“The development effects of solar
cooking technologies for households
and institutions in Africa”
Conference
Local adaptation to climate change for improved food and
energy security in rural Africa
Oslo
14.12.10
Pia Otte
PhD candidate, Institute for Sociology and Political Science,
NTNU, Trondheim
Overview
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NUFU solar network project
Why solar cooking?
What is solar cooking?
Development
Development effects of solar cooking for
households
• Development effects of solar cooking for
institutions
NUFU solar network project
• Network Project on Small Scale Solar Concentrating Systems
• Aim: Develop a small scale solar cooking system with high
temperatures and heat storage for public institutions in an African
setting
• Applications: Cooking, heating water, production of steam?
• Project period 2007-2011
• Cooperation partners
Eduardo Modlane Universtiy, Maputo, Mozambique
Makerere University, Uganda
Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia
Mekelle University, Ethiopia
Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia
Types of activities
Maputo
Heat
collection
Dish with
mirrors
Heat
transport
Air based,
once through
Heat storage
Rock bed
Tracking
M echanical
S imulation
Applications
Makarere
Addis
Mekelle
Bahir Dar
Trough
Local
system
production of
Optimization dish
Heat pipes
Dish with
mirrors and
film
Heat
transport to
injera pan
Rock bed
Insulation
Air, oil, HTF
Rock bed,
PCM
Adapt form
other activity
System
dynamics
NTNU
Trough
analysis
Control
systems
Heat pipes
Simulation
injera pan
Solar system
for injera
baking
2009 Report: 13 PhDs, 14 MScs, 22 presentations + other media
Ray tracer
Why solar cooking?
Source: GRID Arendal (2010)
What is solar cooking?
• Principle of solar cooking: Sunlight is
converted to heat energy which is retained
for cooking
• Clean cooking technology
• First design of solar cooker: Nicholas de
Saussure (1740-1799) built a black insulated
solar cooker
• Worldwide numerous organizations working
with solar cookers (SCI founded in 1987)
Development
• „Over time developmet has carried very
different meanings“ (Nederveen Pieterse
2001:5)
• Modernization Theory 1950s, Dependency
Theory 1960s, Alternative Development
1970s, Human Development 1980s…
Capability Approach (pioneered by Amartya Sen)
• Development as process which expands people`s real freedoms
• Freedom - people have the choice to live the life they want to live
• `Freedom as principle ends of development`
• Remove obstacles which limit freedom
Solar cooking & Development
• Within academics “technological driven focus”
• Most data related to development effects based on solar cooking
proponents (risk of biased information)
• Particularly lack on solar cooking & development data on institutional
level
• Need for a holistic people-centered approach to analyse the
development effects of solar cooking
Pell (2005) quantitative study on solar cooking in central highlands of Bolivia
• Use of solar cookers lead to fuelwood savings
• study limited on economic benefits
Pouris & Wentzel (2007) fieldtest by DME & GTZ (1996-2004) in South Africa
• fuelwood savings
• monetary savings
• time savings (while cooking & collecting firewood)
• poverty reduction
• income generating activities
Development effects of Solar Cooking
• Master thesis: “Cooking with the sunAn analysis of Solar Cooking in
Tanzania, its adoption and impact on
development”
Comparison of three different small
scale solar cooking projects
(different settings, different technologies)
• Improved perception of health among women
• Time gain by women (during cooking & collecting
fuelwood)
• Increased income generating activities due to
time gain
• Fuelwood savings
Development effects of solar cooking
for institutions?
• Not much research
• Limited on economic view
(fuelwood & monetary savings)
• What about social development?
- Children carrying firewood to school
- Cooks using firewood for themselves
• Need of comparative analysis
Questions?