Iriarte Adolfo1*, Bistoni Silvia1, Rodriguez Carlos2 and Pereyra Alejandrina1

1Grupo Energia Renovable Catamarca, INENCO — CONICET Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias — Universidad
Nacional de Catamarca — M. Quiroga 93- 4700 Catamarca — Argentina.

2 Subsecretaria de Ciencia y Tecnica, Gobierno de Catamarca, Republica 830- Catamarca

*iriarteadolfo@gmail. com

Abstract

In the Province of Catamarca, Argentina, many people have no access to conventional energy sources at reasonable costs. Moreover this province is characterized by a high solar radiation level. The purpose of this work is to analyze the transference of solar cooking devices. The work was developed in two locations with different characteristics: “Los Bajos”, a marginal establishment near the capital city of the Province and Antofagasta de la Sierra Village, in the puna region of Catamarca. For the transference, a cooking set was delivered to both groups. In “Los Bajos” the transference and appropriation process was carried out en two stages. In the first stage, the social conditions were diagnosed, and the new solar cooking technology was made known. The second stage corresponds to technology adoption for productive purposes. Training workshops in Antofagasta de la Sierra Village were carried out in the school with the attendance of all the school staff, the students and their parents. Different foods were cooked. The results obtained show a significant saving in combustible expenses (gas and firewood), which are important for family life. Moreover, the possibilities of micro enterprises allow achieving stable jobs thus improving life quality.

Keywords: solar cooking, technology transfer process

1. Introduction

In the Province of Catamarca, Argentina, many people have no access to conventional energy sources at reasonable costs. The use of wood for cooking and water heating for hygienic purposes contributes to increase wasteland, so an urgent search for alternative energy sources is necessary to improve these people’s standard of living.

High solar radiation in this zone can be used to generate thermal energy. There are different devices using this type of energy which can be incorporated into these people’s everyday life, provided an adequate transference process of this technology is developed.

Any process of transference needs to be incorporated gradually. For this purpose, the Group of Renewable Energies, Catamarca which belongs to INENCO — CONICET, together with Science and Technology Assistant Secretary’s Office of the provincial government have been developing different projects in order to improve the users’ training by means of the exchange of experiences and expectations so as to reach consented proposals of solution [1] [2] .

This work presents the transference process of community solar cooking technology carried out in two rural localities in Catamarca, the village of “Antofagasta” in Antofagasta de la Sierra county and “Los Bajos”, a settlement in San Isidro city, in Valle Viejo county.

In the village of “Antofagasta” — situated in the upper region of the county, the solar systems installation has the purpose of avoiding the use of the scarce vegetation as energy source and of diminishing the use of wood from the lower regions. The intention is to show the advantages of the solar technology and to spread its use multiplying the diffusion process.

In “Los Bajos”, the experience is related to the solar technology application for cooking meals which allows six families in a very vulnerable situation to find working opportunities in order to achieve sustainability for their survival and for everyday activities such as personal cleanliness, house cleaning and food cooking.

This work was developed as part of the project “Solar energy for productive micro enterprises in rural zones as a contribution for local sustainability”, financed by the National Ministry of Education, Science and Technology.