Harnessing the Sun: Transforming Vision into Reality: Part I

We did it!! With the help of our incredible supporters we exceeded our goal and raised over $700 US dollars - sufficient funds to cover all of the project's remaining costs! Many thanks to all those who contributed and allowed us to transform our vision into a reality.

On the steps of the finished solar dehydrator!

With funding secured, it was time to get things moving. Chaytanya and Brennan set out to finish construction on the large-scale solar dehydrator and solar oven. After several weeks of long hours in the hot sun the dehydrator and oven were ready!

Konojel can now boast one of the largest solar dehydrators I have ever seen! The dehydrator is built about 10 feet up into a rock wall with two long collectors that extend to the ground. These collectors, covered in plexiglass and insulated in black wire mesh, focus solar thermal heat to funnel a continuing stream of hot air through the dehydrator's drying racks. The dehydrator has 24 wire screen drying racks and at full capacity can dry over 60 pounds of fruit! We started experimenting with sun dried tomatoes, papaya, pineapple, strawberries, bananas, beets, and zucchini just to name a few.

Cooking delicious treats using the power of the sun!

Brennan's solar oven resembles a large conventional oven in size and capability. The oven's walls consist of two layers of plywood internally insulated with cardboard. Above the oven three large reflectors covered in aluminum mylar focus solar rays through the sealed glass top of the oven. Inside the oven is painted black to better retain heat. The oven is built on wheels and can be easily moved to follow the sun's path in the sky throughout the course of the day. The oven is large enough to fit four large cooking pans and can reach up to 300 degrees Fahrenheit!

The construction period was also an important opportunity to share knowledge and skills with the local community. To this end Brennan and Chaytanya partnered with Mauricio, Konojel's local carpenter. Mauricio proved invaluable. He helped in sourcing local materials and aided Brennan and Chaytanya with the construction at every step. As the weeks passed he gained firsthand knowledge in how to build and fix both technologies. His presence instills confidence that Konojel will be able to independently maintain and repair the solar oven and solar dehydrator.

Moreover, the Konojel team is passionate about sharing these skills with the wider community. After Project Nuevo Mundo led a workshop at Konojel on how to build fuel efficient rocket stoves, Mauricio held a follow-up workshop to teach these skills to the non-Spanish speaking Mayan indigenous community. Fluent in Spanish and the local Mayan dialect Mauricio and Maria, the Konojel manager, serve as an essential cultural bridge.  Mauricio plans to hold workshops at Konojel to teach the local community how to build solar ovens and solar

Mauricio helping to build the solar oven.

dehydrators for their homes. 

The Konojel team now hopes to to use the center as a sustainable technology demonstration site where they can bring school and community groups to learn about the solar dehydrator, solar oven, and the center's two existing rocket stoves.

Too often sustainable technology projects in the developing world fall apart because they fail to embrace the concepts of appropriate technology and community buy-in. Well meaning organizations bring high-tech, miracle technologies to underdeveloped areas in an effort to help improve standards of living. The projects run smoothly until a part breaks that cannot be easily replaced or the technology requires maintenance that no one in the community has the skills to perform. At that point such projects are often abandoned by the local community.

The concept of appropriate technology stresses the importance of building with materials accessible to the local population and ensuring local skill training. A core value guiding our work in this project was to create appropriate and replicable technologies. Keeping this in mind, Brennan and Chaytanya built the solar oven and solar dehydrator utilizing relatively simple designs and only materials they could source locally.

A touching moment of appreciation with the Konojel team

Finally, it was time to celebrate! After all of that hard work we needed to take a moment to appreciate the fruits of our labors (literally!).  We threw a party for the Konojel community. Chaytanya and Brennan presented and explained how the solar dehydrator and solar oven worked. I worked with the local women teaching them how to dehydrate pineapples and papayas.

 Brennan and Maria cooked delicious solar baked oatmeal raisin chocolate chip cookies in the oven. Local children ran around the platform of the dehydrator playing hide and seek while we fielded questions from their parents about how the technologies worked. The party also provided a touching moment when the Konojel team expressed their deep appreciation for our work there.

With the solar dehydrator and solar oven built, it was time to turn our attention to the final stage of the project. While Chaytanya and Brennan had been working on the solar dehydrator and solar oven, I had been developing the corresponding sustainable enterprise. I had spent the last few weeks prototyping, sourcing packaging, designing marketing materials, and working on a business plan. Now it was time to put that plan into action.