of Solar Thermal Division
PCRET
25, H-9, Islamabad
Pakistan