SunGenius

SunGenius is an entrepreneur's initiative that started in the remote Northern Cape province of South Africa, a combined effort of Johan van Wyk and his farm workers. After many years of cooking in mobile solar ovens, we have had enough. Cooking from the sun without having to leave the house, was not negotiable. The result of our efforts have all the elements of a convenient life changing household appliances. Therefore we believe the SunGenius Built-in Solar Oven will be more inviting for households in general to cook from the sun on a regular basis.
Due to the specific requirements and nature of the SunGenius Built-in Solar Oven, most houses were never designed to be fitted with such an appliance. Unfortunately very little can be done about that, so we focus on practical solutions and new developments. New housing designs and creative ideas in general will make the SunGenius Built-in Solar Oven available to many households. The oven you see on these pages is a tested prototype. A range of aesthetically, impressive ovens are in the design process and will be available soon. As the oven will be visible on the outside of the house, it will blend in with the surroundings, adding to the value to the house. A range of SunGenius cooking pots will follow soon to accommodate the shape of the oven and the size of the opening through the wall, along with a tool to get the pots in and out of the oven.
Most people who cook in mobile solar ovens for the first time, find it very exciting and highly effective, but after the second or the third cooking experience, the novelty has expired. They become aware of the inconvenience of mobile solar cooking and gradually go back to their conventional ways of cooking. Any household appliance that needs to be taken to a store room when not in use, will eventually only take up storage space.
For solar cooking to become general practice in every household, it should be able to compete with other household appliances for quality, convenience and style.
It should be of the highest quality to sustain the toughest outside conditions. As the wall oven would be a fixed structure to the house, it should blend in with the outside surroundings and add to the value of the house. A household should not only be impressed by the performance of the oven, they should also be proud of the design and appearance.
*It can be used with or without backup electricity. You can also use it as a normal electrical oven
*Reach up to 150°C from the sun only and 180°C with electricity
*Manual or automatic sun tracking. The oven follows the sun for optimum cooking angles
*It does not heat up the kitchen
*It does not take up any space inside the house
*The oven can be accessed and cleaned from the outside, but it can be securely locked to prevent unwanted access
*Safe and securely mounted away from the wall, keeping the oven out of the shade of an overhanging roof
*More useful features will be added to make it even more competitive when compared to other household appliances.
Simply open the oven door on the inside of the house to gain access to the cooking area on the outside. The access is securely designed and the transparent glass is blurred to prevent any clear picture of activity inside the oven when in operation.
The picture to the right illustrates the oven when cooking from the sun only. This is also the state when cooking on partly cloudy days, as electricity and the sun's energy will keep the oven at the required temperature. This feature always gives preference to the energy from the sun.
The lid reflects even more sunlight into the oven when cooking from the sun. The lid can be set at different angles to regulate the temperature inside the oven. When cooking at night or from electricity only, the lid, which is also insulated, can be closed, so the oven can be used as a normal electrical oven. The lid can also be locked in this position as a security measure.
Start your cooking process early in the morning(picture left) while the oven follows the sun(picture Right). SunGenius offers the option of manual or electronic sun tracking. This (IP protected) design always keeps a sealed channel intact between the inside of the oven and the inside of the house.
Although solar cooking is highly effective, cooking outside the comfort of a kitchen, will in our view, never become common practice to the general public. Outside cooking is the biggest disadvantage of solar cooking compared to all other household appliances. These appliances focus on the specific needs of the end user, of which convenience is of utmost importance.
A SunGenius Built-in Solar Oven provides a healthy cooked meal for up to 15 people without having to leave the house or causing harm to the family or the environment. SunGenius and the food you make will impress and inspire your friends to become dedicated solar cooks and earth lovers too.
SunGenius is a registered trademark and already received an overwhelming positive written report from the International searching Authority about our PCT patent application.
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*October 2019: SunGenius has begun sales of their new hybrid solar box oven, the Patio Solar Oven. The cooker uses all-weather construction allowing the cooker to also be stored outside when not in use. It includes a metal stand with wheels, and incorporates an electrical heating element to supplement the solar thermal. 
*March 2016: The SunGenius line of solar cookers includes a patio solar oven (looks like a barbecue), a hybrid patio solar oven (has supplemental electric heating), a tube grille (using evacuated glass tube technology), and hybrid tube grille (supplemental electric heating).
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*April 2024: SunGenius founder, Johan van Wyk is interviewed by Luther Krueger - Johan discusses his latest hybrid solar-electric cooker, and possible approaches moving forward promoting solar cooking in South Africa.
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==See also==
*Solar Wall Ovens
*Johan van Wyk
==External links==
*http://www.sungenius.co.za
*Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1727046494180769
==Contact==
Faerie Glen, Pretoria
South Africa
Telephone: +27822111001
Email: Johan@sungenius.co.za
Category:Manufacturers and vendors
Category:South Africa
Category:Solar cooker designs
Category:Solar box cooker designs
Category:Solar wall oven designs
Category:Verified active 2024