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Sol Cooker 2 of 3
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Subject: Sol Cooker 2 of 3
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From: sparks@helix.eskimo.com (Scott Parks)
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Date: 13 May 94 22:06:44 -0800
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Article: 21573 of sci.energy
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Newsgroups: sci.energy
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Organization: Helix: FidoNet<>Internet - Seattle (206)783-6368
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Forwarded (from: homepowr) by Scott Parks using timEd.
Originally from Don Kulha (1:125/7.0) to All.
Original dated: May 05 '94, 10:06
We had another successful experience in the second community
we worked in, Nueva Esperanza. Nueva Esperanza is also a
community of repatriated refugees. However, this 400 member
community is located in Usulutan, in the south of El Salvador.
We installed a similar lighting system. We used a 150 Amp-
hour nickel-iron battery which was donated by Utility Free,
two solar electric panels and four 20 Watt lights to light up
the community center. After monitoring the system for two
months we realized that they had a lot more accessible power
than they were using. We set up a 400 Watt inverter, donated
by PowerStar, so they can use some of their ac appliances
which they usually ran on the generator. Now they can listen to
music without going through endless amounts of D cell
batteries, which is a major expense in the community.
The third community in which we worked was La Mora. We
installed a lighting system on the schoolhouse. La Mora is one
of the central communities in Cuscatlan, and the schoolhouse
is quite large since it serves over 300 children from many
neighboring communities. We ended up installing two Siemens
M53 photovoltaic panels, two 220 Amp-hour lead-acid
batteries, and six different light fixtures consuming
approximately 80 watts total. The head school teacher told us
how important the lights were because many children have to
work in the fields with their parents during the day. Now both
children and parents will be able to attend night classes.
Technology Transfer
The three men from El Sitio helped us install the Nueva
Esperanza system and the La Mora system. They learned
quickly. By the third system they had the panels mounted, all
the connections soldered, the lights wired, and the system
working after one very long day. The people in La Mora were
ecstatic. We left feeling very confident knowing that the El
Sitio crew could fix any problem that occurred and install
more systems if the opportunity arose.
Solar Ovens
We also gave a workshop on solar ovens in Nueva Esperanza. El
Salvador is highly deforested, and many people spend hours
every day searching for firewood. By cooking with solar ovens,
people are not only saving time, but also alleviating many
respiratory and eye problems caused by the conventional wood
fire cooking methods. For two months (while battling swarms
of mosquitoes and absurd heat) we taught eight women how to
build and use solar ovens.
The design of the oven is from PROCESO, the Central American
Solar Energy Project, directed by Bill Lankford. Bill has been
introducing solar ovens into communities in Central America
for years. His model is easy to construct, relies on easy to find
materials, and is simple to use. He has had so much success in
other countries of Central America that we thought we would
introduce his model to El Salvador. He gave us his workbooks to
use, which give detailed steps in Spanish on how to construct
the oven. The materials, such as plywood and cardboard, are all
readily available in El Salvador. For insulation we used corn
husks which are in abundance in Nueva Esperanza.
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