India news archive

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*September 2020: Prime Minister Modi calls for low-cost indoor solar cooking solutions - "In line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call to action for developing low-cost indoor solar cooking solutions, IOCL has tied up with Sun Bucket System, a US-based start-up working in the niche area of solar energy-based products. We are encouraging Indian oil and gas companies to develop such innovative and scalable tie-ups in solar sector, which have the potential to make nationwide impact.” More information... 
*September 2020: Meet These 'Solar Mamas' of Rajasthan - The community-based Barefoot College, located in Tilonia, encourages a hands-on-training process of gaining practical knowledge. Since 2004, Barefoot college has been teaching solar engineering skills to illiterate older women from rural communities. Women are indeed agents of change, which is why they are being trained to use solar cookers, desalination plants, and water heaters. They then return to their villages to establish projects and train others. Read more...
*September 2020: UN Secretary-General Calls on India to Take Lead in Global Transformation to Renewables - Mercom India
*December 2019: TinyTech Plants, founded by Veljibhai Desai, has announced it will be selling its current stock of solar cookers. Veljibhai will be retiring soon, and no longer wishes to maintain a marketing effort. The inventory includes the list below. If interested, contact TinyTech Plants:
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*November 2019: The PRINCE-40 wins award - The PRINCE-40 parabolic solar cooker, designed to serve a community, has won a National Grand Challenge for designing a robust, efficient, and compact community solar cooker. The challenge was from Department of Science and Technology, Government of India. The award focussed on community solar cooker designs. 
*November 2019: Electric cooking starts to simmer in rural India - Following the success of the Saubhagya initiative and its announcement of 100 per cent rural household electrification, efficiency gains and cost reductions in solar panels and batteries are opening up a new market that has the potential to avoid using any solid or fossil fuel, with solar-powered electric cooking or e-cooking using pressure and rice cookers and induction stoves gaining traction. The winner of the 2017 challenge, IIT Bombay, has since conducted a project to convert the entire village of Bancha in Madhya Pradesh to solar panels and induction cookstoves instead of wood-burning or LPG stoves. With Rs 8.5 million provided by ONGC, all the 75 houses in Bancha now rely on solar-powered electric stoves to meet their cooking needs. Besides reducing air pollution, villagers no longer have to collect firewood from nearby forests, saving time and effort. More information...
*October 2019: Modi govt to offer Ayushman, Ujjwala benefits for PMAY users in three month trial program - The government will not just cover these beneficiaries under schemes like Ujjawala and Ayushman Bharat, but will also offer them solar energy run devices like solar cookers, etc as part of its efforts to develop a holistic self-sufficient and sustainable urban cluster. Under PMAY (Urban), the ministry of housing and urban affairs (MoHUA) has sanctioned around 90 lakh houses so far, of which 53.40 lakh have been grounded (work started) and more than 27.17 lakh have been completed with an investment of around Rs 5.54 lakh crore. Around 24.75 lakh houses have been occupied. It was officially rolled out in all cities under PMAY (Urban) on October 2 and will conclude on December 10. The campaign is to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. More information...
*September 2019: Oil company supports indoor solar cooking: - IndianOil has formed a partnership with the start-up company, Sun Buckets, to sponsor a test pilot program of their indoor solar cooking system in Leh, Ladakh. The Sun Bucket can be ‘charged’ using parabolic solar concentrators kept outdoors. Once charged, the system is capable of storing and discharging the thermal energy on demand for indoor cooking — for boiling, steaming, frying and to make roti. It has enough heat storage capacity to cater to cooking demands during the day as well as at night. More information... 
*September 2019: Gujarat Man Teaches Tribal Women to Make Solar Cookers That Cost Just Rs 100! - The Better India (“We have organised the Solar Cooker Workshop in more than 100 villages till date. In the last two years, our initiative has reached many parts of Maharashtra and Karnataka as well. While on the one hand, many rural families have already begun using solar cookers successfully, on the other, we are working on setting up a solar cooker laboratory in the tribal village of Casa located in Palghar district of Maharashtra,” said Alzubair Saiyed.)
*July 2019: In the second week of July, Dr. Ajay Chandak will lead an environmental expedition to Ladakh to demonstrate the ability of solar thermal parabolic cookers to cook food and boil tea with the power of the sun even when snow is on the ground and temperatures are below freezing. Ladakh, a high-altitude desert with more than 325 clear sunny days and no locally available cooking fuel is an ideal region for cooking with solar thermal devices. Using solar cookers whenever the sun is shining can significantly reduce the amount of subsidized LPG fuel that residents of this region must currently purchase and import every year. Ajay and his team will demonstrate low cost, easy to use PRINCE solar cookers at schools and rural child care centers (Aanganwadis). They will carry out a solar cooking expedition to Khardungla Pass, at an elevation of on the 10th of July. Ajay also plans to donate a PRINCE-40 solar community cooker to Indian Army personnel for pilot testing so that it can be used in remote outposts in this region where all cooking fuel must be imported at tremendous expense. Ajay has been instrumental in training and mentoring entrepreneurs from Ladakh since 2010. These entrepreneurs have manufactured and installed almost 1000 domestic solar cookers in the reg
*March 2019: Smart Solar Cooking Solutions Design National Challenge 2019 - The Department of Science and Technology, Government of India is providing young Indian innovators with a chance to submit their designs of efficient and user-friendly solar cooking solutions and win financial grants. Indian citizens affiliated to any academic institution, R&D organization and/or an Indian company/Industry recognized under the Company’s Act/DSIR may apply for this scholarship with their design ideas. The last date to apply for the challenge was 31 March 2019. [http://www.dst.gov.in/callforproposals/national-grand-challenge-awards-designing-user-friendly-smart-solar-cooking More information...
*October 2018: Government offers challenge awards - The Department of Science & Technology is offering awards to those creating the most user friendly solar cookers. The timeframe for submitting entries is from 2 October 2018 until 31 December 2018. For contest details see: National Grand Challenge Awards for Designing User Friendly Smart Solar Cooking Solutions Additional design objectives for the competition include; the ability to use the cooker in the kitchen, work in limited light conditions, temperature regulation, and optional connection with the electrical grid. DST institutes awards for best designs - The Hindu
*July 2018: With the objective of creating a sense of responsibility among students towards the current energy crisis, Sri Srikanteswara ITI College, Mysuru, instituted an energy awareness program. Over 150 students attended, and received training with solar water heaters, LED lamp technology, and solar cookers. More information...
thumb|right|335 px|First video of new development of Inclined trough line concentrating solar steam generator. This will be the system with zero auxiliary power.
*May 2018: Dr. Ajay Chandak, Solar Cookers International Global Advisor, seeks a US partner for project development of inclined trough solar concentrator for a grant from the United States-India Science and Technology Endowment fund (IUSSTF): “Commercializing Technologies for Societal Impact." The pilot project can be seen in this video: Link to Pilot Project. Dr. Chandak is confident the cost of this concentrator will be at least 40% less than the corresponding cost of concentrators in the market. The fund aims to select and financially support promising joint US-India entrepreneurial initiatives. Grant size: up to INR 2.50 Crores (approx. $400,000 USD). To participate, contact Dr. Chandak well before the 15 June 2018 deadline: renewable.consultant@gmail.com 
*April 2018: Solar Food Fest - Attendees gathered to celebrate Sustainable Development week at the Jimmy McGilligan Centre for Sustainable Development with a potluck food fest. Twenty-two solar cookers were used to prepare 30 delicacies. The Centre has organized the sustainable development week with the aim to encourage larger numbers of people to adapt a sustainable lifestyle. Read more...
*March 2018: WINTREX Award recipient - Dr. Ajay Chandak and Promoters, Researchers and Innovators in New and Clean Energy have received the Gold Prize for their innovation of the Solar Paraboloid Concentrator at the World Invention and Technology (WINTREX) in Indonesia. Dr. Chandak reports this is the same design approach they use for their production solar cookers and industrial concentrators.The team was represented by Mr. Raman from the Indian Innovators Association. 
*March 2018: Indian Prime Minister Modi makes appeal for cooking through solar power - United News of India
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*March 2018: Solar cooking advocate wishes to empower more men - Dr. Janak McGilligan, used International Women’s Day to conduct a training workshop on solar cooking for men at the Jimmy McGilligan Centre for Sustainable Development. She said her Baha’i faith believed in the equality of men and women. “I am no feminist in the classical sense and we don’t believe in the gender divide. I want to help those men who did not know cooking but want to help their wives in the kitchen.” More information...
*January 2018: Agri-engineers at the Punjab Agricultural University are addressing concerns over the expense for families wishing to afford their own substantial solar cooker. They are testing a community cooker at their facility on campus available to locals who may desire to use it. It has two chambers for foods cooking at different rates. Read more...
*June 2017: Dr. Janak McGilligan, SCI Global Advisor, was joined by chief guest Dr. Vandana Shiva, plenary speaker at the 6th SCI World Conference 2017, at the World Environment Day celebration. Five parabolic solar cookers were distributed to five landless women who have been cooking over open fires. The women contributed 10% of the purchase price for the PRINCE cookers. The remainder was subsidized by Solar Cookers International donors. 
*May 2017: Contribute your data: Drive solar cooking results - Solar cooking contributes to long-term progress from cleaner, more efficient, sustainable cooking solutions worldwide. It is crucial to convey the positive health, economic, and environmental impacts of solar cooking to government agencies and other stakeholders. To help build this case, SCI is reaching out to all solar cooking partners. SCI invites your input in the form of data on baseline information, number and type of solar cookers, number of years of the project, location, outcomes, etc. With your help, we can work to include solar-thermal cooking in national energy and sustainability plans. You provide:
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:Submit your solar cooking data by filling out the simple form on the Solar Cookers International website or email info@solarcookers.org. Please submit to SCI by 1 June 2017.
*April 2017: Indore : Jimmy memorial week begins with solar food festival - The Free Press Journal
*January 2017: Solar Cooking Challenge at the Uttarakhand Renewable Development Agency - Uttarakhand Renewable Development Agency (UREDA), Dehradun, India organized a solar cooking challenge for their staff, on 10 January 2017. Solar Cookers International staff member Hemangi Rawat was invited to participate as a judge. The competition was held in UREDA’s own solar energy park to demonstrate the diverse functionality and benefits of solar cooking, using the zero emission clean energy technology of parabolic dish cookers. Five divisional UREDA teams, with approximately 20 employees enthusiastically participated in this competition. Participating teams solar cooked nutritious Indian dishes like Rajma (Kidney beans), rice, vegetable rice biryani, rice kheer (Indian rice pudding), and even roasted papads (lentil wafers). Teams also demonstrated the usage of traditional sauce pans and pressure cookers to solar cook the food. This dish type solar cooker can cook food for 12-15 people at a time and saves electricity equivalent to 600 watts. UREDA director Jyoti Khairwal, and senior management officials also arranged for judges and prizes to make this friendly competition a truly meaningful experience for the staff. Dr. A.J. Singh, deputy chief project officer said “UREDA continues to look for innovative ways to raise community awareness on the benefits of solar cooking."
*March 2017: Hospital turns to solar cooking - King George Medical University Hospital, one of Asia's largest, located in Lucknow, , India, will soon have a Scheffler array to cook daily for over 4000 patients. The new system is being installed atop the seventh floor of the Shatabdi Phase-II  building. Read more...
*February 2017: SuryaKumbh festival again sets record - Vivek Kabra reports: "On 11 Feb, 2017, 7,500 school children created history by participating in the World's Largest Solar Cooking Festival. Trained by 400 trainers and guided by 150 supervisors, each one of them made their own solar cooker and cooked noodles in it. Having experienced the power of the sun first hand, each child took the SuryaKumbh solar cooker back home to share the magic of cooking without fuel." The event this year was organized by the Mira Bhayander Municipal Corporation and held in the Bhayandar - Thane area. More information... 
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*February 2017: Mumbai: MBMC plans largest cooking festival, eyes Guinness record - The Freepress Journal
*January 2017: Scientists gather to discuss adoption issues - Scientists from 19 countries visited Jimmy McGilligan Centre for Sustainable Development to discuss issues delaying use of solar cooking technology. Deepak Gadhia from the Muni Seva Ashram commented “The problem that we have come across, which hurdles the use of solar powered cookers, is the cost involved for an average person.” “Indore has potential to become MP’s solar hub using solar cooking, food processing and related technologies for food parks, namkeen clusters and organic farming,” Centre Director, Janak Palta McGilligan added to the discussion. To read conference papers and watch on-demand conference presentations go to 6th SCI World Conference 2017
*January 2017: Update on solar cooker store in Indore, India - Fair Fabricators' owner, Mahendra Rawat, provided a tour of his store, which has been in operation since 1988, to several visiting attendees of the 6th SCI World Conference 2017. Fair Fabricators continues to build box cookers on demand. It is common for people to bring solar cookers that are 20 years old into the shop for a repair. Many of these women told Mr. Rawat that they had difficulty cooking without the solar cooker—they could never go back to the old way once they had gotten so used to solar cooking and the delicious flavors of the food. He reports they have sold over 145,000 solar cookers over the years. 
*December 2016: Engineering students construct solar cookers - On 28 November 2016, a total of 120 engineering students from the B.H Gardi College of Engineering and Technology in Rajkot, , participated in a Solar Cooking Festival organized by Innov8 Solar Energy. Lead by Alzubair Saiyed, they built 60 solar cookers, which appear to be the Copenhagen Solar Cooker Light design, and then cooked noodles for those in attendance in about 30 minutes.
*December 2016: Ashram switches from steam to thermic fluid solar cooking - The Muni Seva Ashram, located in Goraj, Vadodara, India, has converted its steam-based Scheffler solar cooking array to use thermic fluid, with heat storage capabilities, to be able to provide nighttime cooking. This is the first such conversion in India, where many existing Scheffler reflector systems are currently in use. The new thermic fluid system also provides the ability to roast, bake, and fry foods, within comfort of the kitchen, not possible with the steam-based system. Read more... 
*December 2016: Women receive solar cooking training in Gujarat - Alzubair Saiyed, an Assistant Professor at the B.H Gardi College of Engineering and Technology in Rajkot, , has recently conducted solar cooking workshops at the Shri Kanta Stri Vikas Gruh Girls High School and the Institute of Quality Education (Sister Nivedita Trust). With both groups together, he was able to introduce solar cooking to over 800 women. See more details at about the events at his personal page, Alzubair Saiyed.
*October 2016: New ARUN system installed in Maharashtra - Clique Solar has designed, installed and commissioned two separate cooking systems, one with ARUN®100 and another with Arun®30 at Maharogi Sewa Samiti’s (MSS) headquarter Anandwan in Chandrapur district in Maharashtra state. Arun®100 caters to MSS Kitchen while Arun®30 is installed at their guesthouse. Read more...
*October 2016: Women in India find empowerment with solar businesses, and win UN climate award - Varsha Pawar is one of the 1,010 women entrepreneurs in the villages of Maharashtra and Bihar in India who have empowered themselves by running successful businesses of selling solar appliances to rural households. This was made possible through the efforts of Swayam Shikshan Prayog (SSP), a non-profit based in Pune in Maharashtra that helps village women to become clean energy entrepreneurs. The clean energy project will be one of thirteen initiatives that will be recognized at the UN climate summit to be held in Marrakech, Morocco, in November. Read more... - INDIA CLIMATE DIALOGUE
*October 2016: HIMURJA provides over 37,000 solar cookers - daijiworld
*September 2016: Solar cookers to be distributed in sixteen villages of the Agra region - The Times of India is reporting that the India Post in collaboration with Western Union Money Transfer will be distributing solar cookers and lights to the villages beginning in October. Local leaders will be interviewed to help find recipients most in need of the cookers and lighting. The Agra project is the first of this type of collaboration between the Post and private funding. If successful, other regions will be incorporated into the program. Read more...
*June 2016: "In order to promote solar thermal technologies to meet cooking energy requirements and to reduce dependence on traditional biomass and fossil fuels, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy in the month of September 2014 sanctioned sale and distribution of 15000 Solar Cookers in three different phases at various locations in J&K at a tentative cost of Rs 1687.5 lakh. In the first phase, 5000 solar cookers were procured but only 2183 have been distributed till date despite the fact that target of 5000 was set on the basis of requisitions made by the district officers of the JAKEDA. Similarly, against target of 20000 biomass cookstoves only 3302 have been distributed by the JAKEDA."Govt fails to provide benefits of Rs 45 cr worth schemes of MNRE to people
*June 2016: Aavin steps up production of with solar milk pasteurization - Aavin is the latest government agency to harness solar thermal energy for its daily operations in India. The hundreds of curved mirrors in two structures generate steam to pasteurize nearly one lakh(100,000) liters of milk a day. Read more...
*May 2016: Shirdi Temple wins solar thermal award - The Sai Prasadalaya, a community kitchen of Shri Saibaba Sansthan Shirdi has received the coveted Concentrated Solar Thermal (CST) and Solar Cooker Excellence Awards- 2016 by the ministry of new and renewable energy (MNRE). Shirdi Sai temple, which draws thousands of devotees every day, has one of world's largest Solar System Projects for community cooking installed in 2014. More information...
*May 2016: Solar thermal excellence award - Ramakrishna Mission Students’ Home in Chennai was recently conferred with an award for Concentrated Solar Thermal Excellence (CST) for their Solar Cooking System by MNRE, Government of India. The award was given for the school's installation of the ARUN 100 institutional solar steam generating and heat storage system. Award for excellence - NYOOOZ
*April 2016: India to lead in solar energy Piyush Goyal, Minister for State (Independent Charge) for Power, Coal and New & Renewable Energy, states India has exceeded solar targets by 116% this past year. Goyal said that India now would lead the world towards clean energy rather than follow. More Information...
*April 2016: The Institute of Technology in Roorkee has been using a solar installation to provide steam for student meal preparation for the past two years. They have saved the expense of as many as 5,000 LPG cylinders each year. Dean Dr Naveen Nawani said with the introduction of the solar steam cooking process, the quality of food has improved drastically. Read more...
*March 2016: BENGALURU: The Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has invited applications and proposals from educational institutions to convert to green campuses...Solar cooking systems must be utilized for hostels/hospitals etc. All houses, hostels and kitchens must have solar water heaters. Read more...
*January 2016: A record-setting 5,760 students participated in a solar cooking event on January 12, 2016 in Aurangabad as part of Maha Suryakumbh 2016 organized by Keshav Srushti. Read more... Video of event...
Keshav_Srushti_3.jpg|Maha Suryakumbh 2016|linktext=Photo credit: Keshav Srushti
Keshav Srushti 6_01-16.jpg|Maha Suryakumbh 2016|linktext=Photo credit: Keshav Srushti
Keshav Srushti 5_01-16.jpg|Maha Suryakumbh 2016|linktext=Photo credit: Keshav Srushti
Keshav_Srushti_2.jpg|Maha Suryakumbh 2016|linktext=Photo credit: Keshav Srushti
*January 2016: Keshav Srushti continues its extensive efforts to promote solar cooking in India. On January 24th, after this year's Maha SuryaKumbh, they will be opening an educational energy park in Uttan, a coastal town north of Mumbai. It will house an array of solar devices, including solar dryers and solar cookers. More information...
*August 2015: According to a Times of India news article, the city of Ludhiana will get a boost of solar power as the Union government has included the industrial capital of Punjab among 50 cities to be developed as solar cities. As part of this part of this project, solar cooking systems must be utilized for hostels/hospitals etc. Read more...
thumb|right|250px|Solar energy concentrator at Ramakrishna Mission’s Students’ Home
*Investment brings large-scale solar cooking to Chennai school for orphans and underprivileged boys - Starting in 2013, a partnership between the UNDP, India's Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, and the Global Environment Facility, led to a project to install an ARUN®100 solar concentrator at the Ramakrishna Mission’s Students’ Home. The system provides enough energy to cook 3,000 meals per day and reduces LPG consumption by half, which leads to a savings of US$8,000 per year. Read more...
*March 2015: New solar cooking organization in India - On January 23, 2015 Solar Cookers India was formed. Dr. Mrs. Janak Palta McGilligan has graciously offered her services as the Honorary Executive Director of this new organization, which will work in close partnership with Solar Cookers International.
*March 2015: SCInet member wins national award - Janak McGilligan won the prestigious national Padmashri award for distinguished achievement in social service on January 26, 2015. The Padma Awards is one of the highest civilian awards given in India. As former Director and Founder of the Barli Development Institute for Rural Women, she pioneered solar parabolic cooking for community use.
*February 2015: India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) is inviting comments on its Draft Solar Policy - Sunday, March 1, 2015 will be the deadline for comments. The ten-page document, available here, outlines some of the government department’s thinking. “The Nodal Agency shall take necessary action to proliferate its application in feasible sectors including residential (solar water heaters, solar cookers, indoor air heating etc.), commercial & industrial sector (solar cooling, solar air dryers, large scale solar water heaters, large scale solar cooking utilizing solar concentrator technology, process heating etc.).” Read more...
*January 2015: 15,000 students in Mumbai solar cook and set world-record - 15,000 students from 80 schools in Mumbai, India set a new world-record for the largest ever solar cooking gathering organized by Keshav Srushti. Each student was given a solar cooker and taught how to use it as part of a national campaign to spread awareness of the importance of solar technology. C Vidyasagar Rao, governor of Maharashtra and Ashish Shelar, minister of state, Power, Coal & New Renewable Energy, attended the record-setting gathering. Read more at: Over 15,000 students create a new world-record in solar cooking
*January 2015: Annual Maha SuryaKumba reaches for a lofty goal - The Bhayander based NGO, Keshav Srushti, is committed to spreading awareness of solar cooking. Under the banner of Maha SuryaKumba, they will be gathering students from 500 schools across Mumbai in Bhayander,India, and then will be taking the festival to remote tribal villages. Hoping this year reach the magic number of 100,000 solar-powered prepared meals! Keshav Srushti has been accredited by the Guinness Book of World Records for having conducted the largest solar oven cooking class in January 2014 with 3,639 participants from 62 schools. The new goal of reaching so many students from remote areas will require financial support beyond the means of Keshav Srushti. Please contact Keshav Srushti If you can help, it will be appreciated. The NGO has announced there will now be an annual Maha SuryaKumba held on January 15th. More information...
*September 2014: Bhubaneswar: The state government will provide solar chullahs to 500 households inside Satkosia Wildlife Sanctuary. This was done to reduce load on firewood, which the villagers collect from the sanctuary. There are around 5,000 households in the reserve, but initially 10% will be provided with the solar cooking device. The panchayati raj and forest departments will jointly conduct survey to identify the families to be given the chullah. A private party will donate the chullahs to the forest department. - Read more... - Times of India
*August 2014: International solar cooking expert, Ajay Chandak, has written about the recent installation of steam generating solar cooking systems at The Akshardham Temple located in New Delhi and at the Ram Krishna Mission Student’s Home, Mylapore, Chennai. The Akshardham Temple system is now able to serve 2,000 - 3,000 meals on a clear sunny day, saving approximately 30 to 50 scm of PNG each day in operation. MNRE has partly funded this installation and Clique Solar has manufactured and installed the system. The system at the Ram Krishna Mission Student’s Home as been adapted with the ability to store the excess heat generated mid-day to be able to cook very early in the day and after sunset. Read his reports: and - Ajay Chandak
*August 2014: A Bhayander based NGO, Keshav Srushti, in a bid to spread awareness on solar cooking, will be gathering students from 500 schools across Mumbai to cook solar-powered dishes. Keshav Srushti has been accredited by the Guinness Book of World Records for having conducted the largest solar oven cooking class in January 2014 with 3639 participants from 62 schools. Invigorated by the success, the NGO has announced an annual Maha Suryakumbh on January 15, 2015, is aiming to reach 25,000 schools students. More information...
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*March 2014: Rural schools receive solar cooking sysytems - Ajay Chandak wants to update the solar cooking community that a Scheffler Community Kitchen has been installed and tested at the Aapla Ghar school for homeless rural children located in Naldurg, India. After cooking their first meal on this solar system the students and management were more than happy. He brings particular attention and notice of appreciation to the local M.P. Dr. Ashok Ganguly, who arranged financing of the project through their M.P fund, contributing $23,000 USD to the project. Also, another Scheffler system is to be opened soon at an orphanage located in Dhule.
*February 2014: The Jawahar Navodiya Vidyalya school is saving $23,000 in annual fuel costs - The residential school Jawahar Navodiya Vidyalya located in Ladakh, India appreciates having their solar cooking system, which is saving them $23,000 USD in annual fuel costs. More than 570 students and staff members are served daily meals. "It is not only very easy to operate, but it provides us [with] hot water for washing the dishes in the cold season," says Tashi, one of the kitchen staff. The arid desert region is known as the "land of high passes". Previously, remote areas like this one have had to rely on kerosene and firewood for heating and cooking, and considerable money was being spent simply getting kerosene delivered. Read more... - Asia Times Online
*January 2014: School in North Coimbatore begins solar cooking mid-day meals Two PRINCE - 40 institutional parabolic solar cookers will soon be cooking noon meals for students at a school in North Coimbatore. Each PRINCE unit (designed by Professor Ajay Chandak) costs 68,000 Indian rupees ($1,000 USD) and includes a 35-liter (32 quart) pressure cooker. The first two units will be used on a test basis. If successful, the municipality will order PRINCE cookers for all sixteen schools in the region. The Indian National Ministry of New and Renewable Energy provides a sixty percent subsidy for the solar cookers, which will cut expenses by reducing the consumption of LPG and wood. On December 9, 2013 Professor Ajay Chandak, a global leader in the solar thermal cooking sector, was elected to the Board of Directors of the International Solar Energy Society (ISES). Chandak will represent "Solar Heating and Cooling". ISES is a UN-accredited NGO that is active in over 110 countries.
*January 2014: India raises the bar for the world's largest solar cooking class - "As many as 3,484 children from over 80 schools participated in the largest solar cooking initiative Suryakumbh on January 4th, which has qualified as an entry to the Guinness Book of World Records. The emergence of renewable sources of energy as an answer to the imminent exhaustion of conventional energy sources pushed a Bhayander NGO, Keshav Srushti, to start with the most influential members of society, children." - dna The class was held in Mumbai, India. Read more...
*December 2013: Government sponsored solar cooking systems installed in Jaipur - Two state run hostels for girls in Jaipur, India, have installed Scheffler Community Kitchen solar cooking systems to meet the cooking needs for 600 students. Each system has four dishes of 16 square meters and will help conserve 4,500 kgs of liquefied cooking gas (LPG) annually assuming about 275 normal sunny days. It is estimated the pay back will be less than 4 years and reduce the financial burden to the state government. Read more...
*November 2013: GloboSol introduces solar cooking technology and bio-mass stoves in Madhya Pradesh, India - Alec Gagneux, of GloboSol, spent several months at one of the Ekta Parishad ashrams in the city of Katni in central India last spring. He demonstrated the value of using the simple technologies of solar cooking, solar food drying and bio-mass stoves. With the help of local craftspeople, the group assembled their own food dryers and solar cookers. During his stay, Alec met local residents who were willing to organize more demonstrations at local schools, intended to help draw the attention of local political leaders. Read more at:
*November 2013: Solar cooking receives a new platform to speak from - The second edition of Sun Focus, a quarterly magazine devoted to concentrated solar heat has just been released. The new publication from India was founded by Dr Farooq Addullah. He explains that the magazine will focus on off-grid applications of concentrated solar technologies (CSTs) for the purpose of saving fuel oil, firewood, and LPG in industrial and commercial establishments using heat between 80 °C and 250 °C. Solar cooking plays a major role in the content. This latest edition's cover article is devoted to the latest developments of the Scheffler Community Kitchen, written by noted solar cooking designer and advocate for solar cooking education in public schools, Ajay Chandak. Read his article on page 11. Scheffler Solar Concentrators in India - Sun Focus
*October 2013: The Haryana Renewable Energy Development Agency reports that is one of the few states in the country where solar cookers are being promoted by providing subsidy on box/dish type solar cooker. The Govt. of India is also promoting dish type solar cookers by providing subsidy@ Rs.2100/- per Sq. meter of the collector area limited to 30 % cost of the cooker and box type solar cookers @ Rs. 3600/- per sq. Meter of the collector area. During the year 2011-12, there was a target of distribution of 1750 solar cookers in the state with state subsidy provision of Rs. 20.0 lacs. During the year 2012-13, there is a target of 500 Dish type solar cookers & 1000 box type solar cookers with a state budget of Rs. 17.50 lac.
*September 2013: The Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), a public company in Ahmedabad, India, is distributing solar box cookers to villagers as part of a conservation program designed to make people aware that by using solar cookers to bake and simmer they can save their LPG for specific cooking needs and save money by reducing their consumption of this expensive fuel without having to give it up entirely. For more information, contact Devang Joshi at Rudra Solar Energy.
*July 2013: Scheffler solar kitchen installed at Mt. Abu spiritual center -The Scheffler Community Kitchen has been installed as a collaboration between the Academy for a Better World and Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University, with technology from Solare Brücke, Germany. With 84 receivers and cooking at 650 degrees, the system can produce up to 38,500 meals a day when the sun is at its peak. Read more...
*May 2013: It was a solar week at Barli Development Institute for Rural Women in which a week-long solar cooker training of SK-14 solar cookers was organised at the Institute's campus (5-11 May 2013). The training was attended by 26 trainee-women of the outgoing 104th batch of women trainees. The rural and tribal women trainees eagerly learnt the process of assembling the solar cookers, cooking various dishes, and maintaining the cookers. The training was conducted by Mr. Yogesh Jadhav (Chief Operating Officer, Barli Institute) who took over from Mr. Jimmy McGilligan when he retired from the Institute in April 2011. After the training each of the trainees promised to save the environment and use the solar cookers.
*April 2013: LPG cylinder replacment is slow and unpredictable - Gautam Raja reports that is his area gas customers will first receive two cylinders of fuel when they establish their gas service. But when they run out, replacement can take over two weeks. Deliveries arrive unannounced, so the customer may miss it, and have to start the process all over again. Many residents have switched over to electrical induction cook tops, but the power supply can be less than reliable. Concerned about missing his morning chai, Gautam then discovered solar cookers, and was amazed by their capabilities. They help fill the gap, that is until the monsoon season. Read more...
*February 2013: Solar cooking and processing workshops in India - Celestino Ruivo, of the Instituto Superior de Engenharia da Universidade do Algarve in Portugal, traveled to India at the end of January to attend the 1st International Solar Food Processing Network workshop at the Muni Seva Ashram in Goraj, Vadodara, Gujarat, India. He brought with him 50 kg. of solar cooking bagage: 8 black pots, 16 glasses of windows cloth washing machines, corrugated sheet metal, reflective foil and tools to make low cost and effective portable funnel cookers. Creatively, Celestino used his suitcase as the mold to construct examples of his solar funnel cooker in concrete. He also gave a lecture about solar cooking and how to construct a funnel cooker at the CT institute in Punjab for more than 300 students, as well teaching solar cooking for ladies in domestic context at Jalandhar. The eight funnel cookers were donated to friends in Hyderabad, Mumbai, Muni Seva Ashram, Vadodara, Jalandhar and New Delhi.
*February 2013: The Solar Food Processing Network (SFPN) held a regional workshop in January 2013 at the Muni Seva Ashram in Goraj, Vadodara, Gujarat, India. This gathering was a follow-up to the 2009 AFPN conference held in Indore, India in 2010. Workshop participants heard from food marketing and technology experts. Conference organizers, Deepak Gadhia and Rolf Behringer held discussions on local and international marketing, village industries, packaging, policy interventions, R&D, and effective monitoring and evaluation of projects. Attendees discussed the formation of an international solar food standard and shared their own practical experiences using solar technology for food processing. Visit the Solar Food Processing Network to see a muscial video of the event and videos of solar food processing projects in Burkina Faso.
thumb|right|300px|2,044 middle school students learn to prepare lunch with solar cooking.
*January 2013: World's largest solar cooking class takes place in India - On January 19, 2013, middle school students gathered on the grounds of JES College in Jalna, India to be trained in the use of a simple solar panel cooker. After a quick breakfast, and guidance from 205 trainers, a record-breaking 2,044 students assembled their own solar cooker and placed prepared ingredients inside to cook. After speaker presentations, they were able to enjoy the lunch they had cooked themselves. This event, sponsored by Simplified Technology for Life, demonstrates that India is quite serious about introducing solar cooking to young students.
thumb|right|300px|The PRINCE - 40 is demonstrated at the rural schools.
*January 2013: Parabolic community solar cookers used for midday meals in rural schools - WOTR is a nonprofit organization that has been operating in five Indian states since the early nineties. They have untaken a unique solar cooking project targeting Zilla Parishad primary schools in the Sangamner and Akole taluka of the Ahmadnagar district. The objective was to find ways to help prepare their midday meal. Currently, twenty-three solar cookers are in service. After a careful study of all options, it was decided to deploy the PRINCE - 40 parabolic solar cooker, designed by Ajay Chandak, for the pilot installation in fifty-three villages across three states – , , and . Most of the schools where these cookers are installed are using them as main source of energy for the mid-day meals. Read more about the project at: 
*December 2012: Indian Government's Ambitious New Solar Cooking Policy - Deepak Gadhia reports that the Indian government has announced a very ambitious Solar Cooking Policy under the Jawharlal Nehru National Solar Mission, JNSSM Phase II Targets for "Solar Cookers and Steam Generating Systems will include: At-least 100 institutions that would deploy solar cookers (Likely Solar Steam and Thermic Fluid System Cooking Systems for Institutional Cooking for 500 + people); Around 25,000 installations of solar cooking devices in schools for mid day meals. (Likely Scheffler Cookers, PRINCE 40, 60 and other mid-size solar cookers that can cook for 50+ people; An overall target of deployment of 50,000 solar cookers would be set in Phase II of JNNSM. (Likely the SK 10/ Sk 14/ Prince 15, etc. for domestic cooking).
*November 2012: Regional Solar Food Processing Network to be established in India - Rolf Behringer reports that the German NGO WISIONS has agreed to support the establishment in India of the first regional Solar Food Processing Network. A workshop to inaugurate this effort will take place in early 2013 (date and location to be announced). The aim of the Solar Food Processing Network (SFPN) is to establish a global network of interested parties (NGOs, governments, farmers, and manufacturers) to develop and promote efficient methods of solar food processing and conservation. These are intended to help reduce poverty, improve local economic opportunities and health, and decrease environmental damage. In countries with high solar insolation, effective solar thermal production technologies will contribute to the sustainable development of small rural communities. SFPN is managed by the German NGO Solare Zukunft (Solar Future in English). It is financially supported by WISIONS, an initiative of the Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy to foster practical sustainable energy projects.
*November 2012: The Times of India reports that the Akshardham temple in the capital has switched from piped natural gas to solar technology for cooking its daily quota of close to 4,000 meals every day. The solar concentrator, named ARUN®100, produces steam which powers the cooking process. Read more...
*May 2012: The Telegraph of Calcutta reports that State Animal and Fish Resources Minister Giriraj Singh will not be affected if the government of India cuts subsidies for LPG cooking gas and kerosene. He has started using solar cookers to prepare meals at home. Fearing a rise in cooking gas prices, he has already started using solar cookers. He has also urged the state energy minister, Vijendra Prasad Yadav, to come up with a plan to reduce the dependence of government buildings on traditional sources of power. Solar energy, the minister suggested, would be a suitable alternative.
*April 2012: 
*March 2012: To save the Golden Temple from the ill-effects of pollution the Punjab Energy Development Agency(PEDA) is developing a plan to prepare a daily meal of Langar dal with the help of a solar steam cooking system. PEDA is the governmental agency promoting renewable energy within , India. To prepare Langar dal for 50,000 to 60,000 devotees daily at the Golden Temple, requires one ton (909 kg) of dal to be cooked each day. A recent study has shown cooking dal with the help of steam will save at least 25 LPG cylinders and also keep the environment pollution-free. PEDA chairman Manjeet Singh said they would bear the entire project cost.
*February 2012: The Solar Fire TinyTech Concentrator has been developed by the TinyTech company for use as either a village power source, or to generate steam for institutional cooking. It measures 90 sq. meters and is a fixed focus completely folding concentrator, not requiring any foundation in the ground.
*February 2012: Medical colleges including those owned by the State Governments across the country are gearing up to do their bit to tackle climate change by adopting environment-friendly measures. the Medical Council of India (MCI) has proposed that colleges give emphasis to promotion of national bio-gas and manure management programs (NBMMP), national biomass cook-stove programs (NBCP), and solar cooking systems according to their suitability to ensure sustainability.” Read More... - The Pioneer
*February 2012: Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy, Farooq Abdullah, noted at a recent seminar in Ambala, India, that the rapid rise in the use of fossil fuels has threatened exhaustion of conventional energy sources in the country. He said most of the energy required in the industry, transportation and agriculture field is generated from fossil fuels like coal, petroleum and natural gas. Farooq said his ministry had chalked out a detailed plan to promote solar cooking. - IBN Live
*January 2012: Private equity firm Zephyr Peacock has reportedly invested $11,000,000 USD in Mumbai-based Gadhia Solar in India.. The solar energy company provides energy solutions by using parabolic concentrated technology and has implemented some of the world’s largest solar thermal systems during the past two decades. Read more...
*January 2012: Ajay Chandak reports that in the Indian government's 12th five year plan, 2012-2016, 30000 million INR (approx. 600 million USD) is budgeted for solar cooking in a half a million schools. This will not only help in saving environment, but will expose millions and millions of school children to solar cooking and build the confidence that these systems work. 
*November 2011: The World Intellectual Property Organization commissioned an extensive report on the state of solar cooking, prepared by Scope e-Knowledge Center Private Limited based in India. Released in August 2011, the report validates the viability of solar cooking, a technology well-suited for a growing portion of the world's population. It also provides a number of examples of various designs that have applied for patents.
*October 2011: The latest PRINCE newsletter announces a scheduled training for Scheffler Reflector Solar Cookers coming January 21 -27, 2012. Next, PRINCE founder Ajay Chandak has received an Energy Conservation Award from the Government of Maharashtra. Also, PRINCE has organized a networking workshop for all stakeholders in the renewable energy business on January 25 - 26, 2012. PRINCE Biogas Plants now approved by MNRE. Read more about these items: 
*June 2011: First Solar Cooking Training on World Environment Day - Janak McGillian reports that Sanawdiya, a village located at the historic Devguradiya Temple, is increasingly affected by smoke from toxic dumps. On World Environment Day, June 4th and 5th, Janak organized a program to combat this smoke. With many guest speakers, the highlight of the program was a demonstartion of solar cooking with a SK-14 parabolic solar cooker. There was considerable interest from the villagers from Sanawadiya and farmers from the surrounding area. Read details of the event at: 
*January 2011: Government clears plan for sixty solar cities. The Centre will kick off an ambitious scheme to develop sixty solar cities in two years. It will be done in collaboration with city corporations, municipalities and district councils. The focus will be on renewable energy devices such as kitchen waste-based plants, solar water heating systems, solar cooking systems, solar steam generation, drying and air heating systems, solar air-conditioning, bio-mass gasification based systems and biogas.
*January 2011: RNCOS Report Predicts Growth of Solar Cookers in India. RNCOS, market research and information analysis company, in its recent report titled, “Indian Solar Energy Market Outlook 2012”, studies the latest trends in the industry by utilizing inputs from the state and central regulatory background of the country. According to the report, the solar cookers in India will witness a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 6% in 2010-2013. The report details the rapid growth of solar industry in India and predicts that it will grow more in future. There is a growing demand for solar products in rural areas, and the trend will continue in the future too. The report quotes that the Solar Cookers International has rated India as the foremost country with abundant solar cooking potential. It mentions the various steps taken by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy in India in popularizing the usage of solar cookers in government organizations, villages, societies, hostels and hotels. The report also discusses various factors that push the growth of solar cooker market in India.
*December 2010: Institutional solar cooking gains momentum in India. A news release from the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, reporting on important activities in 2010, states: Solar concentrating systems, comprising automatically tracked of parabolic dishes, have been found to be useful for generating steam to cook food for hundreds and thousands of people in community kitchens especially at religious places such as Shirdi, Mount Abu, Tirupati etc. The world’s largest system is functioning at Shirdi for cooking food for 20,000 people/day. These systems have found good applications for air conditioning and laundry also and a few demonstration plants have recently been installed. A total of around 80 concentrating systems of different capacities covering 25,000 sq.m. of dish area are functioning in the country, largely for cooking purpose. During 2010, 15 such systems were sanctioned covering a dish area of around 3000 sq.m. More Information...
*July 2010: The Ahmedabad-based Self Employed Women’s Association has joined forces with the Sierra Club to provide new green jobs and technology for SEWA’s 1.5 million members in India. Ninety-three percent of India’s workforce remains in the informal sector, said Nanavaty, executive director of SEWA. “The Indian economy is growing tremendously, but how do the rural poor also avail of these opportunities?” Sailesh Rao, president and founder of the San Jose, Calif.-based Climate Healers, said his non-profit organization had come up with two solar cook stoves, one that could slow-cook a meal like rice and daal throughout the day, and another that could prepare rotis almost instantly. Women using the solar stoves could also generate an income by selling their carbon credits, Rao told India-West after the talk, envisioning a plan where the credits could be sold for $11 per metric ton, netting rural women about $4.
*June 2010: India's richest temple - Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), at Tirumala is relying entirely on clean energy to feed over 70,000 people everyday. The temple has installed solar powered lights, solar cooking system, windmills and a water recycling station. "The basic principle is conversion of water into steam energy. We're converting the solar energy into steam energy. The water flows through the pipes and the solar dishes concentrate the solar energy to the concentrators. In the concentrators the water is converted into steam and that steam is utilised for cooking," says Deputy Executive Engineer (Mechanical) KV Raman Rao. The solar array is similar to to the one recently installed in Shirdi, and also uses the Scheffler parabolic solar oven as the basis for their system.
*May 2010: Installation of solar cooking devices at the Vigyan ashram near Puna, India.. A project proposal for the installation of solar cooking devices(16sqm scheffler concentrator, PRINCE 40 solar parabolic cooker, tunnel drier, 12 sqm solar batch drier, Bakery / oven , biogas generator) at the Vigyan ashram was submitted to INDUSA. The proposal has been accepted for VA campus for the year 2010. The civil and foundation work are currently underway. More Information...
*April 2010: Gadhia Solar Energy Systems Pvt. Ltd. recently completed installation of an enormous solar steam cooking system, capable of cooking 40,000-50,000 meals per day. It is located at Shirdi Saibaba temple in Shirdi, Maharashtra, India. With nearly 30,000 visitors each day, the temple’s dining halls are some of the largest in India. The solar steam cooking system is comprised of 73 rooftop-mounted reflective dishes of 16 square meters each. The dishes concentrate sunlight on receivers that contain water, generating steam that is piped down to the kitchen for cooking purposes. To maintain constant focus with the sun, the dishes automatically rotate throughout the day after being manually aligned once each morning. The solar steam cooking system is retrofitted to existing liquid petroleum gas-powered steam boilers that are still used in the evening and during prolonged periods of inclement weather. Though the solar steam cooking system cost nearly $300,000, government subsidies reduced the temple’s portion to about $170,000. Liquid petroleum gas use has been cut by roughly 100,000 kilograms each year, for an annual savings of approximately $45,000. The temple should recoup its investment in three to four years. According to company founder Deepak Gadhia, the solar steam cooking technology was originally developed in Germany. However, the equipment does not contain imported components and is manufactured with local machinery and labor, creating much-needed jobs. Gadhia has adapted the system for use in India, and has installed 50 such systems of varying sizes over the past two decades. The March edition of CNN’s Eco Solutions program highlights the Shirdi Saibaba temple solar steam cooking system.
*December 2009: "Sabarmati Central Jail is upgrading facilities and living and working conditions... the jail authorities are setting up an economical solar cooking system for its large kitchen to replace gas-guzzling conventional burners..." Rs 40-lakh solar cooking system for city jail from Ahmedabad Mirror.com.
*November 2009: Beyond Zero talks to Deepak Gadhia of Gadhia Solar (transcript, or audio)
*July, 30 2009: Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah on Thursday inaugurated the world’s largest solar steam system installed at Sri Sai Baba Sansthan, Shirdi. The solar system has been designed for cooking food for devotees visiting the Sansthan. The total cost of the solar steam system is estimated at Rs. 133.00 lakhs for which a subsidy of Rs. 58.40 lakhs has been provided by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy(MNRE). The solar system enables the Sansthan to cook food for 20,000 people a day, resulting in a huge annual savings of one lakh kg of LPG translating to nearly Rs.20,00,000 per year. The system has been installed within a record time of ten months. The Shirdi system generates about 3500 kg of steam every day, which is sufficient to cook food for about 20,000 people. The system has been designed in such a way that it will generate steam for cooking even in the absence of electricity to run the feed water pump for circulating water in the system.
*March 21, 2009: Energy Day was celebrated in a unique way in city of Dhule, India, by a voluntary organization PRINCE (Promoters & Researchers In Non Conventional Energy). With the help of around 100 students of mechanical engineering from SSVPS BSD College of Engineering a solar canteen was set up by Prof. Ajay Chandak, Prof. Sham Patil and Prof. Deepak Dubey. Three SK-14, solar dish cooker, one square PRINCE design of dish cooker and one Community solar cooker of 2.3 m dia. were used in the canteen. On these gadgets almost 1000 snacks were cooked and sold by the students. Staff and students of the Institute and invited guests from the city enjoyed solar food. Guests had fun watching the food being cooked in front of their eyes in the solar cookers and to taste the same as any other methods of cooking. Snacks cooked and sold on large scale were Idlis and coffee. However other snacks like Khichadi, Cakes etc. were also prepared for demonstration to the visitors. Many students, staff and visitors showed great interest in the solar cooking demonstrations and local manufacturer, M/s Essential Equipments, reported sell of around ten solar cookers in next two days, which is welcome outcome of such event. Many students were thrilled with the experience of this event for the first time in their life and have shown great interest to organize such events at different locations in the city, next year. Principal of the Institute Dr. Jahagirdar has promised to support such events in future. Other programs for energy day celebrations included demonstrations of energy efficient technologies for lighting, fans and domestic appliances. All these equipments were demonstrated to visitors. Many visitors reported having changed their copper and aluminum ballasts with electronic ballasts in next week. After all seeing is believing. One workshop was also organized for local masons, hoteliers and interested people to teach them skills of installation of biogas plants working on food waste. Chairperson of PRINCE, Prof. Ajay Chandak, has given up LPG since last four years and fuel requirement for his family comes up from the solar cookers and biogas plant working on food waste. PRINCE group has come up with a special cost effective design of biogas plant. After the workshop five people have shown interest in installation of the biogas plants.
*March 21, 2009: 
*March 1-3, 2009: Workshop on Entrepreneurship in Renewable Energy" with special emphasis on manufacturing parabolic solar cookers in Dhule, India. .
*December 2008: One hundred solar cookers donated to the Barli Development Institute for Rural Women by the Terra Foundation
*November 2008: Priests are urging organizers of community Durga Puja festivals in and around Kolkata to “go green” according to an article in India’s national newspaper The Hindu. They hope to reduce the amount of plastic serving dishes and utensils used during the festivals, and are promoting the use of solar cookers to prepare rice offerings to Devi Durga. The West Bengal Renewable Energy Development Agency will give out awards to puja organizers for use of renewable energy and incorporation of energy efficiency techniques.
*January 14–16, 2009: International Solar Food Processing Conference 2009 in Indore, India
*November 2008: Jimmy McGilligan, Manager of Barli Development Institute for Rural Women originally from Northern Ireland received his medal, OBE an honour bestowed by her Majesty the Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom at Windsor Castle during investiture ceremony on November 11. “For his services to social causes and the use of alternative energy in rural communities in India”, is the recognition of his dedicated service to the rural and tribal women in central India.
*October 2008: To commemorate the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister of India Mr. Rajiv Gandhi, which is celebrated as “Rajiv Gandhi Renewable Energy Day”. On the occasion, members of Inner Wheel Club of Pune Middtown provided a live demonstration of Solar cooker was demonstrated by roasting peanuts and snacks to the students and dignitaries of the Education department of Pune Municipal Corporation. The students realised the advantages of Solar energy and were delighted They shared their feedback on the occasion.
*August 2008: Dr. Satyapriya Mukhopadhyay, author of the book “Solar Cookere Ranna” and an international adviser to Solar Cookers International, conducted a solar cooker demonstration and seminar on solar cooking and its usefulness at Srikrishna College in March. The awareness-generation program was organized by National Service Scheme (NSS) of Srikrishna College unit. In attendance were nearly 250 students, as well as all college staff and a significant number of local community members. Mukhopadhyay, with the help of NSS program officers and volunteers, used a variety of solar cookers to cook several solar dishes: rice, mutton curry, spicy onion fish, tomato sauce, cazu nut, Indian porridge, dal, and boiled eggs. Shri Arun Kanti Saha, ex-principal and head of mathematics, and Dr. Sankar Prasad Dey, post-doctoral fellow and head of chemistry, delivered lectures on solar concentrating systems and their domestic and industrial uses. According to Dey, “The local participants and students became highly encouraged and showed their interest for generating awareness about solar cooking among the local people. After the completion of this program, organizations … are frequently requesting to Dr. Mukhopadhyay for conduction such program so that they can adopt the technique for cooking their daily foods. From discussions with local people, it is obvious that the program will go a long way towards creation of awareness of the villagers.”
*August 2008: Under the brand name SuryaKiran, Universal Engineers Enterprise has manufactured approximately 15,000 box-type solar cookers for various governmental nodal agencies and private sector clients in India since 1996, according to the company’s Chief Manager Neeraj Kumar Garg. The box cookers are tested, approved and certified by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) and carry the Bureau of Indian Standards ISI mark. They are constructed with fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) or aluminum bodies, and have a solar-electric hybrid option. Universal Engineers Enterprise also sells parabolic-type solar cookers, along with a variety of solar lighting and water heating systems.
*August 2008: India’s northern state of Haryana won a nation award for its 2002-2007 solar cooker program. The honor was presented to the Department of Renewable Energy and the Haryana Renewable Energy Development Agency (HAREDA) by President Pratibha Devisingh Patil at a ceremony in New Delhi last November. HAREDA promotes solar cookers statewide and provides subsidies to women wishing to purchase solar cookers. Concentrator-type (or dish-type) solar cookers with a diameter of 1.4 meters retail for approximately 5,100 Rupees (Rs), but are available for 2,100 Rs after combined subsidies from national and state agencies. Solar box cookers sell for approximately 1,800 Rs, and are available for 1,300 Rs after subsidies. According to PunjabNewsline.com, 6,329 dish-type and 1,983 box-type solar cookers were distributed in Haryana during the five year period. Reports by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) show a total of 70,978 solar cookers distributed across India during that time period. For more information about the solar cooker program in Haryana visit www.hareda.gov.in/thermal.htm
*March 2008: A March 2007 white paper — by Dr. Veerabhadran Ramanathan, distinguished professor of climate and atmospheric sciences at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego (USA), and Dr. Kalpana Balakrishnan, head of the Environmental Health Engineering department at Sri Ramachandra University, Chennai, India — outlines a project to reduce air pollution and global warming with community-wide use of solar cookers and improved biofuel cooking devices. The authors provide many referenced details about the negative health and environmental impacts of biomass burning and biofuel cooking, which they say are “the major sources of elemental carbon (EC) in India and other developing nations.” Carbon dioxide and EC, or soot, are the “two largest agents of global warming.” In India, where a reported 90 percent of cooking is done over wood- and dung-fueled fires, several studies have documented that “indoor air pollution leads to 400,000-550,000 premature deaths … from lower respiratory infections and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. … The burden falls disproportionately on women and children, who inhale soot and other particles from smoke released by the burning of biofuels.” This soot combines with outdoor air pollution to form atmospheric brown clouds (ABCs) that “envelope most of India and the Indian Ocean … [leading] to a large reduction of sunlight at the ground and … atmospheric solar heating.” Since EC and other particles in ABCs have relatively short lifetimes compared to carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, the authors believe global EC reductions can “give us a decade or two to come up with viable and sustainable alternatives for fossil fuel combustion.” In the proposed “Project Surya,” solar cookers will be distributed in 65 villages in the Periyar PURA region in the Thanjavur and Pudukkottai districts of Tamil Nadu, benefiting approximately 6,500 households that currently use about 5 kilograms of firewood per day. Other fuel-efficient cooking devices will be available for use at night or on inclement days. The region has a strong base of local nongovernmental organizations and social networks, including women’s self-help groups, that will be useful for project implementation. Input and feedback from the communities will be gathered and used in a number of ways. Surveys of eating habits and estimated cooking fuel requirements will be conducted. Meetings with local leaders will be used to demonstrate a range of solar cooking technologies and to solicit feedback on their suitability and probability of acceptance in the communities at large. Educational outreach and incentives will be used to maximize use of clean cooking technologies. Installation, operation and maintenance training programs will be offered for those interested. Data collection will begin six months before the project launch, and will continue for at least a year after. Using special instrument towers, researchers will measure concentrations of particulates and soot content, as well as surface solar radiation. If feasible, indoor air pollution will be monitored using special equipment installed in select homes. (Alternatively, a mobile laboratory may be used.) Children will be involved as well, collecting data on cooking fuel use and cooking times, among other things. This data will help quantify the reduction in biofuel use and soot emissions. Though the authors state “it is difficult and costly to [accurately] quantify the disease burden due to indoor air pollution,” they “propose to build the evidence for expected health improvements … through documentation of exposure reduction and subsequently through reduction in incidence and severity of diseases.” The stated goals of the project, in order of importance, are: 1. To eliminate the detrimental health effects of indoor smoke; 2. To reduce the negative effects of EC in ABCs on the summer monsoon rainfall, Himalyan glacier retreat and agriculture; 3. To mitigate the global warming effects of CO2 and elemental carbon. Contact: Vanessa A. Balta Cook, Center for Clouds, Chemistry and Climate at SIO-UCSD. Tel: 858-534-8815, e-mail: vbaltacook@ucsd.edu, Web: Sun Shine Energy
*November 2007: Professor Ajay Chandak, of Promoters and Researchers in Non-Conventional Energy (Prince India), reports completion of an ambitious project to manufacture, transport, install and commission over 300 large parabolic solar cookers at tribal schools in the Indian state of Maharashtra. The project was coordinated by Chandak, with manufacturing by PRINCE trainees M/s Essential Equipments and three contractual manufacturers. Twenty-five trained teams carried out installation and testing of the cookers. The entire process took just 45 days, and resulted in 100 schools being equipped. The Community solar cookers, as Chandak refers to them, are 2.3 meters in diameter and powerful enough for a 22-liter pressure cooker. Each cooker cost around Rs. 26,000 ($650) and comes with a large pressure cooker and other accessories.
*October 2007: Finally the awareness to harness Solar energy and use it to cut costs and save money has arrived in Mumbai. Cut Cost Technologies have introduced the Fuel-Free Cooker in Mumbai, INDIA. Surprisingly its use, in Mumbai, is going to be pioneered by an NGO which is already at the fore-front of adopting renewable energy Sources. The Fuel Free Cooker is an addition to their other renewable energy exploitation. They already have in place solar water heaters and a bio gas plant. Surely more will follow the example of this NGO and save money by cutting costs....because the money saved will be used for the larger good of the society.
*April 2007: Fair Fabricators has been honored for its "outstanding performance" in India’s solar cooker program. The award was sponsored by the governmental Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Sources (MNES). Fair Fabricators reports that it has manufactured and sold more than 100,000 solar cookers in the last two decades. The company is a leading manufacturer of aluminum-bodied solar box cookers, but also manufactures parabolic-type solar cookers and expects to begin production of solar box cookers made of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP). Contact: Fair Fabricators
*April 2007: Sankha Subhra Datta has designed a solar box cooker that is suspended at two points within a support frame, allowing for rotation of the entire cooker around a horizontal axis from 5 to 70 degrees with respect to the ground. The cooker can therefore maintain a nearly 90-degree angle to the light as the sun's position in the sky changes. The cooker is rotated around a horizontal axis by repositioning a bar that is attached to the lower front corners of the box between any of 14 slots spread across the base of the frame. Datta says this system has advantages over solar box cookers with tilt-adjusting rear legs — a greater range of rotation can be achieved, and the cook can rotate the unit smoothly without having to lift its entire weight and risk food spillage. Another design feature that helps to prevent food spills is the weighted, rotating cooking tray that keeps the pot horizontal at all times. Regardless of cooker rotation, the pot is always at the center of the cooker because the tray rotates on the horizontal axis of the pot. "This tray holding arrangement is designed for proper utilization of top and bottom reflectors at every inclination … which is not possible in simply suspended tray arrangements [because] shifting of pot location from the central position of the inner box due to the rotation of pot around pivots," Datta says. The cooker frame sits on casters for easy rotation around the vertical axis. The outer box is constructed of galvanized iron and the inner box is aluminum, with glass wool insulation in between. The glazing is double-paned glass with a two-centimeter air gap.
*February 2007: New Delhi, IPS article Indoor Air Pollution - Silent Killer of Women Over 1.5 million females die prematurely every year by inhaling poisonous fumes as they cook or heat their homes...
*November 2006: Rural Development Trust, a nonprofit organization near Chennai, has assembled 30 solar box cookers and distributed them to villages in the area for demonstrations and awareness creation. The Trust has prepared simple Tamil-language instructions on how to build a solar cooker and use it to cook common dishes like rice and lentils.
*November 2006: An article by M.A. Siraj, appearing in the November/December 2005 issue of Refocus magazine, highlights a solar cooking system installed by Gadhia Solar Energy Systems for the Indian Army. Here is an excerpt: "The Indian Army has commissioned a giant solar cooking system at Leh in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Located in the Ladakh region at 4,000 meters, it is said to be the world’s highest altitude solar cooking system with the capacity to prepare food for 500 army personnel. Mr. Deepak Gadhia of Gadhia Solar Energy Systems … [said] this was one of the most challenging projects undertaken by his company as the team had to work in extremely adverse climate conditions such as snow, cold winds and sub-zero temperatures. … Prior to solar cooking being introduced, the army kitchen at this base was using nearly 50 kilograms of liquefied petroleum gas and 70 liters of diesel each day to cook food. Described as an icy desert, the region has no vegetation and hence no firewood. Diesel and gas cylinders are transported by air for the Army and the tribal population. The solar cooking system has halved the consumption of these fuels. Gadhia says the heat is generated by five pairs of 9.5 square meter parabolic reflectors which produce steam that is piped down to the kitchen for cooking purpose." Due to the cold climate, the system requires thick pipe insulation, and must be regularly drained of water when not in use.
*November 2006: Professor Ajay Chandak of Promoters and Researchers In Non-Conventional Energy (PRINCE) won a "Renewable Energy Award 2005" from the Maharashtra Energy Development Agency. Of the state-level award for excellence in renewable energy, Prof. Chandak says, "Such awards are small milestones on our way and keep us pushing forward." He thanks friends from around the world for their contributions, adding, "They are equal partners in the award." Contact: Professor Ajay Chandak, Prince India
*August 2006: Deepak and Shirin Gadhia, of Gadhia Solar Energy Systems, were awarded the "Business Leadership Award 2005 for Solar Thermal" at the annual International Congress on Renewable Energy (ICORE) in Hyderabad last February. The award was received from the Solar Energy Society of India (SESI), a member of the International Solar Energy Society (ISES). "Like all pioneering work, initially the path had been a slow, up-hill process," said the Gadhias. "But now, due to ever increasing energy costs and environmental catastrophes like global warming, it makes mankind realize that clean, renewable, sustainable technologies are the best possible option." Upon winning the award, the Gadhias acknowledged Dr. Dieter Seifert and Wolfgang Scheffler, whose solar concentrator cooking technologies are promoted by Gadhia Solar.
*August 2006: Solar Alternatives and Associated Programmes (SAAP) is a nonprofit, charitable society committed to environmental protection and empowerment of the downtrodden through solar energy applications, particularly solar thermal technologies. Run by the Jesuits, and led by Fr. M.M. Mathew, SAAP conducts research, development, fabrication and installation of a variety of solar devices, including household solar cookers, community solar cookers, solar steam cooking systems, and solar food dryers. They have even developed a solar chapatti cooker. Many of SAAP's devices rely on solar concentrator technologies developed by Dr. Dieter Seifert and Wolfgang Scheffler, and the Solar Bruecke organization. SAAP empowers socially and economically depressed groups through employment opportunities as fabricators, as well as vocational training programs affiliated with the National Institute of Open Schools. Contact: Solar Alternatives and Associated Programmes
*March 2006: Representatives from hotels and educational institutions gathered recently in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, to learn about solar concentrating systems for steam generation that can cook thousands of meals daily. Representatives from other industries that could benefit from solar steam generation also attended. The meeting was organized by the Non-Conventional Energy Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh (NEDCAP) and sponsored by the Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Sources (MNES). Mr. Deepak Gadhia, Managing Director of Gadhia Solar, detailed how solar concentrating systems work and mentioned several industrial uses in addition to cooking: incineration, waste water evaporation, solar desalination, solar air conditioning and solar space heating, to name a few. Two testimonials were provided. First, Mr. Malliah, Vice President of Sanghi Employee Welfare Association, told of how he attended a lecture by Mr. Gadhia a few years earlier and was convinced that his organization needed to install such a system, given that they are always looking at ways to reduce costs, improve efficiencies and protect the environment. Their system, which cost about $12,500 after a 50% government subsidy, is working well. Costs were recouped within two years. Next, Mr. Kachwaha told of a system that was installed in a silk processing plant. Not only did this system reduce energy costs, but it also reduced noise and air pollution within the plant, resulting in a better work environment and greater productivity. The system has since been repurposed from solar steam generation to solar water heating, with a daily capacity of 1600 liters. After the gathering, participants toured the world’s largest solar steam cooking system at Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam. The system is comprised of 106 rooftop-mounted parabolic concentrators that generate steam for cooking up to 30,000 meals daily. The gathering was covered in a number of newspapers and appeared on television news stations. Contact: Jagadeeswara Reddy
*January 2006: Professor Ajay Chandak of Promoters & Researchers In Non-Conventional Energy (PRINCE) led a workshop titled “Manufacturing Parabolic Solar Cookers and an introduction to renewable energy technologies.” Twenty people from eight states participated in the workshop, mostly renewable energy professionals. Mr. Chandak hopes that several of them will consider manufacturing parabolic solar cookers in their own states. Large community-size cookers, two meters or more in diameter, proved quite popular. These cookers can cook meals for 30-50 people. Smaller, family-side cookers were also shown, as were related technologies like solar food dryers. Contact: Ajay Chandak, Prince India
|-|Events=Events
*Past events
|-|Media Articles=Media Articles
*November 2018:  Indians for Collective Action Celebrates Golden Jubilee, Honors Social Pioneers - India West
*October 2018: Replacing traditional stoves with solar cooking solutions: Solar energy to pave way for a sustainable future - Media India Group
*September 2018:  CM Raman offers prayers at Bagbahara Chandi temple, approves this project - CLIPPER28 
*September 2018: After Saubhagya, govt plans induction stoves for the poor
*August 2018: Awareness On Energy Savings For School Children Held - Star of Mysore
*August 2018: PM reviews performance of key infrastructure sectors of Energy and Mining - Business Standard
*August 2018: SMC to develop ‘green campus’ in 15 of its primary schools in Surat
*July 2018: Centre plans to introduce solar cooking facilities for every rural household in next 4-5 years, says Piyush Goyal - Mumbai Mirror
*July 2018: Awareness On Energy Savings For ITI Students - Star of Mysore
*June 2018: Pune’s Yerawada Jail goes green with solar cooking system - DNA India
*May 2018: Yerawada Jail Inmates Get Solar Panels, Cooking Systems To Reduce Use Of Gas Cylinders - Mid-Day
*May 2018: An insight into the world of Sustainable living - The Times of India
*April 2018: IIT-B sends cooking for a SIX - The Asian Age
*April 2018: Oil minister Pradhan attends ONGC Solar Chulha Challenge - The Econimic Times
*April 2018: Indoreans prepare 30 dishes in a solar cooking festival - The Times of India
*April 2018: Task force meet held for mass solar cooking options - Central Chronicle
*March 2018: AIWC promotes solar-dried veggies and fruits - The Hans India
*March 2018: Now, healthy and storable ‘solar dried food’ - The New Indian Express
*March 2018: Meet Janak Palta: Woman Who Conceptualised Sustainable Living & Empowered Women - The Logical Indian
*March 2018: PM moots for cooking through solar power - United News of India
*March 2018: Need low-risk, concessional finance, Narendra Modi says in 10-point action plan - DNA
*March 2018: ‘Empowering’ men in solar cooking - BusinessLine
*March 2018: Idlis Powered by The Sun? This Kerala Firm’s Awesome Innovation Makes Them! - The Better India
*January 2018: Thuruthikkara is first green village in Kerala - Deccan Chronicle
*January 2018: Community solar cookers can save fuel, says expert - The Tribune
*January 2018: PAU professor attends international conference to support solar thermal - The Tribune
*January 2018: PEC to have solar tech park on campus by February, 2018 - The Times of India
*January 2018: Indore: Energy conservation inevitable for sustainable development - The Free Press Journal
* July 2017: Indore: Dr McGilligan shares struggle of empowering tribal women at UN - The Free Press Journal
*June 2017: Inside Barefoot College where women from across the world become ‘solar engineers’ - The Economic Times
*April 2017: Steam-based cooking system coming up at KGMU - The Times of India
*April 2017: Ayurvedic pain reliever made in solar cooker at Jimmy McGilligan Centre - The Free Press Journal
*April 2017: Cooking up a treat for pilgrims using latest tech - The Times of India
*April 2017: Haryana government exempts solar devices from Value Added Tax levy - The Economic Times 
*April 2017: Indore : Jimmy memorial week begins with solar food festival - The Free Press Journal
*February 2017: To set a record, 7,438 Mumbai school students cook noodles in solar cookers - Hindustan Times
*January 2017: Delegation in city to promote use of solar energy - Times of India
*January 2017: Experts seek subsidy for solar cooking in sustainable development goals - Times of India
*January 2017: 'India, Portugal ideal for solar energy use' -The Economic Times
*January 2017: Indore: World’s top solar cooking experts to visit city - The Free Press Journal
*October 2016: India’s solar women win UN climate award - INDIA CLIMATE DIALOGUE
*October 2016: HIMURJA provides over 37,000 solar cookers - daijiworld
*September 2016: Solar cookers to be distributed in 16 villages - The Times of India
*July 2016: NGO organizes solar cooker workshop for students - Times of India
*June 2016: India: Government Presents 102 Awards for Solar Process Heat and Solar Cooking - Global Solar Thermal Energy Council
*May 2016: Waiting to exhale - The Hindu
*May 2016: Ministry selected Aryans Chandigarh for developing as Green Campus - Punjab News Express
*May 2016: India air pollution kills half a million per year, costs hundreds of billions – study - RT
*May 2016: Making xacuti while the sun shines - Times of India
*May 2016: GEDA’s solar cooker initiative wins laurels - Times of India
*April 2016: McGilligan demonstrates power of solar cooking - The Free Press Journal
*April 2016: Roorkee IIT uses solar energy for steam cooking - The Tribune
*March 2016: When summer arrives, go solar - The Navhind Times
*March 2016: BIT Ras Al Khaimah Campus honoured - Khaleej Times
*February 2016: A culinary date with the sun on Sankranti - Indian Voice
*January 2016: Particular about particulates - The Economist
*January 2016: Solar oven building workshop for women - The Times of India
*March 2015: Will mini-micro solar remain a toy for the middle-class and rich in India? - Moneylife
*March 2015: Fair Glow in Solar Energy - The Telegraph
*February 2015: Pollution in India and China: Indian winter - The Economist
*January 2015: Children to learn about clean solar cookers on festival day - gulfnews.com
*January 2015: Healthy food via solar cooker - Moneylife
*August 2014: Keshav Srushti opens ‘Maha Suryakumbh’ - The FREE PRESS Journal
*February 2014: Sun Smiles on a Cold Desert - Independent European Daily Express
*November 2013: More Indian schools to get solar cookers - The Hindu
*August 2013: Solar cooking technology - The Hindu
*June 2013: Go solar for healthier food' - The Times of India
*April 2013: Vintage Visakha organized a demonstration of solar cooking at its office at Abidnagar. Solar cooking demo held - The Hindu
*March 2013: Solar City on the beam - The New Indian Express
*November 2012: Sun fuels hearth at Akshardham - The Times of India
*August 2012: INDIA’s FIRST & UNIQUE “GREEN ASHRAM” at the Solar Capital of India GUJARAT – A model & multiplier for Renewable energy and Sustainable Community - urvishdave
*October 2012: Major Indian pilgrimage centres going green - BILKUL
*June 2012: Gujarat septuagenarian taps solar power - Daily News and Analysis
*June 2012: Ambaji temple goes green - The Times of India
*April 2012: Soon, Golden Temple may dish out solar-cooked langar - The Indian Express
*February 2012: Medical colleges into green mode for change - Daily Pioneer
*December 2011: Plan to reap benefits of solar cooking system - The Hindu
*June 2011: Shirdi’s Prasadalaya achieves a first, using solar energy to make meals for devotees - The Indian Express
*May 2011: Gurgaon goes green - Hindustan Times
*August 2010: Sierra Club Helps Bring Green Jobs to India - The Bay Citizen
*July 2010: Renewal Energy Park in India Set to Open During October 2010 - A to Z Cleantech
*June 2010: Smoke-free solar cooker cooks up interest in this tiny hamlet - The Times of India
*November 2009: "Every [Indian] individual/household should have a solar cooker," says Arvind Virmani, Chief Economic Advisor, Ministry of Finance, Government of India.
*October 2009: Mass-market U.N. carbon scheme finds favor in India - Reuters
*July 2009: Economic Survey urges Indian Government to eliminate cooking fuel/kerosene subsidies and ensure rural households have a solar cooker and a solar lantern - The Hindu, Business Times
*July 2009: Solar energy to cook 30k meals at university - The Times of India
* February 2008: Bharat hot on solar cookers, new energy - The Times of India
* February 2008: Yes They Could, So They Did - New York Times
*July 2008: India's Temples Go Green - Time Magazine
*June 2008: India tackles climate change with renewable energy - The Guardian (UK)
*June 2008: Cooking with the sun - The Hindu
*June 2008: Kitchen for poor kids go high-tech (solar) in state homes - Express India
*June 2008: Gujarat industry opposed fuel price hikes - Thaindian News
*March 2008: Rewriting the Books in Ladakh - Cultural Survival Quarterly
*March 2008: Black carbon pollution emerges as major player in global warming - Scripps Institution of Oceanography
*February 2008: Fiscal policy to act as a tool to lighten the oil shock - The Economic Times
*February 2008: Govt looking for consultants to tap CDM benefits - The Economic Times
*January 2008: Everything under the sun - The Times of India
*July 2007: Holy smoke! Religious places too earning carbon credits - The Times of India
*April 2007: UN engages banks to light up rural India; Solar loans, energy access transform life for poor - EurekAlert
*March 2007: Solar cookers save Indian emissions - NDTV.com
</tabber>
==See also==
*
Category:India
Category:News archives