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.
News and recent developments
- June 2010: PCRET is now going to submit PC-1 for demonstration and dissemination of parabolic type solar cookers in the remote area of the country.The main objectives of PCRET are to develop, acquire, assimilate, promote, propagate & disseminate Renewable Energy Technologies including solar cooker in the country. The project aims to provide 100,000 solar cookers for cooking and pasturing of water in remote area of all the provinces of Pakistan. This PC-1 is submitted according to directed of President of Islamic Republic of Pakistan These cookers will be provided at 50% subsidy at expense of GOP.
Parabolic solar cookers are fast and convenient as compared to the conventional solar box cookers and hence more preferred. However the awareness programmes and demonstrations are needed to make the technology available to the people and develop confidence in the users. Cost of the parabolic solar cooker is the main hurdle in promoting these systems in rural areas as the people living in these areas are very poor and cannot afford its cost. So these will be provided at 50% subsidy at expense of GOP. Experience of PCRET indicates good acceptability to the parabolic solar cooker if proper training for solar cooking is given to these rural women. PCRET have been using this practice since last 15 years with good success. The objective of the project can be briefed:- 1.To provide cost effective alternative for cooking in rural areas. 2.To popularize the solar cooking applications by generating public awareness. 3.To protect conventional fuels like "Fire wood", Kerosene and Cooking gas. 4.Environmental preservation through eco-friendly alternatives. One solar cooker is expected to save 1 ton of wood/dung per year or can save up to 10 LPG cylinders a year and this will result in reduction of 1.8 ton of carbon dioxide per 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