48 | Akshay Urja | October 2016

Children's Corner

Hello kids! A 'solar cooker' is a device which uses the energy of direct sunlight to heat, cook or pasteurize food or drink. Many solar cookers currently in use are relatively inexpensive, low-

tech devices, although some are as powerful or as expensive as traditional stoves,  and advanced, large-scale solar cookers can cook for hundreds of people around the world. Solar ovens or solar cookers are increasingly used to reduce reliance on firewood and other fuels. Even if you have electricity, a solar oven can be an effective, energy-saving addition to your cooking tools. Now, let us learn how to make a lightweight solar oven at our homes with the simple steps mentioned below.

Step 1Place a cardboard box inside a larger cardboard box. Make sure there is at least an inch of clearance between the sides, and fill the gap with shredded newspaper, which will act as an insulator.

Step 2Line the inside of the smaller box with black construction paper, to absorb heat. Next, cut the flaps from flat cardboard sheets in the shape of slightly flared squares. Since you will be attaching these to the walls of your box, the width of each narrow end of each square should equal the width of the side you will be attaching it to; the width of each flared end should be several inches wider than the width of the narrow end.

Step 3Cover each piece of cardboard with reflective material such as foil. Make sure it sits tightly around the reflector, and smooth out any wrinkles or folds. Secure the material with rubber cement or tape on one side of each cardboard piece.

Step 4Attach each reflector to the top of one side of the box. You can glue, staple, or thread them as necessary, allowing them to flop over for now.

Step 5Prop each reflector up at around a 45°angle. The easiest, most secure way to do this is to connect the reflectors together at the flared top corners (for example, by piercing adjacent corners and tying them together with thread, then untying them for disassembly). You can also stick rods in the ground underneath the reflectors, stack something underneath each reflector, or use any other method that will hold them securely in place. If it’s a windy day, make sure your reflectors would not blow over.Note: If using rods, glue the reflectors to the rods to add more stability.

Step 6Position the oven in full sun, place food in the smaller box, and wait for it to cook. It is best to cook the food in jars or on a small, dark baking pan. You may need to reposition your box several times during cooking to catch the sun. Happy cooking with solar energy!

Source: http://www.wikihow.com/

LEARN TO MAKE A LIGHTWEIGHT SOLAR OVEN

October 2016 | Akshay Urja | 49

Yes Rahul, The Indian Railways is the country’s biggest

energy consumer, accounting for 1.5–2 per cent of the total electricity consumption. But, the Railways has a renewable energy plan with the

objective of lowering the carbon footprint.

Rohit, everyday we commute by local trains. It must be consuming a

lot of energy.

The Indian Railways has planned to run trains powered by

solar panels. While the train would be pulled by conventional diesel-run engines, the solar panels will provide all the internal electricity needs for lights

and fans in both AC and non-AC coaches. That will be really good for India.

Children's Corner

What is that renewable

energy plan Rohit?

Suryamitra Skill Development Programme is a flagship programme

under the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s ‘Make in India’ initiative. This Programme is a comprehensive skill development programme which produces skilled manpower to serve solar photovoltaic (SPV) power plants, SPV rooftop, act as installer, operation/repair, and maintenance. The duration of Suryamitra programme is 3 months/600 hours. Suryamitra Programme is sponsored by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Government of India. The National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE) is implementing the programme across India in all States and UTs with world class training partners. As part of Suryamitra programme, NISE has developed a GPS-based mobile Application (known as Suryamitra Mobile APP) which allows the services of trained ‘Suryamitras’ to the various end users of solar applications across India at their doorsteps.

This Suryamitra application is available in Google Play Store/App store for Android and iOS with the name of ‘Suryamitra’, which can be downloaded free of cost. All the citizens, business establishments, educational institutions, government departments, and PSUs, may please avail the services of Suryamitras for SPV power plant installations, operation/repair and maintenance through the Suryamitra application for the quality services. Therefore, all are encouraged to download Suryamitra APP from Google Play Store and use it for quality Solar Photovoltaic installation, repair, and maintenance at your doorstep.

Your feedback is most welcome at NISE. You could reach us by sending an e-mail to suryamitra.nise@gmail.com.

SURYAMITRA MOBILE APP