41 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}
41 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}

Fuel Source for Cooking in Your Community?

by Mohsin Rasool
30 replies
  • OFF TOPIC
    • |
Hi Warriors,

Can you please share, that what fuel source is used in your community for cooking?

And does it is produce smoke or it is smokeless cooking experience?
  • Profile picture of the author Kurt
    Hey Moshin,

    Where I live in Colorado USA it's almost all electricity with a bit of natural gas.
    Signature
    Discover the fastest and easiest ways to create your own valuable products.
    Tons of FREE Public Domain content you can use to make your own content, PLR, digital and POD products.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8276430].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author ThomM
      Same here in New York.
      When I was younger there where still a few old timers in the Mts. that used wood for cooking and heat. They had what we call a summer kitchen off the back of their houses that was a screened in (sometimes) room so the cooking stove wouldn't heat the house in the summer. Good idea really.
      Signature

      Life: Nature's way of keeping meat fresh
      Getting old ain't for sissy's
      As you are I was, as I am you will be
      You can't fix stupid, but you can always out smart it.

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8276524].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author seasoned
    Where I live, Indiana USA, for daily cooking, it is USUALLY electricity and natural gas.

    For special events(camping, cookouts, some parties, etc....) it may be charcoal or propane.

    There is no real one STANDARD in the US.

    BTW when I lived in CA USA, it was more often Natural gas in the city, and propane in the country. Natural gas usually comes from a central source that you pay monthly. Propane is generally from a main tank that is filled as needed. So propane doesn't require a tie in to city utilities.

    Propane can often be bought almost anywhere! Grocery stores, convenience stores, gas stations, etc...

    Steve
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8276512].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Mohsin Rasool
    Hi Kurt, Steve and Thomas,

    Thanks a ton for your input.

    Here in Lahore, where I live, we also use mostly Natural Gas for cooking which is
    awesome facility, however about 200KM from here, our my grandpa's village people there still cook using wood and cow dung. As most of the people in the village are farmers so it is easily available fuel source.

    I read a medical study about diseases caused to children and women from the smoke which is generated during cooking when using wood/cow dung as fuel.

    They talked about improved design of stove and creating bio-gas out of it and using that to minimize the harms....

    I thought I should ask Warriors, all the present alternative fuel sources being used for cooking and also the tips we can use to guide the locals in the village to have safer cooking experience when cooking with Smoky fuels...

    Any tips and ideas and resources are highly appreciated as I am seriously thinking to have something done to make it better when I visit there next time (in few months time.)



    Thank you,
    Mohsin
    Signature
    Warriors4Hire: WordPress & GENESIS Experts | Custom WP Theme | WordPress Troubleshooting | Customizations | WP Security | Responsive Themes

    My Business site: WarMarks - Web Development | My Personal Blog: Mohsin Rasool
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8279258].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Kurt
      Originally Posted by Mohsin Rasool View Post

      Hi Kurt, Steve and Thomas,

      Thanks a ton for your input.

      Here in Lahore, where I live, we also use mostly Natural Gas for cooking which is
      awesome facility, however about 200KM from here, our my grandpa's village people there still cook using wood and cow dung. As most of the people in the village are farmers so it is easily available fuel source.

      I read a medical study about diseases caused to children and women from the smoke which is generated during cooking when using wood/cow dung as fuel.

      They talked about improved design of stove and creating bio-gas out of it and using that to minimize the harms....

      I thought I should ask Warriors, all the present alternative fuel sources being used for cooking and also the tips we can use to guide the locals in the village to have safer cooking experience when cooking with Smoky fuels...

      Any tips and ideas and resources are highly appreciated as I am seriously thinking to have something done to make it better when I visit there next time (in few months time.)



      Thank you,
      Mohsin

      Hey Moshin,

      I've looked into this a bit...there's plenty of info about solar cookers and cooking on Youtube.

      These keywords should get you started:
      solar cookers
      solar ovens
      parabolic dish solar cookers
      solar troughs
      Signature
      Discover the fastest and easiest ways to create your own valuable products.
      Tons of FREE Public Domain content you can use to make your own content, PLR, digital and POD products.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8279647].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author seasoned
      Originally Posted by Mohsin Rasool View Post

      I read a medical study about diseases caused to children and women from the smoke which is generated during cooking when using wood/cow dung as fuel.

      They talked about improved design of stove and creating bio-gas out of it and using that to minimize the harms....
      Diseases from wood and cowdung as fuel? I wouldn't think that likely. It isn't like it is plastic that has many carcinogens. HECK, even with cow blood and the like, most diseases probably aren't likely to affect humans. BSE is a bit special in that case, and fairly resistant to heat, but you have a fair chance to get BSE anyway. Indians are probably the least likely, since they may not eat the meat, but the BSE is probably more likely to show in milk than in dung.

      Of course, the particulates and CO should be filtered and vented. That is a given. Too much of that could cause lethargy, asthma, and death. BTW stoves in the US are vented. It is actually specified in building codes, for stoves there. When particulates are present, most people stay away, but natural gas and propane are rather clean fuels. Even the century old, and older, wood stoves are vented.

      Steve
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8279697].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author ThomM
      Originally Posted by Mohsin Rasool View Post

      Hi Kurt, Steve and Thomas,

      Thanks a ton for your input.

      Here in Lahore, where I live, we also use mostly Natural Gas for cooking which is
      awesome facility, however about 200KM from here, our my grandpa's village people there still cook using wood and cow dung. As most of the people in the village are farmers so it is easily available fuel source.

      I read a medical study about diseases caused to children and women from the smoke which is generated during cooking when using wood/cow dung as fuel.

      They talked about improved design of stove and creating bio-gas out of it and using that to minimize the harms....

      I thought I should ask Warriors, all the present alternative fuel sources being used for cooking and also the tips we can use to guide the locals in the village to have safer cooking experience when cooking with Smoky fuels...

      Any tips and ideas and resources are highly appreciated as I am seriously thinking to have something done to make it better when I visit there next time (in few months time.)



      Thank you,
      Mohsin
      Mohsin look into Rocket Stoves and Rocket Mass Heaters.
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocket_stove
      They are cheap and easy to build, use the same fuel source your Grandfathers village use, and would be easy for them to use day or night.
      Signature

      Life: Nature's way of keeping meat fresh
      Getting old ain't for sissy's
      As you are I was, as I am you will be
      You can't fix stupid, but you can always out smart it.

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8280246].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Kurt
        Originally Posted by ThomM View Post

        Mohsin look into Rocket Stoves and Rocket Mass Heaters.
        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocket_stove
        They are cheap and easy to build, use the same fuel source your Grandfathers village use, and would be easy for them to use day or night.
        Rocket stoves are a good idea and can be made from a number of materials. And there's plenty of videos about them on Youtube.

        Using both rocket stoves and solar power cookers would probably reduce fuel consumption by 75%. (Just a guess)
        Signature
        Discover the fastest and easiest ways to create your own valuable products.
        Tons of FREE Public Domain content you can use to make your own content, PLR, digital and POD products.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8280568].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author ThomM
          Originally Posted by Kurt View Post

          Rocket stoves are a good idea and can be made from a number of materials. And there's plenty of videos about them on Youtube.

          Using both rocket stoves and solar power cookers would probably reduce fuel consumption by 75%. (Just a guess)
          Using both methods would be a good idea.
          Both are easy to make and inexpensive.
          Plus solar is a great way to have a constant supply of hot water.
          Signature

          Life: Nature's way of keeping meat fresh
          Getting old ain't for sissy's
          As you are I was, as I am you will be
          You can't fix stupid, but you can always out smart it.

          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8280616].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author Kurt
            Originally Posted by ThomM View Post

            Using both methods would be a good idea.
            Both are easy to make and inexpensive.
            Plus solar is a great way to have a constant supply of hot water.
            Pakistan should be a good area for both. I have a feeling Moshin's biggest hurdle will be to change the culture and habits of the people in that area. It's hard to get people to switch to something new.
            Signature
            Discover the fastest and easiest ways to create your own valuable products.
            Tons of FREE Public Domain content you can use to make your own content, PLR, digital and POD products.
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8280685].message }}
            • Profile picture of the author Mohsin Rasool
              Originally Posted by Kurt View Post

              Pakistan should be a good area for both. I have a feeling Moshin's biggest hurdle will be to change the culture and habits of the people in that area. It's hard to get people to switch to something new.
              Exactly Kurt!
              As I know, in our culture new things are not adopted easily...
              Also Solar so far is costly setup in our region (but solar only for cooking may could be good idea given the fact that we need small power for cooking... thanks for the ideas.)

              ---

              I would think electric is about the cleanest.......yet that might not be a feasible choice in the areas you are talking about. It would probably be much easier to get natural gas to them than electric facilities.
              Hi HeySal,
              Electricity is in crises, the lead news in most of the newspapers is about electricity
              loadshedding for 10+/hours even in big cities on daily basis. Also electricity to be used
              for cooking is very costly for farmers.

              Also Natural gas is not the option... Govt has connected only big cities with gas piplines,
              and even we have loadshedding in natural gas.. yeah mis-management and corruption
              of decades ... so no share for farmers in the villages.


              Diseases from wood and cowdung as fuel? I wouldn't think that likely. It isn't like it is plastic that has many carcinogens. HECK, even with cow blood and the like, most diseases probably aren't likely to affect humans. BSE is a bit special in that case, and fairly resistant to heat, but you have a fair chance to get BSE anyway. Indians are probably the least likely, since they may not eat the meat, but the BSE is probably more likely to show in milk than in dung.

              Of course, the particulates and CO should be filtered and vented. That is a given. Too much of that could cause lethargy, asthma, and death. BTW stoves in the US are vented. It is actually specified in building codes, for stoves there. When particulates are present, most people stay away, but natural gas and propane are rather clean fuels. Even the century old, and older, wood stoves are vented.

              Steve
              Steve, no not from cow dung, but from the Smoke, which is produced during cooking, with wide open stoves of old century design in closed rooms.

              Same for the smoke from wood. So goal is to have reduced level of smoke and low or no exposure of that smoke to the nearby women and kids who are present mostly during the cooking.

              Exactly, this is the stove which is the cause, no venting or filtering
              Sadly, just open walls of mud to contain the fuel and hold the cooking pot!
              here is photo of similar stove i could find online:


              So it is the Stove which need venting and filtering as you mentioned!!! Thanks for the insights!

              Mohsin look into Rocket Stoves and Rocket Mass Heaters.
              https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocket_stove
              They are cheap and easy to build, use the same fuel source your Grandfathers village use, and would be easy for them to use day or night.

              Using both methods would be a good idea. (Solar and Rocket Stoves)
              Both are easy to make and inexpensive.
              Plus solar is a great way to have a constant supply of hot water.
              Hi Thomas, awesome discovery, thanks for the link, it really gave me start on good direction...
              I am now shortlisting my options and it seems:

              -> Improved Stove design (which can be built by locals with local materials)
              -> Feasibility of solar stoves, it will be awesome if initial cost can be controlled as plenty of
              sunlight during whole year in our area.


              Thank you Warriors for such nice input in this regard. I am sure this can really help
              transform lives there in the kitchen by getting hold of all the smoke they otherwise have
              to inhale! and they do not even think it is a problem or damaging to their health!

              Thank you!
              Mohsin
              Signature
              Warriors4Hire: WordPress & GENESIS Experts | Custom WP Theme | WordPress Troubleshooting | Customizations | WP Security | Responsive Themes

              My Business site: WarMarks - Web Development | My Personal Blog: Mohsin Rasool
              {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8281371].message }}
              • Profile picture of the author seasoned
                Originally Posted by Mohsin Rasool View Post

                Steve, no not from cow dung, but from the Smoke, which is produced during cooking, with wide open stoves of old century design in closed rooms.

                Same for the smoke from wood. So goal is to have reduced level of smoke and low or no exposure of that smoke to the nearby women and kids who are present mostly during the cooking.

                Exactly, this is the stove which is the cause, no venting or filtering
                Sadly, just open walls of mud to contain the fuel and hold the cooking pot!
                here is photo of similar stove i could find online:
                In the US, for example, every such source must have a vent to the outside. There ARE other laws, by the way, that they must vent to non flamable area, away from windows, The vent must go straight up, or have an upward slope that is at least a certain number of degrees, etc....

                To give you an idea of how important this all is, there HAVE been people that have died from improper venting:

                Improperly installed water heaters are no joke.

                Improperly sized venting and even old venting can cause the water heater not to draw properly resulting in CO gas from combustion to spill from out under the draft hood into the room. CO is colorless and odorless and can cause headaches, nausea, and dizziness, flu like symptoms, fatigue and even death. When a plumber installs a new water heater he sizes the venting according to the BTU output of the appliance. He must also take into consideration other appliances like a furnace that may be sharing a vent with the water heater. This ensures everything can vent safely.

                OTHER thngs, like camp stoves, have warnings saying they should be used in well vented areas.
                And that is from a WATER HEATER that likely burns a CLEAN fuel! MOST non electric, if not all, burn propane or natural gas, and they are clean fuels.

                Even FIREPLACES built in most countries for CENTURIES have a chimney(which is basically an obvious vent. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chimney

                Steve
                {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8281476].message }}
              • Profile picture of the author Kurt
                Originally Posted by Mohsin Rasool View Post

                Exactly Kurt!
                As I know, in our culture new things are not adopted easily...
                Also Solar so far is costly setup in our region (but solar only for cooking may could be good idea given the fact that we need small power for cooking... thanks for the ideas.)


                Mohsin
                Hi Moshin,

                Solar cooking is actually very inexpensive. It doesn't convert the sun's light into electricity like you're probably thinking, but rather it concentrates a larger area of the sun's heat (actually infrared light) into a smaller area.

                There's a number of different designs that will work and the materials used can be as simple as cardboard and foil.

                Many solar cookers use a "parabolic" dish. A satellite dish is an example of a parabolic dish. If you can get ahold of a large satellite dish, you can use it as a mold to make more. It's the shape of the dish that matters, not the material.

                Fill it with mud/clay, then remove the mud/clay and you have a mold. Cover the mold with foil. The cover the foil with anything hard enough to maintain the shape.

                A basic cardboard box lined with foil will act as a solar oven. It won't generate as much heat as a parabolic dish, but it can be used to slow cook things like stews.

                One thing to note is that you need a black cooking vessel. Black absorbs the sun's infrared light that creates the heat.

                Here's a few designs, notice in this first video that the bottom of the pot is black.


                Here's one on how to make a parabolic mold:

                Here's a satellite dish lined with reflective material used to cook:


                Here's a simple solar oven made from cardboard and foil:

                Another example of a solar oven:

                There's many, many more examples on Youtube. Spend an hour or two and you'll have a ton of ideas on how you can use solar to cook.
                Signature
                Discover the fastest and easiest ways to create your own valuable products.
                Tons of FREE Public Domain content you can use to make your own content, PLR, digital and POD products.
                {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8281538].message }}
                • Profile picture of the author Mohsin Rasool
                  Originally Posted by Kurt View Post

                  Hi Moshin,

                  Solar cooking is actually very inexpensive. It doesn't convert the sun's light into electricity like you're probably thinking, but rather it concentrates a larger area of the sun's heat (actually infrared light) into a smaller area.

                  There's a number of different designs that will work and the materials used can be as simple as cardboard and foil.


                  There's many, many more examples on Youtube. Spend an hour or two and you'll have a ton of ideas on how you can use solar to cook.
                  Wow, thanks for removing the limits I was putting on...wow so no electricity involved means, we do not need invert-er or batteries or circuits.. wow thank you!

                  Yes Youtube is awesome (but just to let you know that smart guys in our country have put ban on this knowledge source.. yeah they love to ban access to information and youtube is right on the top. but thanks to VPN technology I can access youtube, but account has expired for now will be renew it soon i get my CC balance cleared. LOL

                  They used tax payers money to buy internet censoring technology to stop the people benefiting from the internet revolution! SIGH!
                  Pakistan using Canadian technology to censor Internet: report | Financial Post


                  It is for dailymotion.com image but for youtube and many other sites we get this above graphic!!!


                  Anyways I will be checking those videos soon. And will take notes! Thank you!

                  I just discovered another very good source for conventional fuel stove, it has open source hardware license so all designs are ready to be copied and improved, wow

                  GOOD STOVE

                  Best Regards,
                  Mohsin
                  PS. I will be off now as in half an hour, as we have fasting month here, and today's fast
                  is going to be completed in about 30 minutes , cannot wait to eat awesome food
                  my mother has cooked See you!
                  Signature
                  Warriors4Hire: WordPress & GENESIS Experts | Custom WP Theme | WordPress Troubleshooting | Customizations | WP Security | Responsive Themes

                  My Business site: WarMarks - Web Development | My Personal Blog: Mohsin Rasool
                  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8281636].message }}
              • Profile picture of the author HeySal
                Originally Posted by Mohsin Rasool View Post



                Hi HeySal,
                Electricity is in crises, the lead news in most of the newspapers is about electricity
                loadshedding for 10+/hours even in big cities on daily basis. Also electricity to be used
                for cooking is very costly for farmers.

                Also Natural gas is not the option... Govt has connected only big cities with gas piplines,
                and even we have loadshedding in natural gas.. yeah mis-management and corruption
                of decades ... so no share for farmers in the villages.

                Mohsin
                I didn't figure it would be something workable for you. Kurt, Thom, and Steve know much more about this type of science than I do. I'm basically learning from them in this thread myself.
                Signature

                Sal
                When the Roads and Paths end, learn to guide yourself through the wilderness
                Beyond the Path

                {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8294461].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author HeySal
    I would think electric is about the cleanest.......yet that might not be a feasible choice in the areas you are talking about. It would probably be much easier to get natural gas to them than electric facilities.
    Signature

    Sal
    When the Roads and Paths end, learn to guide yourself through the wilderness
    Beyond the Path

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8279433].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author seasoned
      Originally Posted by HeySal View Post

      I would think electric is about the cleanest.......yet that might not be a feasible choice in the areas you are talking about. It would probably be much easier to get natural gas to them than electric facilities.
      Electricty is certainly the cleanest LOCALLY! Remotely, it could be solar, thermal, wind, water, which are clean, or coal, gas, nuclear, etc... which are NOT.

      Mohsin,

      I DID forget, wood, and even cow dung, are used HERE TOO! But wood isn't that common, and cow dung is even less so. cow dung and the like is often used only by those that hate using wood, and are off the grid. In the US, almost ANY communication within a city puts you on the grid, costs, etc... Some small communities try to be self supporting, so they generally can't use oil, natural gas, or propane.

      Like I said, we don't have a definite standard. Even for sewage, the two MAIN are community sewage and septic tanks, but there ARE other methods. For water, the two main are community water and wells. And for water, community could mean reservoirs or watertanks. Wells could be deep wells where people bring water inide from a well, or a more shallow well where water is pumped into the home and seems almost like a city service.

      To tell you the truth, in MANY parts of the US, you would be hard pressed to find a live cow.

      Steve
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8279575].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author yukon
    Banned
    When I cook beans on my electric stove I sometimes end up with natural gas.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8280603].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Kurt
    Hey Moshin,

    We posted at about the same time. Be sure to see my last post with the Youtube videos.
    Signature
    Discover the fastest and easiest ways to create your own valuable products.
    Tons of FREE Public Domain content you can use to make your own content, PLR, digital and POD products.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8281560].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Adie
    Originally Posted by Mohsin Rasool View Post

    Hi Warriors,

    Can you please share, that what fuel source is used in your community for cooking?

    And does it is produce smoke or it is smokeless cooking experience?
    LPG tanks and I always have a portable butane burner and cartridge in case the tank ran out of gas...
    Signature



    Moderator's Note: You're only allowed to put your own products or sites in your signature.

    Signature edited.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8281775].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Kurt
    Hey Moshin,

    If you have trouble accessing YT, here's a page that has links to all sorts of different designs for solar cooking:
    Solar Cookers, Ovens, and Food Dryers

    Solar cooking is basically reflecting a larger area of sunlight into a smaller area to concentrate the sun's energy.

    A mirror, polished aluminum or "mylar" will reflect sunlight the most effectively. However, while aluminum foil is only about 80% as effective, it is also very cheap. From a money point of view, it may be better to simply increase the size of the reflectors and just use more foil.
    Signature
    Discover the fastest and easiest ways to create your own valuable products.
    Tons of FREE Public Domain content you can use to make your own content, PLR, digital and POD products.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8285722].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Mohsin Rasool
      Originally Posted by Kurt View Post

      Hey Moshin,

      If you have trouble accessing YT, here's a page that has links to all sorts of different designs for solar cooking:
      Solar Cookers, Ovens, and Food Dryers

      Solar cooking is basically reflecting a larger area of sunlight into a smaller area to concentrate the sun's energy.

      A mirror, polished aluminum or "mylar" will reflect sunlight the most effectively. However, while aluminum foil is only about 80% as effective, it is also very cheap. From a money point of view, it may be better to simply increase the size of the reflectors and just use more foil.
      Hi Kurt,

      Thanks a ton! Yes I got my VPN renewed yesterday and can access YT now.

      I have gathered a lot of info about Solar Cooking thanks for the ideas and the links.

      I read a detailed report at Solar Cooking
      Lot of good designs and information there.

      Thank you again for your input Kurt!
      I am sure, I will have something ready soon! I hope so!

      Mohsin
      Signature
      Warriors4Hire: WordPress & GENESIS Experts | Custom WP Theme | WordPress Troubleshooting | Customizations | WP Security | Responsive Themes

      My Business site: WarMarks - Web Development | My Personal Blog: Mohsin Rasool
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8289602].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Kurt
    Hey Moshin,

    This is a subject very close to my heart and something I really believe in. So, let's keep the conversation going so we can make some changes.

    I checked out the site you linked to. There's a page about making money with solar cookers.
    Income generation - Solar Cooking

    Since this is a marketing forum, let's brainstorm some ideas. Using solar cookers to generate a little revenue for someone in a small villiage can be a big help.

    Can you maybe set up an account at www.Kiva.org to help with a micro-loan to pay for supplies for someone? In return, the maker could finance the cost of a solar cooker over a period of time, making them easier to buy?

    Do you have a budget? Could you set up something like buy $1000 in supplies and another $200 (or ?) in prize money?

    Then you could have a contest to see who can build a solar cooker that boils a liter of water the fastest. You print out the contest details, some designs and info and pass them out along with some materials and 30 days later hold the contest.

    Once you show people that they work, people will like them. No one wants to spend time and money collecting wood and who likes messing with cow dung? But you have to prove that they work first.

    PS. Some things you will need and may not think of:

    Non-toxic black paint. In the US, we have paint specifically for BBQ grills. It's high temperature. You'll need something similar.

    People will also need to protect their eyes from the intense sun light created by solar cookers.

    Welders gloves - You don't need them, but in the US they are cheap and can withstand a lot of heat and would be a good idea for working with solar heaters.
    Signature
    Discover the fastest and easiest ways to create your own valuable products.
    Tons of FREE Public Domain content you can use to make your own content, PLR, digital and POD products.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8290365].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Mohsin Rasool
      Originally Posted by Kurt View Post

      Hey Moshin,

      This is a subject very close to my heart and something I really believe in. So, let's keep the conversation going so we can make some changes.
      Hi Kurt,

      I am so glad to read this!
      Sure, let's the conversation going. I am sure with your support and feedback, I can make it
      happen.

      I have set first goal i.e. To buy aluminium Foil (possibly today), and then stick to the cardboard, as taught by CooKit , and then try to make my first meal, I challenged my
      friends and family to feed them soon a Solar cooked meal (as they think I am out of mind,
      and this stuff does not work, lol even me need to eat that meal to be 101% sure and dedicated to this.)

      When this first experiment is done. Sure I need to come up with a plan (with your help and advice) to spread the word in my region, i plan to visit my childhood school there, and convince teachers, so students in the school can be first converted to this , that yes
      it works...by showing them...then hopefully we can train some students and people there, and then train more people in the area so they can build with the local materials by-self.

      Your idea of converting this into an enterprise is very exciting, so that local entrepreneurs there, can be fully dedicated to this, can innovate in this, and can have income to support their work and this also liberate other people doing it themselves as they would easily buy a cheaper option.

      I am not sure about Kiva, that how it works, i have to explore it and reread what you wrote about the contest.

      For me, I think I need to assemble a team of believers in my city, from my friends (this will
      be possible after I show them that it works, hope within this week!)
      Then with this team and expertise, we can visit the local area, and find talent there,
      and train them there...to spread the word.

      I am sure, with right plan, and right people, we really can make the difference,
      I cannot wait to take and send photos and share with Warriors right in this thread

      I am thinking to setup a dedicated domain/website and team to plan and execute and
      keep track of stuff in this project. Can I talk to you on email, about the details of setting
      it up, as I really need you on this team to make it happen...with your support, I feel more
      assured and can convince more people to make wider impact.

      Thank you,
      Mohsin
      PS. I am going to send you PM about the email. Thank you!
      Signature
      Warriors4Hire: WordPress & GENESIS Experts | Custom WP Theme | WordPress Troubleshooting | Customizations | WP Security | Responsive Themes

      My Business site: WarMarks - Web Development | My Personal Blog: Mohsin Rasool
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8294201].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Kurt
        Originally Posted by Mohsin Rasool View Post

        Hi Kurt,

        I am so glad to read this!
        Sure, let's the conversation going. I am sure with your support and feedback, I can make it
        happen.

        I have set first goal i.e. To buy aluminium Foil (possibly today), and then stick to the cardboard, as taught by CooKit , and then try to make my first meal, I challenged my
        friends and family to feed them soon a Solar cooked meal (as they think I am out of mind,
        and this stuff does not work, lol even me need to eat that meal to be 101% sure and dedicated to this.)

        When this first experiment is done. Sure I need to come up with a plan (with your help and advice) to spread the word in my region, i plan to visit my childhood school there, and convince teachers, so students in the school can be first converted to this , that yes
        it works...by showing them...then hopefully we can train some students and people there, and then train more people in the area so they can build with the local materials by-self.

        Your idea of converting this into an enterprise is very exciting, so that local entrepreneurs there, can be fully dedicated to this, can innovate in this, and can have income to support their work and this also liberate other people doing it themselves as they would easily buy a cheaper option.

        I am not sure about Kiva, that how it works, i have to explore it and reread what you wrote about the contest.

        For me, I think I need to assemble a team of believers in my city, from my friends (this will
        be possible after I show them that it works, hope within this week!)
        Then with this team and expertise, we can visit the local area, and find talent there,
        and train them there...to spread the word.

        I am sure, with right plan, and right people, we really can make the difference,
        I cannot wait to take and send photos and share with Warriors right in this thread

        I am thinking to setup a dedicated domain/website and team to plan and execute and
        keep track of stuff in this project. Can I talk to you on email, about the details of setting
        it up, as I really need you on this team to make it happen...with your support, I feel more
        assured and can convince more people to make wider impact.

        Thank you,
        Mohsin
        PS. I am going to send you PM about the email. Thank you!
        Hey Moshin,

        Is this the design you will be testing?
        CooKit - Solar Cooking

        It looks like a good one to get started. A couple of things:

        The material they use is probably more reflective than foil. Just make your design bigger to compensate.

        Foil is something like 80% reflective and I'm guessing the material they use is something like 90-95% reflective. Again, foil isn't the best thing to use, but it is cheap and can withstand the weather.

        If you notice, there is a plastic bag over the black cooking pot. This bag will let infrared light (the sun's heat) through it, but help trap some of the heat from escaping the area of the pot. This is the same concept as the "greenhouse effect".

        It isn't totally essential, but it will improve the effectiveness of the solar oven. In the US, these are called "oven cooking bags" and we can get them at any food store. They are plastic bags that can withstand higher heat.

        Glass will also work. If you can build a cube out of glass to place over the black pot, it will help the cooking process.

        I would say right now, try to come up with a satellite dish that is at least a meter in diameter. IMO, this will be the best way to convince others that this works.

        Convert the dish into a cooker, then have your friends hold their hand in the focal point. When you burn their hand off and they are being rushed to the hospital, they will then believe in the power of solar cooking.

        With a satellite dish, you need to make sure of two things:

        1. It is pointed directly into the sun. A dish will need to be adjusted once or twice an hour to account for the sun moving.

        2. You find the "focal point". This is the area the heat will concentrate. On a satellite dish, this is where the antennae would be. Instead of the dish focusing TV signals, it is now focusing the sun on that area.

        You really only need one satellite dish. After that, try to think of ways you can "clone" the shape.

        Here is a good video that explains the basic concepts and uses a smaller dish using foil to give you an idea:
        Signature
        Discover the fastest and easiest ways to create your own valuable products.
        Tons of FREE Public Domain content you can use to make your own content, PLR, digital and POD products.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8295318].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author Mohsin Rasool
          Originally Posted by Kurt View Post

          Hey Moshin,

          Is this the design you will be testing?
          CooKit - Solar Cooking

          It looks like a good one to get started. A couple of things:

          The material they use is probably more reflective than foil. Just make your design bigger to compensate.

          Foil is something like 80% reflective and I'm guessing the material they use is something like 90-95% reflective. Again, foil isn't the best thing to use, but it is cheap and can withstand the weather.

          If you notice, there is a plastic bag over the black cooking pot. This bag will let infrared light (the sun's heat) through it, but help trap some of the heat from escaping the area of the pot. This is the same concept as the "greenhouse effect".

          It isn't totally essential, but it will improve the effectiveness of the solar oven. In the US, these are called "oven cooking bags" and we can get them at any food store. They are plastic bags that can withstand higher heat.

          Glass will also work. If you can build a cube out of glass to place over the black pot, it will help the cooking process.

          I would say right now, try to come up with a satellite dish that is at least a meter in diameter. IMO, this will be the best way to convince others that this works.

          Convert the dish into a cooker, then have your friends hold their hand in the focal point. When you burn their hand off and they are being rushed to the hospital, they will then believe in the power of solar cooking.

          With a satellite dish, you need to make sure of two things:

          1. It is pointed directly into the sun. A dish will need to be adjusted once or twice an hour to account for the sun moving.

          2. You find the "focal point". This is the area the heat will concentrate. On a satellite dish, this is where the antennae would be. Instead of the dish focusing TV signals, it is now focusing the sun on that area.

          You really only need one satellite dish. After that, try to think of ways you can "clone" the shape.

          Here is a good video that explains the basic concepts and uses a smaller dish using foil to give you an idea:
          How to Make a Parabolic Solar Cooker - YouTube
          Hi Kurt,

          Thank you very much your kind advice, encouragement and email.
          Yes I wanted to start with CooKit, as it is portable and will enough to for quick demos
          in the city (where I live). Then for village demo, we will go with Dish like model in the
          village.

          1. Yes I am going to use that green house effect with having cooking bag covering the
          black pot. Any thick food gradable plastic bag will work? I mean I will try to get from
          the bakery guy if cannot get it from the store, as have not seen people use the bag in the kitchen here.

          2.
          Glass will also work. If you can build a cube out of glass to place over the black pot, it will help the cooking process.
          So that glass will be additional the plastic bag, or they should be used alternatively?

          3. I am now clear on the black pot.

          4. Reflective material, is something which I need to understand more, i have not
          been able to find aluminium foil even yet. What other alternatives we have,
          as it is hard to tell people what I need.

          It the same thing, which is inside the tea bags, juice and milk tetra packs, and cigarette packs have a bright paper ... is this the same thing?

          Kurt, if you were in our country, and the other person do
          not knew the English, how can you explain him what you are looking for, what other
          conventional industrial uses of these materials would be, so I can find the supply and
          currently used name of such stuff here... (I feel sorry now studying the commerce & IT in the university after my 12th grade, lol I am missing my chemistry and physics classes of
          High School.)

          Brother here is very good & AWESOME video I found on YT to tease my friends and family in Pakistan, LOL politicians in our country have taught our people to see India and Indian people always in competition, so this video really made them jealous and hope entice them
          to do something here too:


          The song in the video says in Hindi/Urdu that..."Country have given you so much, we should also learn to give back to our homeland... by helping the poor...awesome song!"

          & Awesome work and demonstration of Solar Cooking!!! Kudo to people who organized,
          trained and recorded this event for us to watch (I have downloaded it for a good demo
          to show to our officials whenever i got their attention...)



          Thanks a ton again for all the support!
          Best Regards,
          Mohsin
          Signature
          Warriors4Hire: WordPress & GENESIS Experts | Custom WP Theme | WordPress Troubleshooting | Customizations | WP Security | Responsive Themes

          My Business site: WarMarks - Web Development | My Personal Blog: Mohsin Rasool
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8295410].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author Kurt
            Originally Posted by Mohsin Rasool View Post

            Hi Kurt,


            1. Yes I am going to use that green house effect with having cooking bag covering the
            black pot. Any thick food gradable plastic bag will work? I mean I will try to get from
            the bakery guy if cannot get it from the store, as have not seen people use the bag in the kitchen here.
            I don't think a regular plastic bag will work. It will likely melt due to the high heat.

            2.
            So that glass will be additional the plastic bag, or they should be used alternatively?
            Just one or the other, but not both.



            4. Reflective material, is something which I need to understand more, i have not
            been able to find aluminium foil even yet. What other alternatives we have,
            as it is hard to tell people what I need.
            Foil should be the easiest material to find. In the US, we have very easy access to 5-6 materials that will work.

            The hard part of these projects for me is not knowing what materials are available to people in other parts of the world.

            It the same thing, which is inside the tea bags, juice and milk tetra packs, and cigarette packs have a bright paper ... is this the same thing?


            Kurt, if you were in our country, and the other person do
            not knew the English, how can you explain him what you are looking for, what other
            conventional industrial uses of these materials would be, so I can find the supply and
            currently used name of such stuff here...
            Since a picture is worth 1000 words, I'd print out some pictures and show him.

            Here is a picture of a sheet of tin foil. It is very thin, about the thickness of a sheet of paper.
            Aluminium foil - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


            It comes on a roll where you tear off sheets to your needed size. The roll is packaged in a box:
            Amazon.com: Reynolds Wrap Aluminum Foil 2 Pack -...Amazon.com: Reynolds Wrap Aluminum Foil 2 Pack -...

            Here's the cooking bags. These are big enough for a turkey. They are about $1.50 US each, but should last a pretty long time:
            Amazon.com: First Quality 19-Inch by 23-1/2-Inch...Amazon.com: First Quality 19-Inch by 23-1/2-Inch...



            Brother here is very good & AWESOME video I found on YT to tease my friends and family in Pakistan, LOL politicians in our country have taught our people to see India and Indian people always in competition, so this video really made them jealous and hope entice them
            to do something here too:

            Worlds Largest Solar Cooking Class - YouTube

            The song in the video says in Hindi/Urdu that..."Country have given you so much, we should also learn to give back to our homeland... by helping the poor...awesome song!"

            & Awesome work and demonstration of Solar Cooking!!! Kudo to people who organized,
            trained and recorded this event for us to watch (I have downloaded it for a good demo
            to show to our officials whenever i got their attention...)



            Thanks a ton again for all the support!
            Best Regards,
            Mohsin
            Are you Pakastanis going to let the Indians kick your solar butts?
            Signature
            Discover the fastest and easiest ways to create your own valuable products.
            Tons of FREE Public Domain content you can use to make your own content, PLR, digital and POD products.
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8295572].message }}
            • Profile picture of the author ThomM
              Kurt, just to get off topic a little. This was one of the first articles I read about solar power back in the 70's when I had a subscription to Mother Earth News.
              RECYCLE A REFRIGERATOR INTO A SOLAR WATER HEATER
              Signature

              Life: Nature's way of keeping meat fresh
              Getting old ain't for sissy's
              As you are I was, as I am you will be
              You can't fix stupid, but you can always out smart it.

              {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8295852].message }}

Trending Topics