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Making the Most of Sunshine: A Handbook of Solar Energy for the Common Man
S Narayanaswamy
Vikas Publishing House PVT Ltd
2001
Hardback xii + 204 pages ISBN 8125910867
£25.00
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This book, which was initially aimed at the Indian market, can be divided into two parts. The first is a fairly
comprehensive overview of the role of solar energy in renewable energy systems,
both in the context of the world at present and in terms of its growing
importance in the future. The second part focuses on the specific use of solar
energy in cooking, with an emphasis on how this has evolved in India. As the
author indicates in the Preface, this book is an attempt at unravelling a
little known secret-that the sun can cook for us. He points out that everyday
the sun showers the earth with several thousand times as much energy as we use.
In less than three days the solar energy reaching the earth more than matches
the total of all the fossil fuel energy on earth and asks 'why are we not
making use of this incredible bonanza of solar energy?
Answering his own question, he points out that we are, but it is the
indirect sunshine of ages ago trapped In the bowels of the earth that we are
reclaiming today in a very polluting way. The challenge is to make use of solar
energy directly and in a non-polluting fashion. The author indicates that 'this
book is intended to arouse an interest in the reader in the happenings in the
world of renewable energy, solar energy in particular and more specifically in
the solar cooker, and to share my experience of the solar cooker with the
readers. We are much better off using the solar cooker than slaving over hot
fire. But it is proving to be a challenging task to spread the word and to
convince people that something so simple as the solar cooker can work so well
in today's technologically advanced world'.
As indicated by the following contents, the book contains detailed plans
of a number of different solar cookers, that may not tempt the well off to
replace their current systems - but could provide valuable instruction for the
basis of educational projects, or the incentive for anyone interested in solar
energy to see what can be achieved with a small investment of time and money.
Contents
- Preface
- Chapter I : Introduction
- Neglect of Solar Cooker
- Solar Cooker and the Common Man
- Solar Cooker Versus Other Solar Devices
- Solar Energy and Solar Power
- Solar Cooking is Good
- Solar Cooking and Simple Living
- Chapter 2 : The Current Energy and Environment Scene
- Introduction
- Forms of Energy
- Energy Demand and Conservation
- Greenhouse Gases
- Global Warming
- Sustainable Development
- Environmental Awareness
- Earth Day
- Chapter 3 The Future Energy Sources
- Introduction
- Wind Energy
- Small Hydropower
- Geo-thermal Energy
- Tidal Energy
- Wave Energy
- Biomass
- Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) or Deep Ocean Water (DOW) Systems
- Solar Ponds
- Hydrogen Energy or Fuel Cell
- Some Recent Developments in Fuel Cell/Rechargeable Batteries
- Nuclear Fusion
- Share of Renewable Energy
- Chapter 4 : The Energy of the Sun
- Introduction
- Sun: The Primary Energy Source
- Photovoltaics
- Full Spectrum Solar Energy System
- Thermophotovoltaic Devices
- Artificial Photosynthesis
- Thermionic Power Chip
- Thermoelectric Generators
- Solar Thermal
- Non-imaging Optics
- Thermoacoustic Heating
- Solar Space Heating
- Space Solar Power Systems
- Prospects for Renewable Energy
- Fiscal and Legal Mechanisms for Green Electricity
- Chapter 5 : The Solar Cooker-The Box Cooker
- Solar Box
- Spread of Solar Cookers
- Benefits of Solar Cooking
- Basics of Solar Cooker
- Solar Cooker Operation
- Through the Wall Oven
- The Maria Telkes Cooker
- Chapter 6: Cooking with the Solar Cooker
- Cooking
- Roasting
- Drying
- Boiling/Pasteurising Water
- Getting Rid of Insect Infestation
- Repair Jobs
- Making Jams/Canning/Baking
- Preventive Maintenance
- Retained Heat Cooking
- Sustainable Kitchen
- Using the Solar Cooker as a Thermal Cooker
- Bachat Cooker
- Chapter 7: Other Solar Cooker Types and Low Grade Solar Thermal Devices
- The Conical Cooker
- Parabolic Cooker
- Flat Plate Collector
- Solar Water Heater
- Solar Stills
- Solar Dryer
- Solar Refrigerator
- Subsidies and Financial Assistance
- Chapter 8 : Making Your Own Solar Cooker
- Cardboard Box Cooker
- Panel Type Cooker
- The Sunstove Cooker
- Solar Funnel Cooker
- Chapter 9 : Promotion of Solar Cookers
- Introduction and Dissemination
- Governmental Support
- Evolving Good Designs and Spreading out Production
- Other Thermal Devices
- Publicity and Promotion
- Educational Tool
- Solar Energy Studies
- Appendix I
- Why Create Energy When You Can Save it
- In A Hurry to Prove The " Pistonheads" Wrong
- Listen, Detroit: You'll Get a Charge out of This
- Amory Lovins Sees the Future and it is Hydrogen
- Appendix II
- Principle of Scheffler Parabolic Reflector
- Box-type Solar Cooker
- Conical Solar Cooker
- Maria Telkes Solar Cooker
- Typical Specifications of a Solar Box Cooker
- Renewable energy, Solar energy, Solar cookers
To find similar publications, click on a keyword below:
Autumn 2001
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