STAFF WRITER
THE Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA) has unveiled a solar cooker in a bid to save electricity in the country and facilitate the use of an alternative source of power. The development comes at a time when ZESA has intensified load shedding hours to 22 hours of blackouts, affecting all sectors of the economy.
ZERA senior engineer (electricity) Samuel Zaranyika told Business Times that people should move to alternative sources of energy to save electricity and the use of a parabolic cooker was one of the means.
“The sun sustains life on earth, it is available to everyone daily and there is no cost for its radiation,” Zaranyika said. “When one makes use of the sun’s radiation through the use of a parabolic cooker, he or she avoids the costs of electricity and gas during the hours of sunshine. The cooker uses the sun’s rays and concentrates them on one focal point and it uses a bowl-shaped reflector to focus the light more directly onto the pot, usually from below.”
The cooker is able to reach high temperatures of 350 °C or higher, which allows it to be used for grilling and frying.
Zaranyika said large quantities of food, and food in large pieces, take longer to cook as a result, only general figures can be given for cooking time.
“With a high performing parabolic solar cooker, you may be able to grill a steak in minutes,” Zaranyika said. He, however, said depending on local conditions and the solar cooker type, “these projects could take half as long, or twice as long,” he said.
Zimbabwe has high summer temperatures ideal for the cooker which ZERA said would help save on electricity costs.
ZERA is promoting the cooker in order to help reduce fuel costs and air pollution, slow down the deforestation and desertification caused by gathering firewood for cooking, thus transforming into a “green” country
