Solar cookers as an alternative to deforestation: CECOSDA targets Cameroonian restaurants

 1. What is a solar cooker?

 A solar cooker or solar oven is a device which harnesses energy directly from the sun for heating, cooking or pasteurizing liquids and other foods.

solar cooker

 The solar cooker receives sun rays and converts them into long-wave infrared radiation (heat); it is therefore a substitute for electricity, gas, fire etc. For this purpose, the solar cooker contributes to the fight against air pollution and to the protection of the environment.

solar workhops

Commonly used fuels in Cameroon for heating, cooking or pasteurizing liquids and other foods are: wood, coal, Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG), and kerosene. Unlike these fuels, the solar cooker is economical and non-polluting.

According to the Cameroon final report entitled « Cameroun-contribution à la préparation du rapport national pour la formulation du livre blanc régional sur l’accès universel aux services énergétiques intégrant le développement des énergies renouvelables et de l’efficacité énergétique » about 18.6% of households in Cameroon use Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG), that is, 46% in urban areas compared with 3.3% in rural areas, 80% use coal or wood and 0.4% use kerosene or electricity to heat, cook or pasteurize foods

2. What are the regular menus that can easily adapt to solar cooking?

In response to the depletion of the ozone layer, solar cookers contribute to the protection of nature by reducing CO2 levels and enabling a more efficient use of renewable energy.

The solar cooker is a clean energy source which does not produce CO2. It helps to reduce global warming by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

solar workhops

Solar cookers are used for cooking, heating food and liquids such as: fish, meat, rice, cocoyams, beans, pastry, water, etc. It can also be used to cook meals such as: broth, steamed plantain, vegetables etc.
CECOSDA carried out a quick door-to-door survey of 15 restaurants in the city of Yaounde, the question of interest was to know the regular menus that can easily adapt to solar cooking. It was concluded that rice and meat are on the menu of all restaurants, on a daily basis. 70% cook beans 3/7 days, 100% heat water every day, 40% cook steamed tubers 3/7 days, 5% cook pizza 7/7 days. The most common fuel used for cooking are coal 60%, LPG 25%, wood 10%, kerosene 3% and microwave 2% for heating meals. The solar cooker is a real blessing to these restaurants; it is cost-saving and enables them contribute in the protection of the environment.

solar cooker CECOSDA

Replacing wood and coal as a fuel for cooking, the solar oven reduces forest degradation and deforestation, conserves biodiversity and increases carbon stocks. According to FAO, 1 kg of wood generates 0.16 to 0.30 kg of coal and the burning of 1 kg of wood generates ̴ 0.5kg of CO2.
Fuels such as Coal, wood and LPG all contribute to the depletion of the ozone layer.



Rita ENOH
Renewable energy specialist
Programme Assistant in charge of solar workhops - CECOSDA