Solar energy for operating solar cookers as a clean cooking technology in South Asia: A review

Abstract

Solar energy has a high potential to promote sustainability as a renewable energy source when applied to activities like cooking and heating. A review of recent technologies shows solar cookers have a high potential to replace conventional cooking mediums in South Asia. Solar cookers that are outfitted with effective collectors that make use of Mylar tape are a valuable tool for capturing thermal energy. New designs that use features like black chrome absorbers, black pots for cooking and storing food, and changing reflector widths improve efficiency, such as the Linear Fresnel Reflector Solar Concentrating Hot Water system (LFRSCHW). These solar cookers may attain efficiency rates above 41.2% by utilizing technologies such as tilting solar panels and parabolic reflectors with Mylar tape. When scaled up, these cookers should prove to be both cost-effective and environmentally beneficial. Accepting these cutting-edge solar cooking options opens the door to a more environmentally friendly future by addressing energy demands in places like Nepal and South Asia as well as promoting sustainability.