Translations:Insulated Solar Electric Cooker (ISEC)/9/en

The Value of Integrating Energy Systems

The original ISEC project developed at Cal Poly uses a 100 watt, 12 volt, well insulated cooker. The fact that they have proven that you can cook with only 100 watts is great! But such small power sources do not work in cloudy weather. We have found at LEF that our cooks always favor more powerful cookers. Our largest ISEC at LEF runs at 180 volts. It will cook quite well in cloudy weather. The ISEC project aims to provide inexpensive cookers for low income families all over the world. If 10 or 20 people can share a cooking facility, then it is possible to make much more effective cookers at higher voltages that work in cloudier weather, as well as providing other services, at a similar per-capita cost. The problem is, of course, that many low income communities do not have the up-front capital to build larger energy systems regardless of improved overall efficacy. The right balance of cost, efficiency, and scale is and will remain on ongoing question. Our hope here is to provide options.