Solar cooking ovens

Abstract This report summarizes experimental work sponsored by a grant from the Ford Foundation. The purpose of this work was to develop low-cost solar cooking ovens using sunshine as a cooking “fuel,” primarily for arid tropical countries, where most of the fuel is supplied by burning dried cow dung or other refuse. This age-old practice deprives the land of its natural fertilizer. It has been estimated that if the land were supplied by animal fertilizer, the agricultural yields could be nearly doubled. The introduction of an inexpensive solar cooking oven would, therefore, result in a major improvement in food supplies. This report summarizes the technical part of the solar stove project.