SOLAR KITCHEN AUROVILLE

2. Type of building
use: community kitchen building for
visitors to Auroville
Year of completion:1997
Built-up area: Presently about
2000 m2 Plot size: 3 acres
Location: Crown Urban Corridor,
Auroville Climatic Zone: Hot Humid
coastal zone
Actual Occupancy: Cooking for 1000
person per meal time with seating for
350 at one serving.
Architecture by: Suhasini Ayer

3. General Information and Background
•The Solar Kitchen building has been designed
as a major collective kitchen for the Auroville
community and was finalized in December
1997. Since then it has served lunches in its
Dining Hall and in the same time sent lunches
to different outlets like schools or individuals.
•It derives its name from the big Solar-
Bowl on its roof, which provides part of
the steam for cooking on all the sunny
days of the year. The other part of the steam
needed, is provided by a diesel fired boiler

4. In Auroville
The first solar panels were installed in Auroville in
the early eighties. Today, Auroville has more than
150houses fully powered by photovoltaic panels
and about 50 houses that use solar power in
conjunction with a state grid connection. Some
communities run solely on solar and wind energy.
The total standalone photovoltaic energy capacity
of Auroville is more than 15% of the total
photovoltaic capacity in India.
•Solar energy in Auroville is used mainly for home
lighting systems, pumping water for drinking
purposes and irrigation, heating water for domestic
purposes, and food processing.
•Other solar applications developed are solar curing
chambers for ferrocement prefabricated elements and
solar concentrators.

5. SITE PLAN PLAZA & SOLAR KITCHEN
1- SOLAR KITCHEN
2- CROWN ROAD
3- PARKING
4- POUR TOUS - FINANCIAL
SERVICE
5- MEDIA CENTRE AND LIBRARY
6- EXPANSION
7- PEDESTRIAN BOULEVARD
8- SEMI PAVEDAREA
9- PLAZACOVERED
10- PLANNED GREEN AREA
11- MAHALAKSHMI PARK

6. DINING WINDOW
ENTRY
NORTH FACADE

7. SECTION THROUGH DINING

8. •A15meter diameter solar bowl is installed
and operates at the Solar Kitchen to
produce sufficient steam (600kg) to cook
2,000 meals on clear days.
•The system operates with a fixed spherical reflector
made out of prefabricated ferrocement elements, fitted
together and lined with 11,000 flat mirror facets.
•The moveable receiver is a 4 m long and 23 cm
diameter wide structure kept in focus through
a computerized tracking system.
•Aheat transfer fluid is made to circulate in the primary loop and
steam is produced in a heat exchanger and sent to double-
jacketed steam cooking vessels in which food is prepared.
•The system is automatically controlled and hybridised with a
diesel fired boiler to ensure that meals are always served in
time, irrespective of the weather conditions
THE SOLAR BOWL
CONCENTRATOR
AT SOLAR KITCHEN

9. MECHANISM OF SOLAR BOWL

10. DINING HALL
KITCHEN SERVICE COUNTER

11.  Solar Kitchen
 The aim of the project was to build a demonstration project
a.In the use of SOLAR THERMAL ENERGY in steam generation, this in the case of this
project will be used for cooking meals 3 times a day for about 1000 people.
b.To support the organic farming sector of Auroville and the local villages by being the
main purchaser for their products, this can be used for the meals prepared in the
kitchen.
c.To provide for the nutritional needs of the present community of Auroville (1700
inhabitants approx :) including the meals at the schools, work places and for special
occasions.
d.To be a demonstration project for Appropriate building materials and technology,
Solar Passive
 Architecture and Waste Water Recycling.

12. THANK YOU