Build Your Own Solar Oven for under $10

Santa Rita, Eco-Market, San Juan, Puerto Rico In keeping with the themes of sustainability,  fair trade, organic farming and social justice on which the Santa Rita Eco-Market has been built, today’s market saw the curious addition of a low cost easy to build solar oven.  Jeffrey Owens, Executive Director of the nonprofit organization Show Me Solar led an informal workshop centered on the art of cooking by solar power demonstrating how one could construct a working solar oven for less than $10.

    Along with a step by step explanation of this do it yourself project, Jeff explained the benefits of solar cooking especially in parts of the world where traditional cooking fuels are scarce or nonexistent.  For many families, solar ovens can save hours of time searching for firewood, alleviate the problem of asthma in children by reducing exposure to the smoke of open pit fires all the while operating from free fuel – abundant sunshine!

      In addition, during emergency circumstances food may be prepared regardless of the availability of fuel and the same principle of concentrating sunlight to heat food can also be used to purify water.  In fact, Sun Ovens international has teamed up with Friends of Haiti to deliver large village size solar ovens and water purification units to areas of the island hit hard by last month’s earthquake.  In support of this mission, Show Me Solar is matching funds raised from it’s annual solar oven raffle fundraiser in order to help send Sun Ovens to Haiti.

If you would like to contribute directly to the Haiti mission please visit www.SunOven.com

For more information on Show Me Solar including a description of the organization, it’s mission and a calendar of events please visit www.ShowMeSolar.org

To download a set of plans to build your own solar oven click here.