Solar Cooker: A solution to Energy Crisis and Global Warming.

While the prices of cooking fuel is soaring, our solar coking system can be a complete solution to this problem. It requires solar energy that is free of cost and it prepares better quality food retaining all the healthy nutrients. This is an Eco-friendly device offering efficient and effective cooking measures. Biggest advantage with our cooking system is safety assurance. The black painted interior is supported with quality glass cover and they collectively absorb the maximum possible heat and consume in the process of cooking.

Box-type solar cooker consists of an insulated box, metallic cooking tray sat inside the box, double glass lid on the cooking tray, and a reflecting mirror fitted on the underside of the lid of the box. The cooking tray is insulated on the sides and bottom. The incoming solar radiation falls onto the double glass lid and passes through it to strike the blackened cooking pots and the cooking tray. The heat is absorbed by the blackened surface and gets transferred to the food inside the pots to facilitate cooking. The mirror reflector is set in such a way to reflect the solar radiation falling on it to the cooker box. Up to four black painted vessels are placed inside the box. The cooker takes 1½ to 2 hours to cook items such as rice, lentils and vegetables. The cooker may also be used to prepare simple cakes, roast cashew nuts, dry grapes, etc. It is an ideal device for domestic cooking during most of the year, except for the monsoon season and cloudy days. It, however cannot be used for frying or chapatti making.

Specifications

There is an Indian Standard (IS 13420: 2000) available for box-type solar cookers which gives the specifications and also the performance parameters of these solar cookers. Advantages
Solar Cooking involves no recurring expenses on fuel as the solar energy is absolutely free.
Cost of the solar cooker gets recovered easily through savings on conventional fuel in few years.

Regular use of a box type solar cooker may save 3-4 LPG cylinders per year.

It saves time, as the cook need not be present during cooking in a solar cooker.

There is no fear of scorching the food.

It provides better and more nutritious food due to slow cooking.

It is durable and simple to operate.

It does not pollute the environment and conserves conventional energy.