We introduce technologies to cook in a more efficient way and we are beginning to work in the solar illumination field in zones without electricity.

Solar cookers
Solar cookers collect solar rays and concentrate these on one spot, thus creating a source of heat. We have used both parabolic and butterfly types. They are very strong, but they need blue skies and the production is expensive because of the big amount of aluminum foil needed.

Solar ovens
Solar ovens are a kind of sealed boxes with glass on the upper part. The greenhouse effect is used here: the sunrays that enter the box cannot leave the box and the interior heats up. As the solar cookers have the function of a stove, the solar ovens function as an oven, that’s where the name comes from. The ovens are less expensive as the solar cookers, but the work slower. Solar ovens are ment to to cook without surveying the process of cooking; but this process needs several hours to accomplish.

Fuel efficient stoves
This is the first technical improvement after the three-stone stoves, used all over Africa. Fire is made inside a metal receptacle thus permitting to reduce the loss of a lot of lateral heat. These cookers are very cheap because they are made from waste material. Although they have a short life because of the deterioration of the plate they are made of.

Rocket stoves
These are in fact improved economical stoves with a layer of isolating material (clay or ceramic) which reduces much the loss of heat.. They also have a circulation system with permits an extremely efficient combustion. They are much cheaper than solar cookers and they reduce the use of firewood about 50 – 90% .

Hay baskets
These are a type of homemade thermos. The pan with the half-cooked food is placed inside it and the process of cooking is continued with the same heat. This is called a heat -retaining system.
In this case firewood is saved because the fire is only used in at the beginning of the cooking process. If this system is used in combination with economic cookers or rocket stoves, energy savings will double.

Solar kits
This is Sol Solidari's first introduction of a technology which is not aimed at food preparing, but is focused on providing light for houses. This is a basic aspect in zones where electricity doesn't arrive. Prices are varied, depending on the power needed. We are working with a very simple solar kit which is developed by a Chinese company and we assemble more powerful solar installation, of 20w.