Solar energy concentrator at Ramakrishna Mission’s Students’ Home
Investment brings large-scale solar cooking to Chennai school for orphans and underprivileged boys - Starting in 2013, a partnership between the UNDP, India's Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, and the Global Environment Facility, led to a project to install an ARUN®100 solar concentrator at the Ramakrishna Mission’s Students’ Home. The system provides enough energy to cook 3,000 meals per day and reduces LPG consumption by half, which leads to a savings of US$8,000 per year. Read more...
"Solar Cooking for a Healthy & Better Life" at the Bhubaneswar Club in Odisha, India March 2015 - C.V. Raman College
Women's Day event in India promotes solar cooking - Sanjib Rout, Chairman of the C.V. Raman College of Engineering organized a workshop on "Solar Cooking for a Healthy & Better Life" at the Bhubaneswar Club in Odisha, India to raise awareness of the potential of solar cooking for commercial applications.
Show your solar cooker design to the United Nations Development Program - The UN is now assessing what viable small and institutional-sized solar cookers are available in the marketplace for widespread distribution in emergency situations. Proposals must be submitted by 5 p.m. Friday, March 27, 2015. Read more...
New solar cooking organization in India - On January 23, 2015 Solar Cookers India was formed. Dr. Janak Palta McGilligan has graciously offered her services as the Honorary Executive Director of this new organization, which will work in close partnership with Solar Cookers International.
Apply for the BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Awards:Solar Cookers International has a unique opportunity to nominate projects from SCInet members for the 2015 BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Awards. All materials must be in English. Read more...
February 2015
(EVENT) International Solar Energy Society webinar on Solar Food Processing for Income Generation - On March 11, the International Solar Energy Society (ISES) will be hosting a webinar on how solar food processing can be used for income generation. "Expert speakers will show examples of how solar food processing can be a profitable business venture. The panelist speakers will present case studies where individuals and companies use solar cooking techniques to earn their living and have made a successful and professional business." Presenters include:
The webinar will be held from 3:00pm - 4:30pm GMT (7:00am - 8:30am PST/10:00am - 11:30pm EST). More info and registration...
Apply for the SEED Award - The SEED Awards recognize "the most promising, innovative and locally-led start-up social and environmental enterprises in countries with developing and emerging economies. The independent SEED International Jury of experts selects enterprises which have the potential to make real improvements in poverty eradication and environmental sustainability while contributing to a greener economy." Apply by March 31, 2015. Read more...
Celebrity chef José Andrés wants to cook cleaner this year - Writing in National Geographic, José Andrés discusses his New Year's Resolutions which include the goal to "cook cleaner"! Read article...
Solar Cooking in the Sahel - NOWCAST
Available sunshine in the Sahel region of Africa documented - Authors, Beth Newton, Sophie Cowie, Derk Rijks, Jamie Banks, Helen Brindley, and John h. Marsham have published a well-documented analysis of the potential sunshine available for solar cooking in the Sahel region, particularly in northern Chad where a number of Sudanese refugee camps are located. TchadSolaire has been training both refugees and the indigenous population to solar cook in the region since 2005. Even along river population centers where clouds tend to form, solar cooking is possible for over 330 days a year. Read more: Solar Cooking in the Sahel - NOWCAST
Thousands of students gather in Mumbai, India for a record-breaking solar cooking event.
15,000 students in Mumbai solar cook and set world-record - In an event organized by Keshav Srushti, 15,000 students from 80 schools in Mumbai, India set a new world record for the largest-ever solar cooking gathering. Each student was given a solar cooker and taught how to assemble and use it as part of a national campaign to spread awareness of the importance of solar technology. C Vidyasagar Rao, governor of Maharashtra and Ashish Shelar, minister of state, Power, Coal & New Renewable Energy, attended the record-setting gathering. Read more at: Over 15,000 students create a new world-record in solar cooking
Through September 17, 2014: Nominations sought for Karl W. Böer Solar Energy Medal - The University of Delaware invites nominations for the medal, which also carries a cash award of $60,000. Applications are due September 17, 2014. The medal will be awarded to an individual who has made significant pioneering contributions in solar energy, wind energy, or other forms of renewable energy as an alternate source of energy through research, development, or economic enterprise. For more information, visit: http://www.energy.udel.edu/boer.html
"Mama Solar" continues her work - Faustine Odaba, founder of NAREWAMA, gives a presentation on cooking with the CooKit in Kyamulibwa, Uganda on February 11, 2015.
12TH FEB DD NEWS METRO SCAN MUMBAI.
News story four minutes into the video showing the thousands of students solar cooking at the Suryakumbha event
New SCInet members: SCInet welcomes new members Pat Browne, a solar cooking promoter in CaliforniaUSA, and ATP GreenTech Pvt Ltd, a solar cooker manufacturer and sustainable living promoter in Delhi, India along with their CEO Charanjit Khurana. Also, the SELCO Foundation, a sustainable lifestyle foundation in India and Atul Sagade a solar cooking promoter in Maharashtra, India.
India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) is inviting comments on its Draft Solar Policy - Sunday, March 1, 2015 will be the deadline for comments. The ten-page document, available here, outlines some of the government department’s thinking. “The Nodal Agency shall take necessary action to proliferate its application in feasible sectors including residential (solar water heaters, solar cookers, indoor air heating etc.), commercial & industrial sector (solar cooling, solar air dryers, large scale solar water heaters, large scale solar cooking utilizing solar concentrator technology, process heating etc.).” Read more...
Solar cooking in Burkina Faso - A refugee woman in Burkina Faso cooks rice with a Blazing Tube solar cooker. The stove is assembled in the USA and costs around $100USD. Oliver Lompo, UNHCR Environment Officer in Burkina Faso explained the impact the stove has had. “Beforehand, refugee women had to walk several hours a day to collect firewood. Since we have a lot of sunshine, the stove allows them to cook without spending any more time on firewood collection. And, more importantly, it does not produce any smoke - people love it.” - UNCHR
Julie Greene, Executive Director of Solar Cookers International, was the Keynote Speaker at the Networking Workshop for Entrepreneurship in Renewable Energy hosted by PRINCE in Dhule, India.
José Andrés resolves to cook cleaner - Writing in National Geographic, José Andrés discusses his New Year's Resolutions which include the goal to "cook cleaner"! Read article...
TinyTech Plants large basket parabolic solar cooker being erected on its foundation. - Veljibhai Desai
Tinytech Plants is developing large solar baskets - Up to 12 meters in diameter, they are designed to cook for 1500-2000 people in one hour according to TinyTech Plants CEO Veljibhai Desai. At this time, it is one of the largest parabolic solar concentrators being developed in India. Presently, the concentrator has been erected on its foundation.
Uzbekistan explores the potential of renewables - Uzbekistan, still rich with gas and oil, has begun to adopt solar power, now being viewed as an underutilized resource. Micro solar projects providing electricity for lighting, heating, pumping water and solar cooking are now beginning to percolate into the countryside. Read more: Uzbekistan Looks to Solar Power - Silk Road Reporters
Assessing the lasting impacts of HotPot projects - Solar Household Energy is revitalizing relationships with previous partner the Mexican Fund for the Conservation of Nature (Fondo Mexicano para la Conservación de la Naturaleza, or FMCN) to assess long-term project outcomes. FMCN has distributed over 25,000 HotPots in Mexico. Quantifying the lasting impacts of these projects will prove HotPot long-term adoption and durability, demonstrating that the HotPot is a viable clean cooking solution. Read more: Assessing lasting impacts of HotPot projects in Mexico - SHE
More HotPot solar cookers for the Gaga refugee camp in Chad - The Lutheran World Foundation, now in charge of environmental activities in Gaga refugee camp, wishes to partner with Solar Household Energy to expand the HotPot project with 2,500 more HotPots--enough to cover 80% of households. Based on the success of the earlier HotPot project in Gaga refugee camp, SHE is also exploring options to introduce solar cookers in Burkina Faso refugee camps.
Experienced solar cooking promoter uses her skills in her hometown - Irene Perbal has explained how she used her experience promoting solar cooking in Sudan and Brazil to help out back in her home state of California, USA. She has been encouraging the use of solar cooking at local food banks. She began doing talks and seminars to train locals on how to build and use the cookers, including the underserved frequenting the food banks. Often her presentation includes sharing a lunch of solar cooked lasagne. Thinking Globally and Acting Locally - Huffington Post
Attendees at the Japan Solar Cooker Preliminary Convention.
The first solar cooking convention in Japan - The Japan Solar Cooker Preliminary Convention was held on November 22nd and 23rd, 2014 at the Ashikaga Institute of Technology. The convention was led by Professor Yuichi Nakajo with the goal of creating a network for manufacturers, distributors, traders, researchers, and others with a strong interest in solar cooking to collaborate. The event was attended by roughly 100 invited participants. Professor Nakajo is planning to hold a larger convention next year which will will be open to anyone interested in solar cooking.
Effort is being made to continue using solar power in Kyrgyzstan - Kyrgyzstan’s BIOM ecological movement has provided the Bishkek Center for Rehabilitation of Homeless Children with alternative energy equipment as the state-run social facilities remain underfinanced in the country. In 2010, BIOM provided the Center with solar water heaters, solar ovens, and lighting equipment. According to Natalia Bogatova, coordinator of SPARE (School Project for Application of Resources and Energy), BIOM concluded a contract for installation and maintenance of the above equipment for three years, but its specialists continue providing technical maintenance of the solar equipment after the contract expired. Solar energy for Kyrgyzstan’s social facilities - The Times Of Central Asia
The Boy Scout training, designed by Lightoven III is explained at a training event for Pakistani Boy Scouts. - suitable to take camping. - Hartmut Ehmler
Pakistani Boy Scouts are introduced to solar cooking - Hartmut Ehmler photographed this Boy Scout training event of his Lightoven IIIsolar panel cooker. It is a lightweight portable design, suitable to take into the field for camping.
Solar Cooking in the Sahel - ll-document
Available sunshine in the Sahel region of Africa documented - Authors, Beth Newton, Sophie Cowie, Derk Rijks, Jamie Banks, Helen Brindley, and John h. Marsham have published a well-documented analysis of the potential sunshine available for solar cooking in the Sahel region, particularly in northern Chad. This is where a number of Sudanese refugee camps are located. TchadSolaire has been training both refugees and the indigenous population to solar cook in the region since 2005. Even along river population centers where clouds tend to form, solar cooking is possible for over 330 days a year. Read more: Solar Cooking in the Sahel - NOWCAST
Mid-day meal being prepared at a Mali school - Sun and Ice
Only the cooking food is out in the sun at this Mali school - Stephan Zech, with Sun and Ice, posted this photo of a mid-day meal being prepared at a school in Mali.
A student shows the dish he prepared in his solar cooker.
15,000 students in Mumbai solar cook and set world-record - 15,000 students from 80 schools in Mumbai, India set a new world-record for the largest ever solar cooking gathering. Each student was given a solar cooker and taught how to use it as part of a national campaign to spread awareness of the importance of solar technology. C Vidyasagar Rao, governor of Maharashtra and Ashish Shelar, minister of state, Power, Coal & New Renewable Energy, attended the record-setting gathering. Read more at: Over 15,000 students create a new world-record in solar cooking
Annual Maha SuryaKumba reaches for a lofty goal - The Bhayander based NGO, Keshav Srushti, is committed to spreading awareness of solar cooking. Under the banner of Maha SuryaKumba, they will be gathering students from 500 schools across Mumbai in Bhayander,India, and then will be taking the festival to remote tribal villages. Hoping this year reach the magic number of 100,000 solar-powered prepared meals! Keshav Srushti has been accredited by the Guinness Book of World Records for having conducted the largest solar oven cooking class in January 2014 with 3,639 participants from 62 schools. The new goal of reaching so many students from remote areas will require financial support beyond the means of Keshav Srushti. Please contact Keshav Srushti If you can help, it will be appreciated. The NGO has announced there will now be an annual Maha SuryaKumba held on January 15th. More information...
The solar bakery project in Burundi is up and running! - R20's East Africa Program Manager, Jini Sebakunzi, was at the inauguration ceremony for the new bakery in Gitega, Burundi this past November. The solar oven being used is the Villager Sun Oven, manufactured by US-based company Sun Ovens International. Each oven is capable of baking hundreds of loaves of bread each day. Environmentally speaking, the oven allows the users to save over 150 tons of firewood each year, which results in the reduction of around 277 tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually. In addition, by replacing the firewood with solar energy, the ovens will protect the bakers from inhaling harmful smoke. The twelve women trained to operate the new solar oven are motivated to see the the new enterprise become integrated with the community, and also to be able benefit economically for their efforts. Read more: R20 and local partner, CIRID, host inauguration ceremony of solar bakery project in Gitega, Burundi
Boulangerie Solaire JTA 11.12.14
R20's East Africa Program Manager, Jini Sebakunzi, was at the inauguration ceremony for the new bakery enterprise in November, 2014. - Journal Télévisé Afrique (BURUNDI)
Gasifier stove and other renewable fuel technologies.m4v
Professor Ajay Chandak demonstrates some of his renewable and sustainable designs for a gasifier stove, institutional solar parabolic cookers and biodigesters.
Saturday, April 18, 2015: (Kalamath Falls) A free program, “How to Build and Use a Solar Oven,” will be led by Brittany Johansen at 10:30 a.m. in the Klamath County Library, located at 126 S. 3rd St. She will explain the science behind passive solar heating and how to use and build a solar oven.
Amazon Smile donation program - Consider signing up for http://smile.amazon.com, and choose Solar Cookers International as your charity of choice. The AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price from your eligible AmazonSmile purchases.
(EVENT) Saturday, April 11, 2015: (Sierra Vista) The Sierra Vista Community Market will celebrate Earth Day with an Earth Day trivia quiz, kid's activities, and a solar cooking demonstration in Veterans’ Memorial Park. More information...
(EVENT) Saturday, April 11, 2015: (Tucson) Join Citizens for Solar for the 33rd Solar Potluck and Exhibition happening at Catalina State Park. Experience the flavors of solar-cooked food and explore solar appliances, exhibitions (ovens, fountains, coolers, lights, electrical systems), and solar arts. The event is co-sponsored by Arizona State Parks. The event runs 10:00 a.m. - Sunset. More information...
(EVENT) Saturday, August 8, 2015: (San Diego)Jim La Joie, designer of the All Season Solar Cooker, will present a 2 p.m. free class about solar cooking at the City Farmers Nursery located at 4832 Home Ave. He will cover the different types of solar cookers available and cooking techniques. When registering for the class you are offered a reduced price on an All Season's Solar Cooker. Sign up for this option prior to the class. More information...
August 2011:
KOMO4 News Solar in Seattle
Tom and solar cooking expert Linda Stein show anchor Mary Nam how to cook, take a hot camping shower, provide all the electricity for your home, and brighten up a room -- all with the sun!
Links to several construction manuals used at various times by the Solar Cooker Project team - Solar Cooker Design Manuals
