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