| Many people understand the concept of passive solar | | | | top and heats the interior of the box. As the heat |
| for heating a home. Fewer realize it can be used in to | | | | rises, it cooks the items inside. Yes, it produces more |
| cook food and sterilize water.A solar oven is pretty | | | | than enough heat to do the job. It really is as simple |
| much what it sounds like. It is used to cook food and | | | | as that.There are three general types of solar ovens. |
| sterilize water. Most people do not even know they | | | | A solar box works as described in the previous |
| exist, but they are an effective way to cook from | | | | paragraph. A panel oven uses reflective surfaces to |
| both an economic and efficiency point of view.The | | | | focus the sun on a pot to create heat and cook the |
| basic idea with a solar cooking is to create a box like | | | | material inside. A parabolic version is designed to |
| structure that the sun heats up dramatically. If you | | | | focus the sunlight into the bottom of a concave area |
| have sat in a car in rush hour during the summer, you | | | | upon which sits pots. There are variations of these |
| know the sun can generate a lot of heat. Instead of | | | | three forms, but all solar cooking designs are derived |
| cooking you in a car, a solar oven focuses on | | | | from these basic forms.While cooking with the sun is |
| food.So, how do we cook with it? The box structure | | | | a fun and efficient, most people will never apply it in |
| is created with dark paneling and then covered with a | | | | their home because of obvious design issues. At a |
| clear glass or plastic top after pots and food or | | | | cabin or when camping, however, it is a perfect |
| water has been inserted. The structure is sealed. | | | | solution.Rick Chapo is with SolarCompanies.com, a |
| Much like a car, the sunlight beats through the clear | | | | directory of solar energy companies. |