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Micah Grossman-Crist, SIerra Nevada College, Envs 353 Alternative Energy. I built both a parabolic and panel solar cooker. I wanted to build two different solar cookers to test which one is better for what situation such as one being more portable or a shorter cooking time. I wanted to use materials that were easily accessible, possible to make with items typically found in ones house. The sunlight converts to heat and energy that is then used for cooking. The food cooks the best in a dark,thick metal pot. The parabolic cooker is faster to cook the food but requires correction for the angle of the sun every 30 minutes or so. I took an umbrella and used aluminum foil with reflective metal tape to cover the inside. I cut off the umbrellas pole and placed a grill in the middle to be able to boil water or cook food. For the panel cook I took a cardboard box cut one side off and taped it to the bottom. Using aluminum foil with reflective metal tape and duck tape. I think solar cookers can have a strong impact able to be a safe alternative to electric and gas ovens as well as open fires that can cause serious lung damage through severe exposure. I was hoping I would be able to close the parabolic cooker but was not able to with the aluminum foil being fragile. I plan to upgrade to a stronger material so that it may become more portable. These solar cookers can be assembled through simple materials to be able to construct and cook food. It is appropriate technology in many different places where solar cookers could be very useful and helpful. No need to waste good firewood on a fire or gas on a grill when the sun is already available. Before deciding to build these solar cookers I was unsure what I wanted to create for my class and I decided upon a solar cooker because of its appropriate use in almost any situation. It can be built in place of a household oven,on a camping trip or in an emergency situation. Solar oven, Envs 353

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