Thursday, April 3, 2008

TITLE OF PAPER: SOLAR COOKING- A GIFT OF THE SUN

Ir. Liew, Than Ho Allen

PEng, MIEM, MEng, BSc.

Kuching, Sarawak 93250, Malaysia

Email: solarists@gmail.com

Abstract

Solar cooking is a method of cooking using the energy from the sun directly. It works by collecting the energy from the sun in the form of light, divert it to the spot of interest and trap it to heat the food. There are many advantages in solar cooking; amongst them are low upfront investment, not running cost, little maintenance and best of all, environmentally friendly.

Solar cooking is widely practiced in many places around the globe, both the developed and underdeveloped countries. In developed countries, they are used mainly due to environmental consciousness; while in the under developed countries they are used due to the acute needs against the scarcity of cooking fuel. In interior Sarawak, where the transportation cost of fuel is high, solar cooking can be one or the only solution.

The results of my experiments carried out in Kuching recently proof that solar cooking is not only possible, indeed very encouraging. In sunny days, my solar cooker could cook food almost just as fast as conventional gas or electrical stoves. Further, due to the nature of radiated heat in a solar cooker, food cooked in a solar cooker taste better and much nutrient can be retained. In addition, cooking food in a solar cooker can be unattended, as it will not burn.

It is my hope that the relevant ministries, departments and organizations could support and emphasize researches into solar cooking in the State. Further researches are required to ensure best adoption and adaptation of solar cookers for the State, so that it could benefits the people as well as play our part in conserving the earth.

1 comment:

Wyedelta Essential said...

This article was submitted to several local dailies. There was an interview by the Borneo Post on 19 March 2007 and the article will be prublished on the Feature Column on a SundayPost.