SCI encourages the testing of solar cookers for the benefit of all -
manufacturers, consumers, NGOs, and government policymakers.
The SCI Performance Evaluation Process (PEP) is a solar cooker testing platform. PEP results provide a single performance specification per solar cooker, which is useful for consumers and investors to make informed decisions when comparing solar cookers. PEP measurements also provide credibility to the solar cooking sector and products. PEP testing applies a protocol published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). PEP test results allow manufacturers to share evidence-based claims for their solar cookers.
PUBLICATIONS
Testing solar cookers for cooking efficiency
Read the latest research on solar thermal cooker performance published in Solar Energy Advances, an official journal of the International Solar Energy Society®. Supported by the Northstar Sustainability Fund, the paper is authored by SCI staff members — Program and Science Director Alan W. Bigelow, Ph.D., Research Specialist Justin Tabatchnick, and Executive Director Caitlyn Hughes — and contributes valuable insights into measuring the cooking efficiency for solar thermal cookers, which complements and enhances SCI's existing performance evaluation process (PEP).
Click here: Research Paper - Solar Energy Advances Volume 2, 2024
Development and implementation of a Performance Evaluation Process (PEP) for solar thermal cooking devices
Solar Cookers International staff designed and built portable test stations for a performance evaluation process (PEP) for solar thermal cookers in response to a specific need expressed by the solar cooking sector that an independent, neutral agency develop a testing process for solar thermal cooking devices. The PEP test stations are based on commercially available components, including thermocouples, an anemometer, a pyranometer and Arduino hardware. The test station control software was designed to automate the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASAE) S580.1 protocol for Testing and Reporting Solar Cooker Performance; it measures temperature changes in an amount of water proportional to the intercept area of a solar cooker, while monitoring wind speed and solar insolation, for normalizing results.
Click here: Research Paper - Solar World Congress 2021
Just like fuel use ratings are important to car customers, standard cooking power values for solar
cookers help customers make informed decisions. SCI's PEP provides that standard (in watts).
View Test Results
Thinking of buying a solar cooker or starting a solar cooker project? View test results here to make an informed decision.
Schedule a Test
Interested in having your solar cooker tested? Learn how here.
Support Testing
Interested in funding a testing station or testing center? Learn how here.