Swiss research for the forest in Madagascar
21.06.2023, Horw / Mettmenstetten
Solar cookers with thermal energy storage for families in Madagascar are intended to prevent even more forest from being lost in Madagascar. The solar cookers are being developed in a cooperation between the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts and the NGO ADES from Mettmenstetten.
Madagascar, the natural paradise, faces many challenges. It is one of the poorest and least developed countries in the world. More than 90 percent of the population live in poverty and already more than 90 percent of the original forest area has been lost. Since 2001, the Swiss NGO ADES has been working to combat forest loss and poverty in Madagascar. ADES relies on solar and energy-saving cookers, which are produced and distributed locally by 250 Malagasy employees. The cooker production is accompanied by reforestation and education projects. In 2022, around 85,000 cookers reached Malagasy families, which led to a reduction in wood consumption of around 30,000 hectares. This both protects the forests and relieves the budget of poor families who spend about one third of their income on firewood and charcoal.
Close to traditional cooking
André Grossen from ADES explains: "Our energy-saving cookers make up the majority of our sales. Compared to cooking on an open fire, they use up to 70 percent less wood and coal." With the solar cookers from ADES, one can cook every day without any wood or coal at all. However, Grossen says there are some disadvantages that make it difficult for solar cookers to become more widespread: For example, they cannot be used when the sky is cloudy or after sunset. This would require a storage tank, but these are hardly available in Madagascar and are expensive. Solar cookers with thermal energy storage can solve these problems and cooking on a hot cooker top is closer to traditional cooking than cooking in our solar box cooker. These innovations can promote the spread of solar cookers in Madagascar. "For the further development of our solar cookers, we depend on external know-how. With the Competence Centre for Thermal Energy Storage (CCTES) at HSLU, we are now working with a leading research institution for heat storage. This is an exceptional opportunity for us," says Grossen.
Bachelor theses create the basis for further cooperation
HSLU students Patrick Estermann from Hildisrieden and Julian Zölly from Zurich presented a functional model and research results on improvements in the social acceptance of solar cookers as part of their bachelor theses at HSLU. The storage medium is a so-called phase change material, which can absorb or release energy by changing its state of aggregation. For this purpose, the phase change properties of various materials were tested and evaluated. The results of both Bachelor's theses form the basis for further collaboration between ADES and the HSLU. This will include a feasibility study that will not only test the mass production of the new solar cookers in Madagascar, but will also take into account aspects such as production costs, quality assurance and distribution strategies. These joint efforts aim to develop sustainable cooking solutions in Madagascar and thus contribute to forest protection and poverty alleviation in the long term. The financing of the innovative solar cookers is to be ensured primarily through CO2 certificates, in addition to a reduced sales price in Madagascar and donations. ADES has a lot of experience in this field. The non-profit organisation already finances more than half of its measures in Madagascar through CO2 certificates on its energy-saving cookers. This groundbreaking collaboration between ADES and the HSLU opens up new opportunities for future research and innovation projects in the field of sustainable energy in Madagascar.
Figure 1: HSLU students Julian Zölly (left) and Patrick Estermann (right) in front of the functional model of their solar cooker with thermal energy storage.
Figure 2: The thermal storage can be charged on parabolic solar cookers, such as those produced by ADES in Madagascar.
