SO

LAR

CO

OK

ER

S IN

TER

NA

TIO

NA

LSUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS-

FOCUS ON AFRICA 2007Lustrum - Netherlands

Access to clean cooking technology for wealth and health

By Stella M. Odaba

(Representing Margaret C.A Owino, Regional Director, EA)

Solar Cookers International.

SO

LAR

CO

OK

ER

S IN

TER

NA

TIO

NA

L

SO

LAR

CO

OK

ER

S IN

TER

NA

TIO

NA

LTraditional Dancers.

SO

LAR

CO

OK

ER

S IN

TER

NA

TIO

NA

L

Daily lifestyle of most people.

SO

LAR

CO

OK

ER

S IN

TER

NA

TIO

NA

LBillions of people depend on fuel-

woodas a source of cooking energy…..

SO

LAR

CO

OK

ER

S IN

TER

NA

TIO

NA

L2.4 billion people suffer from

fuel-wood scarcity.

SO

LAR

CO

OK

ER

S IN

TER

NA

TIO

NA

LCONSEQUENCES OF SCARCITY OF

FUEL-WOOD

• Higher expenditure on the provision of domestic fuels

• Malnutrition as people prefer quick / easy to cook foods

• Increase in incidences of water borne diseases, as water might not always be boiled.

• Daily trips to distant places (often dangerous) where some fuel wood can still be sourced.

SO

LAR

CO

OK

ER

S IN

TER

NA

TIO

NA

L• Increase in respiratory infections

due to in-door air pollution

SO

LAR

CO

OK

ER

S IN

TER

NA

TIO

NA

LCaused by poor forms of fuele.g. cow-dung, crop residues, etc.

SO

LAR

CO

OK

ER

S IN

TER

NA

TIO

NA

L• Constant anxiety to cooks and a

bother to children!

SO

LAR

CO

OK

ER

S IN

TER

NA

TIO

NA

LTHE SOLUTION - SOLAR ENERGY

• It is not only infinite it is also plentiful in Africa• It is clean • It is free• It is available at the point of use• It is non-polluting• It does not require complicated drilling

and refining• Technologies to tap it for different needs

– especially for cooking are also available.

SO

LAR

CO

OK

ER

S IN

TER

NA

TIO

NA

LBEST REGIONS FOR SOLAR

COOKING.

SO

LAR

CO

OK

ER

S IN

TER

NA

TIO

NA

LMODELS OF SOLAR COOKERS.

There are many types of solar cookers in the world. The 3 main types are:

Box/Oven types

Concentrator types

Collector combination types

SO

LAR

CO

OK

ER

S IN

TER

NA

TIO

NA

L

FEATURES .

• The BIGGEST solar cooker can cook for 30,000 people (India) while the smallest can cook from a jam tin.

• The most powerful cookers can boil a litre of water in minutes while the weakest take longer but can pasteurise water making it safe to drink.

SO

LAR

CO

OK

ER

S IN

TER

NA

TIO

NA

L

THE COOKIT

• Adopted from Rodger Bernard’s “Salad bowl cooker”• Perfected by Barbara Kerr and other

SCI educationists and engineers• It is the world’s simplest solar cooker

SO

LAR

CO

OK

ER

S IN

TER

NA

TIO

NA

LTHE COOKIT Cont..

• It is a flat surface pasted with a shiny reflecting aluminium foil• The surface is folded at specific

intervals to create angles that reflect more light towards the cooking area.

SO

LAR

CO

OK

ER

S IN

TER

NA

TIO

NA

L

Shiny reflectors

capture extra sunlight

Fuel: SunlightDark surfaces converts sunlight to heat energy

Heat trap retains the heat

HOW THE COOKIT WORKS

SO

LAR

CO

OK

ER

S IN

TER

NA

TIO

NA

LHOW THE COOKIT WORKS Cont’

• It cooks at 180o-250oF ( 82o-121oC)• It can steam, roast, bake and boil

food.• It does not burn food• It pasteurises drinking water• It is clean healthy cooking as the food

retains most of the nutrients.• You can put two small pots at the

same time.• Can cook food for up to 8 people

SO

LAR

CO

OK

ER

S IN

TER

NA

TIO

NA

L

ADVANTAGES OF THE COOKIT

• Light weight, foldable and portable• Easy to make from local materials hence

can be mass-produced• Cheap compared to other types of solar

cookers• Easy to set up, use and maintain.

SO

LAR

CO

OK

ER

S IN

TER

NA

TIO

NA

LFIRELESS COOKER

SO

LAR

CO

OK

ER

S IN

TER

NA

TIO

NA

LUpesi Jiko.

SO

LAR

CO

OK

ER

S IN

TER

NA

TIO

NA

L

WAPI

Water

Pasteurization

Indicator

SO

LAR

CO

OK

ER

S IN

TER

NA

TIO

NA

LSUCCESSES

• After 2 successful refugee projects the solutions are now being offered to three other communities in Kenya.

• Over 4,000 CooKits have been sold at cost• Women are at the core of the dissemination• They learn to use, they make the cookers, promote its

adoption and use and they also offer after sales service.• Make and use fireless cookers for when there is no sun or

early in the morning• Fireless cookers savings range between 20% - 83% • Energy saving stoves and conservation practices in the

Kitchen also enable savings between 30 – 50%.

SO

LAR

CO

OK

ER

S IN

TER

NA

TIO

NA

LELEMENTS OF SUSTAINABILITY

Benefits accruing to users:

ECONOMIC: • Saving money that would have bought firewood or

charcoal.• Freeing up women’s time to other income

generating activities.• Frees up time for young girls to attend school .• Smoke free kitchen and clothing enhances social

status and appearance.• Foods do not burn in CooKits or fireless cookers –

less waste.

SO

LAR

CO

OK

ER

S IN

TER

NA

TIO

NA

LIMPROVING HEALTH

• Safe drinking water – better child and family health

• Reduction of smoke related illnesses• Foods retain their vitamins enhancing health and nutrition• No dangers from open fire accidents• Cleaner surrounding air• Useful to victims of HIV / AIDS, safe water for

ARVs, can cook without much strain.

SO

LAR

CO

OK

ER

S IN

TER

NA

TIO

NA

LADDRESSING PERTINENT

NEEDS:• The use of these technologies saves two tons of wood

in a year• Solar cooking one meal a day, three times a week,

reduces firewood consumption by 1/3.• Reduction of green house gases into the atmosphere.

SO

LAR

CO

OK

ER

S IN

TER

NA

TIO

NA

LOTHER ELEMENTS OF SUSTAINABILITY:• Local production using local materials enhances

affordability or possession.

SO

LAR

CO

OK

ER

S IN

TER

NA

TIO

NA

LOTHER ELEMENTS OF SUSTAINABILITY Cont..

SO

LAR

CO

OK

ER

S IN

TER

NA

TIO

NA

LConcerted efforts to involve the youth and school children means knowledge and skill sustainability in the community.

SO

LAR

CO

OK

ER

S IN

TER

NA

TIO

NA

L • The technologies, while saving hard earned incomes are also a source of income to those who make and promote them.

• Worsening environmental situation is forcing nations to seek alternatives.

• Concern over clean in – door air also lead to alternatives

SO

LAR

CO

OK

ER

S IN

TER

NA

TIO

NA

LEXPANDED APPLICATION.

• Water related diseases kill a child every 8 seconds and are responsible for over 80%

of illness and death in developing nations.

SO

LAR

CO

OK

ER

S IN

TER

NA

TIO

NA

L

• It is possible to reduce these by pasteurising water using the CooKit and water pasteurization indicator (WAPI)

• SCI has been promoting this application in all the projects in Kenya.

EXPANDED APPLICATION Cont’

SO

LAR

CO

OK

ER

S IN

TER

NA

TIO

NA

L

CHALLENGES.• All the technologies discussed - cannot match the

microwave oven and society is geared to faster cooking, mobility etc.

• Effects of climate change – formerly dryer and sunnier places getting wetter and cloudy.

• Dependence of solar cookers on sunshine• Cost of buying the technology• Technology design e.g. one pot at a time verses

two or three

SO

LAR

CO

OK

ER

S IN

TER

NA

TIO

NA

LCONCLUSION

• The search is not over yet more people need to know and use the above technologies to alleviate their problems.

• More research to counter the challenges mention above

• Need for partnerships as the need is enormous.

SO

LAR

CO

OK

ER

S IN

TER

NA

TIO

NA

LUpesi Stove and Fireless Cooker

SO

LAR

CO

OK

ER

S IN

TER

NA

TIO

NA

L

THE COOKIT

…….END…....