15.07.2015   EuroSun2008-9

Equipment used

A solar cooking kit, Fig. 2, composed by:

a) a box-like solar cooker (tank cooker)

b) a 2 m-diameter assembler on which a stove or a 20 liter-saucepan is placed. The stove is an iron

angled box 0.32 m high, 0.32m wide and 0.35 m deep. It has double-glass sides and four slides for

trays.

c) a 1.5 m-range assembler with a 10liter-saucepan on its focus.

d) Подпись:
a highly efficient wood heater.

In Table 1, the average use of wood for daily cooking during March is shown. It can be observed that the greatest wood consumption is associated to the preparation of bread; for this reason, greater emphasis was placed on the training and stimulation for the use of the cooker assembler.

Table 1. Use of wood for food cooking

Type of cooking

Weekly use of wood (kg)

Use of wood per person/day (kg)

Breakfast

50

0,16

Lunch

110

0,35

Afternoon snacks

50

0,16

Others

30

0,10

Bread

130

0,42

Table 2 shows the time spent in March for cooking some of the meals recommended by the participating teachers of the school and using only the solar cookers. Both assemblers were used simultaneously in order to take advantage of the hours with most radiation; so, while one group was baking bread, the other was preparing some other meal or heating water for cooking later or

for cleaning the cooking elements.

Table 2. Time spent with solar cooker to cook food

Type of food

Quantity for each baking or

cooking Time spent

session

(hour : min)

Home-made bread

3 kg

1:30

Steaks in frying pan

0.5 kg lamb meat

0:25

Pumpkin jam

4 kg

1:25

“Empanadas”

3 dozens (baked) 1 dozens (fried)

1:00

1:20

Rice stew

40 liters

1:55

The training workshops, Fig. 3, with the participation of the school staff, students and parents — were programmed every two months, and each lasted one week. During the workshops, both assemblers were used simultaneously to take advantage of the greater radiation hours; therefore, while one group was baking bread, the other was cooking some other meal or heating water for later cooking or for cleaning the cooking elements.

image181

Fig. 3. Training workshops in the school N° 494

After the workshops, the equipment used was left in the school with recommendations about the use as a way to detect possible problems during the adoption of this kind of technology. The report presented by one of the teachers shows that the transference was very efficient, provided there are people within the community who are able to assess by themselves the advantages to be obtained with the use of the new devices: “•without the solar modules, the school used one 45kg gas cylinder per week. By using the solar modules and wood heater to have hot water for breakfast, lunch and snacks, we have saved the money used for buying an average of two gas cylinders a month. In the solar module, an average of 80 liters of water can be heated for lunch and snacks.”