MCKEESPORT, Pa. — At Penn State Greater Allegheny, Instructor in Environmental Engineering Alandra Kahl’s students in her Energy and the Environment (EGEE 101) course recently built and tested solar ovens.
Solar ovens are used around the world in developing areas as a cheap and efficient way to cook food. They are environmentally friendly, as they use the heat of sun to warm food, rather than wood or charcoal as fuel. Kahl explained that this reduces deforestation and increases quality of life for those using the cookers, as they are not expending energy gathering firewood or inhaling wood smoke while preparing dishes.
The type of cooker the students made is a box cooker. Box cookers cook at moderate to high temperatures and often accommodate multiple pots. Worldwide, they are the most widespread.