DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY

Measuring the environmental, economic and health impacts of deploying the SunstorePowerpan - a combined food processing and electricity generating solar appliance - in townships across South Africa

Project disclaimer

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Description

Sunstore Technologies Ltd has invented and patented a new solar hybrid cooking and electricity generation unit; the Sunstorepowerpan XLM. The unit is designed to cook all food types, and can produce up to 2000 portions of rice (or equivalent) in any 24 hour period, using either a 30 or 60 litre cooking pan. It comes with an insulated solar pre-heat serving counter that can keep the food piping hot for up to 8 hours, so it is possible to serve a hot breakfast to around 500 people as well as produce 100 portions every hour. This makes it ideal for situations where large volumes are required eg community feeding stations, emergency relief set-ups or refugee camps, as well as schools where meals are often served to incentivise attendance. The unit can simultaneously generate up to 200 Watts of electricity to charge eg phones or computers during the day, or to provide illumination at night. This is done by burning smokeless bio-char in an enclosed and protected fire tray. 200Watts is significantly more electricity than is produced by the equivalent photo-voltaic panel array at less than half the capital cost. By means of a water tower, the unit can solar track, allowing it to be left unattended for several hours at a time. This water tower can also filter over 300 litres per day to provide safe drinking water. The unit is attempting to improve the quality of life for the 3.5 billion people currently reliant on biomass for their daily cooking needs, while reducing air pollution, deforestation and the associated species loss. It can provide electricity to the 1.2 billion currently off-grid. It can also improve human productivity by freeing up those currently spending up to 4 hours per day collecting wood. If deployed across Africa and Asia in large numbers, it will reduce global CO2 emissions (savings of up to 40 tonnes per unit are possible depending on what type of fuel is being displaced) while alleviating food poverty and allowing off-grid communities free access to electricity and IT connectivity. Sunstore Technologies in partnership with Defy ZA, is attempting to provide ecological nutrition and power to off-grid communities; feeding the people while protecting the planet. This patented technology is both disruptive and transformative and can, if widely deployed, alleviate food and fuel poverty across the world while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Our mission is to: Disrupt-Transfom-Diversify-Empower- Sustain

Objectives

The unit is attempting to improve the quality of life for the 3.5 billion people currently reliant on biomass for their daily cooking needs, while reducing air pollution, deforestation and the associated species loss. It can provide electricity to the 1.2 billion currently off-grid. It can also improve human productivity by freeing up those currently spending up to 4 hours per day collecting wood. If deployed across Africa and Asia in large numbers, it will reduce global CO2 emissions (savings of up to 40 tonnes per unit are possible depending on what type of fuel is being displaced) while alleviating food poverty and allowing off-grid communities free access to electricity and IT connectivity.

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Location

The country, countries or regions that benefit from this Programme.

South Africa

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