Home Power's 2nd Annual Solar Cooker Contest
­WIN!
1st Prize Ä a Solarex MSX-60 PV Module
2nd Prize Ä Choice of a PowerStar POW200 Inverter or a 
Solarex MSX-10 Lite PV Module
3rd Prize Ä Solar/Dynamo-powered AM/FM Radio
Two centuries ago a Frenchman, Horace de Sassure, built a 
small insulated box and put it in the sun. This was the first 
recorded effort to cook with sunlight. Now it's time for you to 
do your bit! Home Power announces its Second Annual Solar 
Cooker Contest. Help all of us put the sun's energy to work.
Solving problems with the sun
With a solar cooker you can cook without fuel. Directly 
collecting the sun's radiant energy with a solar box cooker is 
simple and pollution free.
What we need are designs which are easy to build, use 
inexpensive, easy-to-find parts, and work well. Designs should 
fit your climate. For example, in tropical climates the solar 
cooker must survive rainy seasons without taking up inside 
space. The cooker must fit the needs of the people and use 
readily available materials.
The challenges facing solar box cooking are more than just a 
good design that cooks the beans. History has shown that social 
acceptance is the biggest hurdle to overcome. We need some 
innovative ideas that make solar cooking an everyday 
occurrence.
A solar history
Solar cooker design and improvement began in earnest in the 
1950s by scientists and engineers of the United Nations. Even 
then, the need in communities for an alternative to using wood 
for cooking fuel was a growing concern. The U.N. conducted 
studies in the '50s and early '60s and found that solar cookers 
were not widely accepted by people in developing countries 
because they would not easily change traditional cooking 
methods. Experience in the U.S. has shown that over-developed 
nations are also slow to change their cooking habits!
In the '70s and '80s, solar cookers experienced a revival of 
interest in this country. The back-to-the-landers, seeking a 
simple lifestyle, spawned a plethora of publications which 
included solar cooking.
Now, in the '90s, many people all over the world are embracing 
solar cookers as an environmentally safe way to put hot food on 
the table. There are an estimated 10,000 solar cookers in use in 
the U.S. today. It isn't difficult. We insert our dinner in the 
morning, adjust the cooker to catch the noon sun, and return in 
the evening to cooked food.
Now it's your turn
What can you come up with? The more people who work on a 
solution, the faster a problem will be solved. So, go sit in the 
sun, feel its warmth, and be inspired to turn your energy into 
goodness for all.
Goal: Design and build a working solar cooker that is simple to 
make, inexpensive, and is easy to use.
The Rules
1. Within the bounds of the four main criteria, (works great, 
simple, cheap and easy) you may use any building materials you 
like. Keep in mind that ultra high tech may work great, but high 
tech materials are often made from unobtanium and not cost 
effective.
2. Your cooker must cook. It must reach at least 212øF (100øC) 
on a sunny day. Interior volume should be large enough to 
simultaneously cook 1 cup of dry beans and a 1 cup of rice.
3. Design, build, and test your solar cooker. We will not accept 
designs that have not been actually constructed and tested.
4. Send the plans for your cooker to Home Power Magazine by 
July 1,1993. Plans must include a photograph(s) of your 
assembled cooker and data on how long it takes your cooker to 
boil one quart of room temperature water (70øF [21øC]). Plans 
should be clear and complete.
5. Designs will be judged on (1) performance - how well it 
cooks, (2) buildability Ä use of materials, skills, and tools 
commonly available, (3) ruggedness, and (4) beauty of design.
6. Although some materials are easy for you to obtain, they can 
become difficult to find elsewhere. We reserve the right to use 
similar materials where necessary. You have the option of 
sending us your finished model if you think we will be unable to 
fulfill its material requirements.
7. The top five final designs will be judged by the Home Power 
Crew. If you are a finalist, we will notify you by mail. All 
entries will cook the same meal in same amount of time during 
the Cook-in. We will build from your plans and use it in the 
Cook-in. You're are invited to bring, or send, your cooker to us 
at 19101 Camp Creek Road, Hornbrook, CA 96044.
8. Winners will be chosen by the Home Power Solar Cooker 
Contest Judges at the Solar Cook in and Potluck. This will be 
July 30 to July 31, 1993 at Pacific Power and Light's Camp 
Creek Recreation Area on Iron Gate Lake, 14 miles east on 
Copco Rd from Hornbrook, California. The plan is to build the 
cookers on Friday and hold the cook off on Saturday between 10 
am and 4 pm.
First prize is a Solarex MSX-60. Second prize is the choice 
between a PowerStar POW200 inverter or Solarex MSX-10 Lite 
PV Module. Third prize is a solar/dynamo-powered radio. You 
need not be present to win. Employees of Home Power and their 
relatives are not eligible to enter. All designs become the 
property of Home Power. The winning design will be featured in 
an article in Home Power Magazine. Home Power promises all 
entrants that these designs will only be given away and never 
used for commercial purposes. This Solar Cooker Contest is for 
our planet, not for bucks!
SO GET OF YER BUTT AND START SOLAR COOKIN' NOW!
Access
Send solar cooker entries to:
Home Power Magazine, POB 520, Ashland, OR 97520 ù 916-475-
3179