Users and disusers of box solar cookers in urban India - Implications for solar cooking projects

The purpose of this study is to understand the reasons behind the continued use or disuse of solar cookers, and to outline the implications from the r esults of this study for future solar cooker projects. Twenty-eight familie s in three urban sites in Gujarat, India who have a solar cooker have been interviewed. Their experience with solar cookers and solar cooking is studi ed. Direct discussions with families who have practical experience with sol ar cooking, brings forth significant practical issues. The study shows that many disusers of solar cookers do not have a suitable place for their sola r cookers. Other disusers could not adjust their daily routines with what s olar cooking requires, and some disused their solar cookers because they we re not interested in using them. Both objective factors and aspects of prac tical interest have been shown to be important issues for understanding the conditions of prospective users and the shaping of the projects and the re levant technologies. It is concluded that project developers should conside r the potential users as an important partner in project development proces ses. For example project developers can by close dialogue with them, uncove r and define practical parameters which have important bearing on higher us ability of solar cookers. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserve d.