Solar Cooker Workshop
The Green Venture Solar-Cooker Workshop
By Cody Koika, Green Venture Interpreter and Garden Volunteer
On Saturday July 26th, I arrived at EcoHouse in response to an email I received about a workshop. Despite having previously volunteered at the non-profit organization, I was quite nervous about attending. I barely knew anything about the subject matter—the science and technology of solar cookers. However, I would soon discover, upon being seated around a table with about fifteen other eager participants, that we would not only learn about the mechanics of this environmentally friendly alternative to the oven, we would help create them.
After a brief introduction and warm welcome from an enthusiastic member of the staff at EcoHouse, Sapphire, we began with an informative lecture about various solar cookers, including their history, science and usage. It was highly interesting, so naturally I was excited when it was announced that we would pick a different station, and begin to create one. The two main stations were the solar oven and the solar parabola cooker.
With the help of a few engineering summer students, two full time staff and an EcoHouse Interpreter, the solar cooker construction was quickly under way. Although two solar cooker designs required basic math skills to get the dimensions correct, it was astonishing how much was accomplished using plain old cut’n’paste. As we soon learned, the solar ovens weren’t just simple and inexpensive to make, they are highly efficient and practical. We merely acted upon the instructions that were dictated through a manual found on the internet. After about a hour of measuring and assembling, team work and creative problem solving, we finished building three solar cookers.
After observing the work that had been done, everyone enjoyed some refreshments before gathering once again to discuss what we learned. Ultimately, one could say that we gained the knowledge of how to create an inexpensive, efficient and portable oven. Yet, the true wisdom gained was how to create something has the potential to save energy out of objects that would otherwise end up in the land fill or recycling bin.
I would recommend visiting EcoHouse to see first hand the three solar cookers built at the workshop. The cookers are on display along with information about their construction and the results of the staff’s successful and not so successful cooking experiments.
What is solar cooking? A solar cooker harnesses the power of the sun by concentrating the intensity of sun rays using a combination of black and reflective surfaces. The materials for its creation are relatively affordable: ruler, tin foil, glue, and cardboard; materials that may otherwise end up in a landfill. The designs are simple yet effective, and a well constructed solar oven can heat up to 250 or even 300 degrees Celsius, thus being able to cook many types of food. Millions of people around the world (namely, India) use solar cookers in place of electric or gas stoves and ovens. Due to its relatively lightweight and portable design, the oven is ideal for cooking while camping. Solar cooking one way you can save energy and reduce your dependency on fossil fuels. And most importantly, they are simple and fun to make and use!
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