Cooking Solar Style

Going Green

Ever hear the expression “it is so hot outside you could fry an egg on the sidewalk”?  And quite literally you probably could! Keeping this information in mind you can cook your food using the sun’s energy and that is by way of a solar oven.
Solar energy is becoming more and more of priority since fossil fuel reserves are slowly dwindling out of existence. That aside; fossil fuels when used for energy are comparatively more expensive than using clean solar energy.  Plus the sun is in no short supply – at least in most places. 
Solar energy can be used to provide power for your cooking source - a solar oven.  You can use the ovens just like you do your regular electric or gas oven in cooking your food. The solar oven alternative is not costly, not difficult to operate and does not require a great deal of associative expense to operate.  
However, the most simplistic of solar ovens do not work at all at night or during a day that is overcast. If you would still like to use your solar oven on days that prove overcast or during evening/night-time hours then you will want to opt for the more advanced model of solar oven. How do they work? 
Basically the solar oven works by taking energy from the sun and converting it to heat. The heat is then used in cooking your meals.  A cooking container used in conjunction with the solar oven is set inside of it. It is the container that absorbs the heat. Also the container is dark in color as opposed to light - the reason being that dark colors do a better job of absorbing heat from the sun. Have you ever been in a warmer climate and persons advised you not to wear black since it tends to absorb the sun’s rays more? The same principle is true when it comes to absorbing the sun’s rays as far as cooking.
 
Naturally, readers will wonder how hot you can expect a solar oven to become. The answer is a respectable three-hundred degrees Fahrenheit.  This is certainly a high enough temperature to cook many favorite dishes. There are many types of solar ovens which to choose. 
The first style of solar oven is termed a panel cooker. This is the most simplified of solar ovens in the way of design. The oven uses panels that are flat and covered with coatings that act as reflectors. You can create panels using aluminum foil and even a material such as cardboard. A black container is placed within the solar cooker with again the purpose of absorbing the sun’s energy. 
The energy that is absorbed from the sun’s rays by the dark container is converted lastly to heat. Plastic coats the container in order to trap the heat and prevent its escape back into the surrounding air. Due to its simplicity you will not be able to achieve very high temperatures with this style of solar oven. On sunshiny days you will be able to cook healthy essentials such as vegetables, nutritious grains and also meat. 
Next in the way of solar oven design is the box-style solar oven. This solar cooking device is basically a box which is insulated and is constructed with a top made of plastic or glass.  The plastic or glass top is where the solar energy is trapped. The bottom and the sides of the box oven are used in converting sunlight into heat. The box oven may prove more practical with regard to cooking for many since it is able to reach a temperature of three hundred degrees Fahrenheit.
The final design is a unique and more sophisticated model of the basic panel cooker. This style of solar oven is referred to as a curved concentrator. The curved concentrator is based on the concept of parabolic mirrors. The curved concentrator is different from the flat panel styling in that it makes use of curved reflectors. The reflectors in turn take the sun’s rays and reflect this infusion of sunshine on a dark container which absorbs the sun’s rays. The third style oven will work reasonably well and is dependent on the overall dimension of the reflector and the prevailing weather.
If you are interested in using a solar oven for some of your cooking there are kits available along with instructions on how to construct the oven you choose. The instructions provide valuable information on how to use the solar oven. You can find such kits and instructions at various locations on the Internet.

Benefits of Green Building

These days corporations more than ever are aware of their responsibility in addressing environmental issues. One way to effect this is by way of green building. Green building is comprised of several elements and the goal is to ensure the optimization of each one of its components.
One of the primary components of green building is to ensure the building is designed to provide for the ultimate efficiency coupled with attractiveness. In order to clarify, the building must be constructed in such a way it allows for minimization of negativity towards environment within all areas of the construction process. 
Secondly when building green there are several ways to keep energy costs as well as consumption, low. One way is to insulate the walls as well as the flooring and ceiling. Another good saving energy feature is to install energy efficient windows. Also the contractor can set out the layout of the building in such a way so sunlight comes into the structure through the windows with the intent being added to natural heat inside for the tenant or resident.

Efficiency as to water is another component of green building. It is fundamental, as part of the green building process to decrease the consumption of water as well as maintain quality of water to initiate use of rainwater systems. These management water systems are designed to collect water from the sky, purify it and then use it. Also the construction project manager may find it helpful to include plumbing parts that prove conservative as far as water usage. One example of the latter is a shower head that provides minimal flow.
The fourth aspect of green building comes in the way of construction materials. Construction materials should be recycled. There should also be materials that are able to generate energy from environmentally-friendly energy sources. An example is the use of solar panels. The solar panel is an ideal product when wishing to locate cost-effective energy solutions.
 
Another component of green-friendly building is addressing the air quality inside. The idea here is to take out or decrease any questionable compounds of an organic nature and allow for good air flow. When air flow is properly affected the quality of the building’s air substantially improves.
The last primary component of green building is to ensure certain products are reused. This thought infers things we may be wasting can be put to use somewhere else. To build green and maintain it requires a great deal of thought on the part of the builder and resident and/or owner. In thinking green you most generally decrease associated price and provide security and protection with regard to the world’s environment.  It need not be a chore however;  be creative and see what you come up with as far as maintaining green-styled standards.