The solar oven: Development and field-testing of user-made designs in Indonesia

This paper considers the design, use, and social acceptance of solar cooker s that are constructed by their users. Several generations of oven design a re described and their field testing in Indonesia, are reported, the first generation design having been described in a previous paper. The second gen eration design reached 175 degrees C in oven temperature, and it used only local materials in its manufacture. Results of field testing of sixty four units in East Nusa Tenggara Provence, Timer Island, Sulamu village, and at Maumere City of the Sikka Regency in Flores Island, all in Indonesia, are r eported. Social observations via questionnaires and direct conversation wer e conducted as part of the field study. Preliminary results skewed promisin g tendencies of acceptance (up to 28%), and the solar ovens proved their ab ility to cook effectively. The most recent generation of design has reached 202 degrees C in oven temperature, while costing 10% less than the previou s one. The dissemination of thirty units of this design in two villages in West Nusa,Tenggara Province is reported on. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.