1. CONSOLFOOD 2016,
International Conference on Advances in Solar Thermal Food Processing,
Faro, Portugal,
22-23 , January , 2016
NECESSARY DEVELOPMENTS IN SOLAR COOKERS TO MAKE
THEM MORE POPULAR
Dr Ashok Kundapur,
(Solar Cooker International Associate)
‘Kalashree”, Hayagreva Nagara, Udupi—576102,
Email : arkundapur,@yahoo.com Web: http://www.solcooker.net

2. Use of ONE solar cookers can mitigate
ONE TON of GHS entering our
atmosphere per year.
•
If THREE Billion families out there, use solar
cookers, health and wealth of user families as
well as that Planet will improve.
Solar cookers are not popular as they are not
versatile, expandable to cook more food when
needed, cooking at night is not possible, cooking
has to be done in open and also they are costly.
By offsetting these problems, at least the COST,
Solar Cookers would become more popular

3. Versatile SOLAR Concentrating Cookers come
in various shapes and sizes. They can cook
as well as fry food that too at a fast phase.
Developments to To make them more popular are:
1.Reduce cost
2.Make stand more stable
3.Swinging arm for cooking pot to make it easier
to handle
4. Low cost Sun tracking mechanism
5. Easy method to increase capacity of cooking
by adding fins

4. BOX SOLAR COOKERS, which can only cook,
are fairly popular.
In this category, Jim’s All season cooker is
better, for it can trap more sun light.
Improvements needed are :
1.Sizing of these cookers depending on local
needs has to be done carefully,
2. Pot holder of Jim’s cooker needs insulation,
like Foam Glass, for better results,
3. Better material & design of Green Box
4. Low cost tracking device too will be
beneficial.

5. • SOLAR PANEL COOKERS LIKE ‘COOKIT’ have become very
popular especially among refugees of Africa. They are very
efficient in cooking food and three vessels can be used at
the same time.
• Solar FUNNEL cookers could be better as they can capture
more Sun light.
• Improvements needed are :
1. Rendering the cooker more stable,
2. Enabling tracking with out disturbing cooking vessel
assembly
3. Sizing the cooker to suit local needs,
4. Better design of cooking vessel enclosure
5. Low cost tracking system.

6. Cookers like BLAZING SUN SOLAR
COOKERS, seem better.
Further developments needed are
1. Suitable sizing to suit local requirement
2. In Blazing sun type cooking part can be kept
inside the kitchen, and energy capturing unit out
side house with tracking facility.
Recent Solar cookers like GOSUN
& SLICK cook well, but are bit
small, delicate and costly as well.
They too need sizing, & cost
reduction.

7. Everyone is looking for a Solar
cooker with which one can cook in
the comforts of their kitchen.
Some good designs like Scheffler’s
Cookers are in vogue. At Barefoot
College, India, even ILLITERATE
ladies fabricate such cookers.
But residents in multistoried
building have no choice. There is an
urgent need to develop such a Solar
Cooker. Ideas are there, but
development is needed.
Another design is BALCONY COOKER
of Prof. Ajay Chandak, which hasn’t
become popular as yet.

8. • THERE IS ALSO AN URGENT NEED
TO WORK ON LOW COST STORAGE
SYSTEM WITH SUBSTANCES LIKE
GRAVEL OR SAND TO STORE SOLAR
ENERGY FOR NIGHT TIME HEATING
OF FOOD, IF NOT FOR COOKING

9. SRI DEEPAK GADHIA, A PIONEER AND
STALWART HAS INSTALLED SEVERAL
COMMERCIAL SOLAR COOKERS, SOME IN
TEMPLES & AT MILITARY CAMPS. BUT THEY
ARE VERY FEW. CHOICE NOW MOSTLY FOR
SCHEFFLER’S TYPE COOKERS.
DEVELOPMENT OF COMMERCIAL SOLAR
COOKERS TOO NEED IMMEDIATE & GREATER
ATTENTION. IT WILL BE VERY PROFITABLE
FOR ESTABLISHMENTS.

10. NGOs & GOVERNMENT SHOULD
INTENSIFY SOLAR COOKER
CAMPAIGNS THROUGH
1. ACTIVE ADVERTISEMENTS
2. PUBLISIZING SUCCESS STORIES,
3. SHOULD SELECT BEST DESIGNS FOR
DIY PROJECTS,
4. SHOULD ALSO SELECT BEST
MATERIALS FOR DIY PROJECTS,
STOCK THEM, (like durable reflector
materials and transparent plastic
materials) & can sell them may be for
a small profit.

11. COME - LET’S
WORK TOGETHER
TO MAKE SOLAR
COOKERS MORE
POPULAR AND
SAVE THE PLANET

12. THANK
YOU