Executive Summary: Every day women and children in developing countries carry firewood.

Their daily load would fill approximately 70.000 big lorries and the affordability towards gas. Many studies indicate that one third of this amount could be compensated by solar cookers, thereby diminishing health problems caused by smoke. Everyone needs to cook. Solar cookers are an easy way to use less firewood and save money. Families in the developing world spend 20 30% of their income on fuel for cooking, yet in many places there is a much cheaper way of cooking using the sun! Solar cooking will never fully replace traditional forms of cooking but can complement it and radically cut down on fuel costs. By using solar cookers, about 25.000 km2 of forest could be saved. The CO2 emission of the use of solar cookers is zero. The need to cook food for nourishment is fundamental to nearly every society and requires the expenditure of energy in some form. Solar energy can be harnessed to meet this need without the environmental and health problems associated with most other fuels. There are a wide variety of devices designed to capture the suns energy and harness it for cooking food; unfortunately, it is often difficult to compare these devices to one another. The use of solar energy to cook food presents a viable alternative to the use of fuel wood, kerosene, and other fuels traditionally used in developing countries for the purpose of preparing food. While certainly, solar cookers cannot entirely halt the use of combustible fuels for food preparation, it can be shown that properly applied, solar cooking can be used as an effective mitigation tool with regards to global climate change, deforestation, and economic debasement of the worlds poorest people. The vast majority of the solar cookers presently in use are relatively cheap, low-tech devices. Because they use no fuel and cost nothing to operate, many nonprofit organizations are promoting their use worldwide to help reduce fuel costs for low-income people, reduce air pollution and slow deforestation and desertification, caused by use of firewood for cooking. Solar cooking is a form of outdoor cooking and is often used in situations where minimal fuel consumption is important, or the danger of accidental fires is high. Solar cookers can be made out of cardboard boxes and can last for years they are produced cheaply and sold cheaply too making them attractive to families in the developing world.

Introduction to the Project: What is solar cooker? A solar cooker, or solar oven, is a device which uses the energy of sunlight to heat food or drink to cook it or sterilize it. High-tech versions, for example electric ovens powered by solar cells, are possible, and have some advantages such as being able to work in diffuse light.

Types of Solar cookers 1) Boxed Cooker: A box cooker has a transparent glass or plastic top, and it may have additional reflectors to concentrate sunlight into the box. The top can usually be removed to allow dark pots containing food to be placed inside. One or more reflectors of shiny metal or foil-lined material may be positioned to bounce extra light into the interior of the oven chamber. Cooking containers and the inside bottom of the cooker should be dark-colored or black. Inside walls should be reflective to reduce radiative heat loss and bounce the light towards the pots and the dark bottom, which is in contact with the pots. The box should have insulated sides. The basic purpose of a solar box cooker is to heat things up - cook food, purify water, and sterilize instruments - to mention a few. A solar box cooks because the interior of the box is heated by the energy of the sun. Sunlight, both direct and reflected, enters the solar box through the glass or plastic top. It turns to heat energy when it is absorbed by the dark absorber plate and cooking pots. This heat input causes the temperature inside of the solar box cooker to rise until the heat loss of the cooker is equal to the solar heat gain. Temperatures sufficient for cooking food and pasteurizing water are easily achieved. Given two boxes that have the same heat retention capabilities, the one that has more gain, from stronger sunlight or additional sunlight via a reflector, will be hotter inside. Given two boxes that have equal heat gain, the one that has more heat retention capabilities better insulated walls, bottom, and top - will reach a higher interior temperature. The following heating principles will be considered first: Heat loss Heat gain Heat storage

2) Panel Cooker: Panel solar cookers are very inexpensive solar cookers that use reflective panels to direct sunlight to a cooking pot that is enclosed in a clear plastic bag.Panel Cookers or

Combination Cookers incorporate elements of both the boxed and curved concentrator cookers. They are the easiest and cheapest to make and use, do not require windows or insulation like the boxed cooker, and can also be folded up and stored away easily. The cooker is however, not quite as robust as the boxed cooker, and cannot cook as much food at once as the curved concentrator cooker. 3) Solar kettles: Solar kettles are solar thermal devices that can heat water to boiling point by relying on solar energy alone. Low-tech ones are used in the preparation of hot drinks, and to sterilize water. There are also fairly high-tech ones, using vacuum tube technology. Where will Solar Cooking work? Anywhere with fuel scarcity and sun is an ideal place for solar cooking to work. Particular hot spots include most of Sub-Saharan Africa, Eastern Asia and Central America/Caribbean. Currently it is estimated around 500 million people would benefit from solar cookers - however the benefits of solar cooking can be enjoyed anywhere there is frequent sun and where either paying for or collecting fuel is a burden. A solar cooker uses the energy of the Sun to cook food. An essential part of all solar cookers is a reflector. This is a shiny surface that reflects and concentrates the Suns Energy. The panels are made from polycarbonate board and covered with aluminized plastic sheet. The sections are held together with flexible tape hinges. The bottom is a round piece of polycarbonate covered with aluminum foil. In the center of the solar cooker is a pot with the food to be cooked. The pot is inside a glass enclosure. This traps heat and keeps the food at a higher temperature than would be the case without the enclosure. The metal cooking pot is black so as to absorb more of the Suns energy. The enclosure is made from five square pieces of glass joined together with silicone glue. It had 10 panels instead of 12 and used a plastic bag rather than a glass box to enclose the cooking pot. The temperature in the pot reached 86C (187F). How will it work? .working principle of solar cooker is Most solar cookers work on basic principles: sunlight is converted to heat energy that is retained for cooking.

Fuel: Sunlight Sunlight is the "fuel." A solar cooker needs an outdoor spot that is sunny for several hours and protected from strong wind, and where food will be safe. Solar cookers don't work at night or on cloudy days.

Convert sunlight to heat energy Dark surfaces get very hot in sunlight, whereas light surfaces don't. Food cooks best in dark, shallow, thin metal pots with dark, tight-fitting lids to hold in heat and moisture. Retain heat A transparent heat trap around the dark pot lets in sunlight, but keeps in the heat. This is a clear, heat-resistant plastic bag or large inverted glass bowl (in panel cookers) or an insulated box with a glass or plastic window (in box cookers). Curved concentrator cookers typically don't require a heat trap. Capture extra sunlight One or more shiny surfaces reflect extra sunlight onto the pot, increasing its heat potential.

Obstacles to solar cooking: - Requires Good Sunny Weather: Solar cooking will never replace fully other energy methods. Solar cooking only works when the shine is shining. So you cannot use your cooking in the evening or when it is cloudy. As a result, solar cooking is an addition to traditional cooking methods. - Knowledge. Solar cookers are not used more widely because they are not well-known and are a new and strange technology. Convincing people of their benefits - i.e. the money and time they will save if they use one - can be hard. Getting past peoples skepticism will be very important if you are to succeed in selling them the cookers. - Cannot fry foods. In cultures and societies where frying is common, take up of solar cookers will be less as the cheaper models cannot fry foods. Advantages of solar cooking: 1) Save Money and Time Sunshine is free! Less firewood has to be bought and searched for, cutting down on costs for the family, and time saved for the women and children who previously searched for firewood. The cost of making and buy solar cookers is also very low. 2) Safe, Healthy & Convenient There is no flame to cause burns or uncontrolled fires, and there is no smoke to injure eyes or cause breathing problems. Water can also be pasteurized (made safe to drink), food retains nutrients and doesnt get burned, and finally many of these cookers can easily be packed away and transported. 3) Environmental Impacts The cutting down of trees and forests for firewood is a big problem internationally. This in turn leads to soil erosion which damages agriculture. Solar cookers lessen the demand for firewood saving 1 ton of wood per year for each solar cooker! 4) Versatile & Adaptable The cookers can be made out of a variety of materials, designs and sizes. They can cook a wide variety of foods in a variety of ways (cook, boil or bake) and also purify (through pasteurization) water. Benefits Health and nutrition

Moderate cooking temperatures in simple solar cookers help preserve nutrients. Those who otherwise could not afford the fuel to do so can cook nutritious foods such as legumes and many whole grains that require hours of cooking. At times many families must trade scarce food for cooking fuel. Solar cooking helps them to keep more food and improve their nutrition. Smoky cooking fires irritate lungs and eyes and can cause diseases. Solar cookers are smoke-free. Cooking fires are dangerous, especially for children, and can readily get out of control causing damage to buildings, gardens, etc. Solar cookers are fire-free. Millions of women routinely walk for miles to collect fuel wood for cooking. Burdensome fuel-gathering trips can cause injuries, and expose women to danger from animals and criminals. Solar cooking reduces these risks and burdens, and frees time for other activities.

With good sunlight, solar cookers can be used to cook food or pasteurize water during emergencies when other fuels and power sources may not be available.

Economics Many poverty-stricken families worldwide spend 25% or more of their income on cooking fuel. Sunlight solar cooker "fuel" is free and abundant. Money saved can be used for food, education, health care, etc. Solar cooker businesses can provide extra income. Opportunities include cooker manufacturing, sales and repair, as well as solar food businesses like restaurants and bakeries. Convenience At moderate solar cooking temperatures food doesn't need to be stirred and won't burn food can simply be placed in a solar cooker and left to cook, unattended, for several hours while other activities are pursued. In the right circumstances it is possible to put a solar cooker out in the morning and return home in the late afternoon to a hot meal ready to eat.

Pots used for solar cooking are easy to clean a fact especially valuable for women who must walk many kilometers to collect water. Many solar cookers are portable, allowing for solar cooking at work sites or while pursuing outdoor activities like picnics, trekking or camping.

Project Broad Objectives: The main objective is about making use of the studies of renewable and non renewable energy and sketch out the ideas 1) To become financially dependent. 2) To fight against deforestation by offering renewable energy technology. 3) To ensure the cost effective utilization of scarce financial resources. 4) For identifying issues of concern related to a save environment, socio-economic development especially for woman and children. 5) To grow the business into a large renewable energy supplier and service provider. 6) To inculcate switching behavior towards renewable energy resources. Scope of the Project: This report enhances the wide use of the product and also impact down the pike growth of the economy and well being of the country and save the renewable energy resources. The suns energy is really powerful. Solar energy is renewable and its free. That can be used to make electricity, to heat buildings and to cook. Millions of people cant find enough wood and cant effort much gas to cook, so using solar cookers would be a suggestible idea. The business will also endeavors to improve the living standard of marginalized communities by empowering them through the provision of affordable solar energy oven and equipping them with skills to manufacture such ovens in order to support their families. Market Analysis: Solar cooking is beneficial to the present lower and middle level segment because it can reduce their cost of fuel and/or lighten the burdens of their daily life. For example, the need to search for and collect fuel wood is reduced, and solar cooking makes light work of meal preparation. The cook is not required to stand over a hot fire, constantly stirring the food and is not exposed to the soot or dirt associated with open fire cooking. Finally, since solar cooking reduces the need for an open fire during the day, it provides a healthier and safer living environment by reducing

household air pollution and reducing the opportunity for injury due to burns. As described earlier, many of the needs of a all the segment people can be met by solar cooking. However, there are many options of solar cookers and competing technologies. But this is not with a intention of expecting to compete with larger / higher-end ovens that, due to their size and cost, better serve a collective of families or wealthier consumers. Target customers:

The solar cooker can be used both in the rural and urban areas; In the rural sector it saves village women from having to trudge for miles in search of scraps of firewood and spending their lifetime in smoke-filled kitchens;

In the urban sector it saves energy on kerosene and LPG and makes cooking easy.

Market share: As if now it has not be designed to get market share but indeed is a environment friendly product whereby the concentration is on saving the resources and promoting to every end of the market. This may get huge market share thereby in the coming years when the resources level starts declining to negative stages. This product is being launched in higher cost and lower market share segment right now but would be for sure seen in higher cost and higher market share segment in a span of 2-4 years from now. Factors for comparing solar cookers: 1. Cost 2. Convenience 3. Safety 4. Wind resistance 5. Heating capacity 6. Durability - repairs should be infrequent and easily performed 7. Simplicity of instructions Development of direct heat technology could significantly reduce the cost of solar cooking technologies. Financial Analysis

Approximately 2,400 square centimeters of scrap aluminum plate will make one 20 cm x 27.5 cm x 5.5 cm pan, with cover. The material cost is less than $0.30 per pan. The figures below are a rough estimate of the costs of making first batch of 500 cardboard box solar cookers. The basic investment required would be around 9000-10000/- to start up preparing solar cooker boxes. The profit attained would be around 40000/- that would be almost 80/- er every solar cooker that is sold.

Start Up Cost Item Start up costs Equipment to make boxes: 1) Knife 2) Tape 3) Scissors 4) Other 5) Marketing 6) Advertising Budget 7) Contingency Fund Total Start up Cost: Profit calculation Items Operational Costs: Materials: 1) Inner Boxes 2) Outer Boxes 3) Other Materials 4) Contingency 5) Labor 25/25/50/5/15/500 500 500 500 500 12500/12500/25000/2500/7500/Unit Cost Units Total Cost 100/100/100/1000/1 10 1 100/1000/100/1000/5000/1000/8200/Unit cost Units Total cost

10

Total Operational Cost Solar Cooker Sales Total Revenue Total Profit 200/500

60000/100000/100000/40000/-

Annual Maintenance cost Per family Components Repair Frequency Estimated cost Utensils Castor wheels Repainting Once in a year 6 Replacing Once years Levers,screws Replacing Once years Mirror Replacing Once years Gasket Replacing Once in a year 5 5 in 5 140 28 in 2 12 6 in 4 20 6 5 Annual cost

Technical Analysis: As this product doesnt involve much of technology the basic requirements of the product are; Requirements: General description: Solar Picnic is a new kind of panel solar cooker which one can build it by transparent plastic sheet (waterproof) or even by cardboard and using aluminum coated adhesive tape for its reflecting surface. It can not only cook or warming foods in any latitude but also for making a cup of tea in 10-20 minutes (depending on season in middle latitudes). Size: 20 x 20 cm (closed form)

11

Opening area: 64 x 44 cm Weight: 0.3 Kg Materials: transparent plastic sheet, aluminum coated adhesive tape, shoe string, flat tea pot, black colored tape, heat resistance transparent nylon bag.

Temperatures: In middle latitudes near noon time: A cup of tea can reach to 60 degree Celsius c in (10/20 min.) in (summer/winter). A cup of tea can reach to 100 degree Celsius in (25/50 min.) in (summer/winter). Dry foods can reach to 112 degree Celsius. Materials: Cardboard boxes (or bamboo), aluminum foil, black paint, plastic sheets Panel and box cookers are easily and inexpensively built using corrugated cardboard (carton board) as the form. To increase durability, outer, non-reflective surfaces can be painted, oiled or waxed to help protect from moisture. Plain or corrugated plastics Wood Woven mats OUTER BOX : Should be made of materials that are well insulated and can be sealed well with the lid. Several of the following materials will satisfy these requirements: Plain or corrugated plastics Wood Metal Masonite Bricks INNER BOX: Should be able to withstand high temperatures without releasing any fumes. The surface that faces the cooking pot should be reflective, lined with reflective material, or black. Several of the following materials will satisfy these requirements:

12

 Wood Sheet metal Masonite Woven baskets Mats GLUE: Avoid using tape petroleum- and rubber-based glues for inner cooking surfaces. Advisable glues include: Water-based polyvinyl acetate glues (preferably evenly diluted with water) Wheat or rice flower paste Acacia gum Casein glue

Environmental Analysis: As the product is a environmental friendly one there would be no impact of the product on the environment. Successful solar cooking is dependent upon access to sunshine and the right climate. Though solar cooking is possible in many if not most countries, it is most practical for people living in climates that are generally dry and sunny for at least six months of the year. Latitudes between the equator and 40 are usually best. The darker regions on the following map tend to have longer cooking seasons. Solar Cookers International has compiled a list of twenty countries with the highest potential for solar cooking. Criteria for this ranking

13

include annual average sunlight, cooking fuel scarcity and population size. Of the estimated 500 million people who have abundant sunshine and suffer from fuel scarcity, 85% of them live in just 10 countries. Anthropogenic carbon-based emissions are increasing concentration of so-called greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere. These emissions come from a variety of sources but the primary human contribution to the atmospheric carbon balance is through combustion of fuels. There have been many estimates of the potential contribution of solar cookers to reducing global climate change. One optimistic estimate cites a potential reduction of fuel wood use by 36% due to solar cookers, which corresponds to approximately 246 million metric tons of wood each year. Therefore, the optimistic estimate would provide for a net greenhouse gas offset of nearly 140 million metric tons per year. Global climate change is a pressing concern, both environmentally and socially, with the potential to affect billions of lives and the entire global biosphere. There is a significant contribution to climate change brought about through the combustion of fuels in a manner that is not carbon neutral. Through offsetting some of this fuel usage through the use of solar cookers or other technologies, a corresponding decrease in emissions can be realized, as part of a strategy to minimize carbon emissions. Conclusion: About two billion people in the world are dependent on firewood or petroleum fuel for cooking. As a result firewood is the most used energy source. On average one person use more than 500 kg of firewood per annum. Thus, a total of 2.7 to 3.8 million tons per annum. The result is as such that trees and bushes are depleted, soil erosion, rain become scarce, ground water level drop and desertification. This chain reaction can only be reduced successfully by promoting renewable energy concepts. A direct sunshine of more than 300 days per annum recorded in most parts of the world. In many emerging countries, it is becoming increasingly difficult to secure energy for cooking. In areas where fuel wood is the traditional source of energy, Intensive deforestation and erosion cause irreversible environmental damage. This is compounded by high population growth. Cooking with fossil fuels coal, gas and Kerosene carries a high price. It is expensive both directly to the user and indirectly, to the national economy as a result of currency drain and/or subsidization. The security of supply is also often questionable. This is worrying as the quality of life deteriorates and there are negative effects on local economies.

14

Energy is the prime mover of economic growth and is vital to the survival of a modern economy. Future economic growth crucially depends on the long-term availability of energy from sources that are affordable, accessible and environmentally friendly. In many equatorial regions, native trees and bushes are being cut at an alarming rate to meet the growing demands for agricultural and, industry, and fuel wood and charcoal. The environmental consequences of this

deforestation are severe, ranging from soil erosion and climate changes to flooding and the destruction of farmland. Moreover, dwindling supplies of wood mean that people must spend more time and energy in the search for cooking fuel.

One alternative is to use kerosene or liquefied petroleum gas. But these are often imported and transporting them to remote areas is usually difficult. The next alternative is to use the sun, particularly in equatorial regions where solar energy is abundant.

Solar energy has the greatest potential of all the sources of renewable sources and if only a small amount of this form of energy could be used, it will be one of the most important supplies of energy especially when other sources in the country have depleted. The solar power where sun hits atmosphere is 1017 watts, whereas the solar power on earth surface is 1016 watts. The total worldwide power demand of all needs of civilization is 1013 watts. Therefore, the sun gives us 1000 times more power than we need. If we can use 5% of this energy, it will be 50 times what the world will require. So, this would be a better product with minimal features that could penetrate fast into rural areas if promoted well and if a good awareness is created among them and henceforth cold be a initiative in saving the resources. Finally, solar cooking is the simplest, safest, most convenient way to cook food without consuming fuels or heating up the kitchen. Many people choose to solar cook for these reasons. But for hundreds of millions of people around the world who cook over fires fueled by wood or dung, and who walk for miles to collect wood or spend much of their meager incomes on fuel, solar cooking is more than a choice it is a blessing.

15

References

16