05 - Solar Cooking Box

30.11.2008 (Siem Reap)

Many people use firewood for cooking in a stove, which is mostly located outside behind the house or in the garden. Although firewood it is cheaper than gas or electricity, we still calculated about 100 USD per year for an average family of five persons. So we got the idea to construct a solar cooking box, that uses the sun for cooking. If it could help saving only half of the wood, then it should be an interesting alternative for many households.

It is not difficult to find descriptions for scb‘s in the internet, the problem however is, to build one with local resources and meeting local demands. After some days of investigation in Siem Reap, our first two models were ready for being tested yesterday.

I must admit however, that I am not very convinced so far. The water heats up but the temperature is not as high as we expected it to be. Considering the fact, that the box should also work at times, when it is at least partly cloudy, there is still a lot to do to improve its efficiency.

Tomorrow I will go to Phnom Penh for some days, and I will also try to find new ideas and materials there. We hope to have a functional box by the beginning of the next year and then to be able to produce it on a larger sale and to sell it to private households.