Stoves powered by solar

An Eco worker explains how the solar stove works during an exhibition at Makerere University Kampala last week.

What you need to know:

  • If technology can ease life in various ways, then the solar-powered stove is one of those innovations that will help the rural and urban poor

The traditional way of cooking using firewood and charcoal may become a thing of the past with embracing innovative technologies.
One such innovation is a Ugandan-made cooking stove with multipurpose functions powered by solar energy.

The stove cooks food, lights the home, charges phones, has an inbuilt FM radio charger and can be used for ironing.

It is moulded and has two handles for easy transfer from one place to another and adopted to meet the needs of any family size. It cooks food in half the time the firewood or charcoal stove takes.
This is an initiative of Eco Group, a company that develops environmentally friendly and innovative cooking stoves.

Immaculate Musiimenta, one of the innovators, said the stove was developed as a response to the ever-rising challenge of cooking in the developing world with a purpose of reducing carbon foot print.

“This is purely an electrical stove which depends on the solar panel. But if a client wants to use hydroelectricity he or she will be given an adaptor to connect to the main grid,” she said.

The stove functions through a linked connection to the solar battery and solar panel comprising 30 Watts and two LED lights.
The solar panel is either installed on the rooftop of the house or anywhere in the compound with access to sunshine.

Before someone takes it home, the team shows the client how to use it. Once a client purchases the stove with all the other components, the team is responsible for installations. A complete component costs Shs900,000.
While cooking, volcanic stones are added to the stove to retain heat. These stones can be purchased at the company premises in Wakaliga, a Kampala suburb.

The Eco stove is a smoke-free, user-friendly and the reusable stones can last for about six months. Each stone costs Shs30,000.
It has an air system to increase combustion and efficiency to meet everyday personal cooking needs.

In order to run the in-built air system for combustion, the innovators adopted a solar kit, which provides added value by its lightning and phone charging services.

They have been designed with heat regulators to meet the cooking heat level needed for each meal.
Safety features include low energy light, heat regulators and safety insulation.

Should the water drop on the stones, all you need is take them out, let them dry and reuse them.
The Eco Stoves are manufactured in two sizes to meet different cooking needs namely single burner, double and oven style with two top burners.

About the stove
Cost. A complete component of the stove costs Shs900,000 inclusive of installation.

How it works. The stove functions through a linked connection to the solar battery and solar panel comprising 30 Watts and two LED lights.
Reusable stones. The Eco stove is a smoke-free, user friendly and the reusable stones can last for about six months before purchasing another bundle, which weighs approximately five kilograme. The stone costs Shs30,000.