The Solar Oven: Environmentally Friendly and Cheap

A solar oven or a solar cooker, as they are often called, harnesses the sun's energy to use it to cook food.

However, unlike active solar applications, which use a number of different tools, such as solar panels--which convert sunlight into energy which can be used in homes—to create energy, a solar oven harnesses purely passive solar energy—that is, it heats itself through design.

So how does a solar oven work?

A solar oven works purely through design.

The most basic models are pieces of wood, arranged into a box-type shape and then covered over in tin foil or in mirrors. When placed directly in the sun, these solar ovens will heat up to temperatures of up to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. While a traditional oven can get even hotter (often up to 600 degrees Fahrenheit), 300 degrees is sufficient to cook most foods.

Where can I find a solar oven?

If you live somewhere where it isn't sunny often, a solar oven might be out of the question, but if you live in the tropics or in the Southern United States, you might actually be able to construct your own solar oven. If you position it carefully to trap sunlight and let it heat up, you should be able to cook food as you normally would on your indoor oven.

What else is good about a solar oven? Solar ovens help conserve resources. Unlike traditional ovens, which require scarce resource inputs, a solar oven only requires the initial materials required to build it, which can often be quite inexpensive. This is especially important in countries where fuel is scarce and expensive – and is driving deforestation through tree harvesting for charcoal.

Additionally, a solar oven is really cheap when compared to other ovens. It usually costs hundreds less and will not require any additional maintenance or regular gas inputs.