Solar oven

[Ceres]

http://www.solarcooking.org/plans/collapsible-box.htm

Very, very easy instructions for making a solar oven from a cardboard box. I think this would be a really cool (or perhaps hot?) activity to demonstrate solar energy.

[asimplelife]

Our unschooling group made solar cookers last summer and did a combined lunch (late, by the time it cooked lol). I made the sunshade one. I put my thermometer into it (one that is digital with a cord coming out for easy viewing and limited heat loss) and it got up to 80 odd degrees inside. Only problem was my plastic bag over the casserole dish created condensation as it heated and steamed and it then kind of acted like a cloud which dramatically dropped the temp. Did cook though (I did rice noodles and then made a tomato pasta sauce to go over them).

[Ceres]

I'm just wondering if using a styrofome box rather than 2 cardboard boxes with padding between them would work.. what do you think? Did the different families try different designs? I think it would be pretty great to have an alternative to turning the oven on in summer!

ETA.. instructions for a more complex design are here.. (http://www.re-energy.ca/t-i_solarheatbuild-1.shtml)

[asimplelife]

Yes, we all had different ones and they all worked.

This was mine...

http://solarcooking.wikia.com/wiki/Windshield_Shade_Solar_Cooker

One of my friends made this one and has had great success (is that the same as your linked one above maybe).

http://solarcooking.wikia.com/wiki/%22Minimum%22_Solar_Box_Cooker (http://solarcooking.wikia.com/wiki/%22Minimum%22_Solar_Box_Cooker)

She also had one of the fundraiser ones

http://solarcookers.org/

Not sure about the styrofoam - I'm thinking the idea of the two boxes is that they create a heat layer between much like sandwich bottom saucepans or double layer mugs or even double glazing - the air in between traps heat.

Some are more portable than othes - the sunshade one is good, just pack it down and store. The box one would obviously need its own space.