Revolutionizing cooking with Smart Solar Thermal Cooking System for sustainable living in Rwanda

Zipporahshimwa
3 min readOct 24, 2023

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Once upon a time, I had a dream of a sustainable future for my generation and those to come. I believed that the key to achieving this dream lay in engaging and empowering the youth to prepare for a greener and eco-friendly world. I had grown up in a place where the use of firewood and charcoal for cooking was a common practice. However, I witnessed the harsh realities this brought upon my community. Children would miss school to gather firewood and charcoal, impacting their education and future prospects. Moreover, the widespread use of these traditional cooking methods have severe consequences for the environment, leading to deforestation and increased pollution.

Determined to make a difference, I decided to take matters into my own hands and embarked on a journey to revolutionize the way people cooked in my community. I envisioned a Smart Solar Thermal Cooking System (SSTCS) that would harness the power of the sun to provide a sustainable and efficient cooking solution.

The SSTCS is a marvel of innovation, consisting of six main components: solar collectors, a thermal energy storage system, a smart control unit, evacuated tube, solar tracker, and a stove as it is shown in the figure 1 below. These high-efficiency solar collectors capture sunlight and convert it into heat, ensuring optimal performance even on cloudy days. The thermal energy storage system allows for uninterrupted cooking during periods of low solar radiation, making the system reliable and practical.

Figure 1. The Smart Solar Thermal Collector System device and its components.

However, what truly set my creation apart is the smart control unit. This intelligent system monitors solar radiation levels, energy storage capacity, and cooking requirements, optimizing the cooking operations for maximum efficiency. It is like having a cooking assistant that always knows the perfect time and temperature to prepare delicious meals.

I knew that my invention could have a profound impact on my community and the environment. This project aligns perfectly with the government’s plan to reduce charcoal and firewood usage significantly. By relying on renewable solar energy, the SSTCS would reduce carbon emissions and air pollution, making Rwanda a cleaner and healthier place for all.

With a heart full of hope and a mind full of possibilities, I embarked on a mission to spread the word about the SSTCS. I also had the opportunity to attend a high school workshop, encouraging students to embrace technology and use their creativity to drive meaningful progress towards a more sustainable world.

Figure2: I was conducting my highschool workshop with students from APAER KABUGA

To someone reading this blog, I would like to share with you my creation to get inspired and follow in my footsteps. I believe that engaging the youth in sustainable technologies and IoT is the key to building a better future. Through innovation, skills development, and collaboration, they could become change agents for a more interconnected world.

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