Solar Ovens
 Etelvina Betanco repairs a solar oven in Orucuina, Honduras
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Fondo Proceso funds solar oven construction workshops for women.
The solar oven used in our workshops was developed in Central America specifically for local families who continue to improve upon the design using their knowledge, experience and changing availability of materials. The original model consists of a wooden box surrounded by insulation and set inside another box. Sunlight passes through two panes of glass which rest on top of the box and heats the box to an average temperature of 150º C (300° F) with good sun. A reflector made of aluminum foil and plywood directs light and heat into the box and heats up the black metal plate on which the pots rest. When available plywood is of very poor quality, ovens are constructed with thin sheet metal as the outer box. |
The oven materials are available locally in Central America and can be purchased for approximately $200-$250 per oven including the stand, food preparation drawer, wheels and thermometer. However, the total cost to build an oven including instructors, transportation, and follow-up can be estimated at about $450 per family. This amount provides a woman in Central America with the opportunity to attend a solar oven workshop, and to convert her family's meal preparation to solar cooking.
Benefits of Solar Ovens
Benefits of Solar Ovens
- Environmental: Reduces air pollution and deforestation.
- Health: Reduces instance of respiratory illnesses and eye damage caused by smoke. Water can also be purified in the solar ovens.
- Women's Empowerment: Increases time and freedom for activities other than tending cooking fires at home, opening doors to new possibilities for social and economic development!
Women in Guadiania, Guatemala celebrate the completion of the construction of their solar ovens and
are interviewed for feature story with a national newspaper.
are interviewed for feature story with a national newspaper.
