[Stoves] Sun Buckets: off topic news, introduction

David Stein ambwat at gmail.com
Tue Jan 3 23:11:26 CST 2017


Dear Stephen,

I'm not positive, but I believe the projected cost of the "sun bucket" is
around 50 bucks.

Best,
David

On Wed, Jan 4, 2017 at 3:17 PM, Stephen Joseph <joey.stephen at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Dear Ron and David
>
> Storage cokers are great.  We worked on a micro-hydro version in Nepal
> which was well accepted.  I like the idea of integration with TLUD.  I am
> wondering how much the phase change module is if mass produced as this will
> determine if people adopt it unless someone is prepared to subsidize.
>
> Regards
> Stephen
>
> On Wed, Jan 4, 2017 at 12:30 PM, Ronal W. Larson <
> rongretlarson at comcast.net> wrote:
>
>> David and list  - and cc some solar cooking friends
>>
>> Congratulations on this modification of the usual solar cooker.  And on
>> the two awards that Sun Buckets has already won.
>>
>> It might seem you are on the wrong list - as we get little traffic re
>> solar cookers - and our “biomass” address would suggest this is normally be
>> the wrong place.   But I see three connections (that I have mentioned
>> recently to the ccs), that make this entirely appropriate for out stove
>> list.
>>
>> a).  There could be reasons to employ the same storage concept at a
>> family (maybe neighborhood) level with any form of biomass stove.  I think
>> it would fit especially well with TLUD stoves - as they could be designed
>> at a large (one full day of cooking) size - and one day’s cooking could be
>> much less time consuming than at present.  No solar involvement at all in
>> approach a).
>>
>> b).   There could be good reason for option a)  (such as very high fuel
>> costs) to also want to couple a fully biomass approach with (zero fuel cost
>> ) solar.
>>
>> c).   Every solar option needs a backup - and biomass is the usual choice
>> (except in the USA).
>> The backup need not make charcoal - but the solar cookers can never be
>> carbon negative;  TLUDs can make that happen.  Which won’t happen normally
>> with a liquid (LPG) etc.
>>
>> So I’d like to continue this dialog with anyone interested.  Because of
>> all the option a), b), c) possibilities,  this dialog could remain on this
>> list.  I suggest we stay away from the solar-only topic you brought to us.
>> And we can leave this list if a few think it is detracting from our biomass
>> stove dialog.
>>
>> I was employed at what is now NREL in Golden Colorado and have several
>> friends with extensive experience in high temperature thermal storage (even
>> little myself). I’ve been a member of SCI on and off.
>>
>> My friend Dr. Salih Hamadto (in Khartoum Sudan) has sold many
>> concentrators of the Scheffler variety - which I think might end up being a
>> preferred approach -  instead of paraboloids.  All the ccs know about
>> biochar - which I think has a much more natural fit with your nice idea
>> than our rocket enthusiasts.
>>
>> Ron
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Jan 3, 2017, at 12:51 PM, David Stein <ambwat at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> Dear All,
>>
>>
>> I am a newcomer to the Stoves list but I’ve spent some time in the
>> household energy sector in developing Vanuatu which is where I met Nikhil.
>>
>>
>> I am fascinated by solar cooking these days.  There are many potential
>> socio-economic and environmental benefits of solar cooking and they are all
>> very seductive.  Just thinking about fuel-free and emission-free cooking
>> is intoxicating.
>>
>>
>> However, it seems that it is difficult to achieve the potential benefits
>> of solar cooking (especially in the developing world) largely because those
>> that dwell in hot climates (which is where much of the developing world
>> seems to be located) have developed lifestyles that minimize exposure to
>> the sun whereas most methods of solar cooking require the cook to be out in
>> the sun, often at times of the day that aren’t typical cooking times.  These
>> facts make the difficult task of changing the cooking habits of cooks even
>> more challenging.
>>
>>
>> But it appears as though the Sun Bucket http://www.sunbuckets.com/  “cracks
>> all of these nuts.”  This amazing innovation is “charged” with the heat
>> of sunshine and the heat is stored in a “sun bucket” (phase change
>> “”battery”) where it can be used when (like in the evening or early
>> morning) and where (like inside a kitchen) it is needed.  It cooks as
>> hot as cooking on fire and existing cooking pots and pans can be used so
>> there is minimal need for changes in cooking behavior.  It also seems
>> very affordable.  I guess it’s what they call transformational.
>>
>>
>> It looks as though a Sun Bucket should be a part of every integrated
>> coking scheme (solar cooking when it's sunny, using an Improved Cook Stove
>> when it's not, and maybe using a retained heat cooker with both) everywhere
>> the sun shines in the developing world.  I can hardly wait for the Sun
>> Bucket to be unleashed to the world-wide market of cooks that could really
>> use them.
>>
>>
>> Best wishes for the coming year.
>>
>> David Stein
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