Webinar: Solar Food Processing for Income Generation



The webinar was held on Wednesday the 11th of March 2015 at 15:00 GMT/UTC.

Expert speakers show examples of how solar food processing can be a profitable business venture. The panelist speakers present case studies where individuals and companies use solar cooking techniques to earn their living and have made a successful and professional business. 

Solar food processing is an innovative and multi-faceted technique capable of addressing various problems faced by people in the developing world. The implementation of technologies for food processing and conservation using solar energy can indirectly help to reduce poverty, improve health conditions, create sustainable local economic opportunities, and limit environmental damage by promoting the use of clean and renewable energy sources. (Content from the Solar Cookers International Network)


Speakers:

Moderator: Rolf Behringer founded ULOG Freiburg in 1993  has worked in many countries, especially in Africa, implementing solar cooker productions and trained experts in the field of solar cooking. In 2005 he initiated the Solar Food Processing Network. He is the director of Solare Zukunft, with whom this webinar is organized together with. 

 

Heike Hoedt from Simply Solar will emphasize the necessity to broaden up the term "solar food processing".  She will present examples on the use of solar energy for food processing that show the variety of technology and processes applied world wide, at the same time taking into account limitations like high one-time investment and a need for a certain system complexity in industrial applications to guarantee continuous processes.

 

Dr. Michael Goetz holds a Ph.D. in technical sciences (photovoltaïcs). He has 15 scientific publications as first author (29 as co-author). He has a company offering consultancy and solar trainings (ExSol, Geneva) and coordinates the solar food processing project in Mexico since 2009. He works part time as international solar trainer for Greenpeace.

 

Dr. h.c. Wolfgang Scheffler, inventor of the flexible parabolic fix-focus reflector ("Scheffler Reflector") and president of Germany-based NGO Solare Brücke e.V., will describe the use of locally manufactured concentrating technology for processing needs. For temperatures above 100°C Scheffler Reflectors provide steam in numerous applications in processing industry. The biggest application being large solar kitchens in India.