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The Communit y-Sc ale Permaculture Farm

A full view of the system after completion

A small solar panel is hooked up to two car batteries to

provide the living space with a small light and enough
power to operate a CD player.

the form of electricity so we can connect directly to

the existing electrical grid.
We also use solar panels directly or in conjunction with batteries to power remote equipment on
the farm. In these efforts we have experimented
with water pumping. Solar water pumping is most

tree houses and private dwellings on the property.

This arrangement is dependent on sufficient light to
charge a battery. Once charged, the battery powers
twelve-volt lights and music equipment salvaged
from automobiles, boats, and recreational vehicles
designed for direct current applications.

Solar Dehydrator
The solar dehydrator is designed to provide a
nonelectric option for the preservation of food. To
function, the dehydrator depends on its capacity to
achieve and sustain the elevated temperatures and
adequate ventilation necessary to induce drying,
and in conducive meteorological conditions. Hot,
dry, windy days reduce the amount of time necessary to dry effectively, while damp, cool weather
inhibits the process. Drying time is affected by the
dryer design, the weather, and the specific plant
material to be dried.
The dehydrator comprises various components
designed to capture and transmit the suns energy
to the contained plant material. Our fabricated

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Glass front panels of the solar dehydrator absorb the suns

heat. Removable screen frames allow for access to drying
plant material.

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unit collector consists of a metal box that has been

painted black and covered by a transparent sheet
of glass. This 112 by 3 foot box is approximately six
inches deep and is attached to the unit such that
the angle from the horizon is approximately 35
degrees. The unit faces due south to capture the
suns radiation throughout its daily journey. This
box has ventilation holes at the top and the bottom
to enhance the forces of convection and to propel
the heated air up through the plant storage element
of the collector.
The plant container device consists of stacked
shelves with plastic mesh screen bottoms to allow the
air to flow through the material. It is important not to
utilize galvanized metal screening for these shelves
because the coating will contaminate the food. These

A close-up view of the fire box

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The Communit y-Sc ale Permaculture Farm

shelves are on racks to allow them to be emptied or

refilled inside to avoid windy or wet weather.
The design of our dehydrator includes a woodfired heating element. Under the storage unit is a
firebox that provides heat directly to the chamber
above. This augmentation is particularly effective
during the shorter, cooler days in the fall. The smoke
from the fire is channeled through the end of the
box and out a chimney on the top so the material is
not tainted by the smoke.
Interestingly, our barn has similar qualities,
and we utilize it as a giant dehydrator. During the
summer months the loft of the barn can become
unbearably warm. The aluminum roof is painted
black and is inclined toward the sun to collect the
full days solar journey. Inside the loft there is ample
vertical height to hang leafy vegetables and root
crops such as garlic from the ceiling to dry.

Solar Cookers
Solar cookers are designed to reduce our reliance
on wood, electricity, and fossil fuels to prepare our
meals. There are two main genres of solar cookers:
those that function as ovens by augmenting the
greenhouse effect and those that operate as a cooktop by using parabolic geometry to create a specific
point of heat.
The oven must be movable so the glazing
collector can directly face the sun as it moves
across the sky. A crucial element in the design of
these structures is the capacity for the hot cooking ingredients to be maintained upright in their
vessel as the cooker tracks with the path of the
sun. The construction must be adjustable to the
varying incidence of the sun throughout the year
and be durable enough to withstand the wind.
Some solar ovens are designed for the outdoors in
fixed, permanent locations, while others are less
weather-proof and more readily storable. For all of
the cooking equipment it is important to consider
that hot and heavy cooking equipment is difficult
to transport and monitor. Design should consider

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Sun ovens are an easy and practical way to cook beans,

grains, and stews.

the safety and comfort of the cooks with regard to

the ergonomics of these appliances.
The solar ovens concentrate the energy of the
sun into an insulated box. This box accumulates
heat to temperatures necessary for baking, relying
on the greenhouse effect to concentrate the energy
of the sun into the enclosure. While different styles
abound, all units consist of an oven portion in which
the food cooks, along with a means to amplify and
accentuate the energy from the sun. When I was at
SEI, for example, we constructed an effective oven
using the simple materials of cardboard, newspaper,
plastic wrap, aluminum foil, and masking tape. We
also created an oven with glazing from an old sliding
door that could cook eight dozen cookies at a time.
We have two manufactured sun ovens that are
commercially available for around two hundred
dollars. They consist of an insulated box with a
glass seal in which a gallon pot can reasonably fit;
we have cooked whole chickens as well as loaves of
bread in these units. Attached to the box is a system
of mirrors arranged to focus the suns energy into the
oven. Black enamel pots with lids are more effective

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conductors of the heat than reflective stainless steel

or aluminum pots. It is important not to use materials that will release toxic gases when heated. At
times moisture can build up on the interior glass
and obscure the box, limiting the capacity of the
unit. Wind can also slow the process by chilling the
device, or tipping the lightweight units over, spilling
the contents. Still, these units are reliable on clear
days throughout the year, except when temperatures are less than 32 degrees.
I enjoy cooking with solar ovens because, unlike
with gas or wood, it is difficult to burn food to a
black and unpalatable state. Because there is no
direct source of heat, that focal point for combustion does not exist. While some items may dry out,
I have not ruined food because of inattention. If
the solar cooker is left unattended the suns path
progresses and the cooking ingredients cool, which
protects them from being overcooked.
To minimize time spent adjusting the unit, I
estimate the perfect setup for the unit in relation
to the suns location thirty minutes into the future.
Therefore for the next thirty minutes the temperatures will rise, and I can make another adjustment in
an hour to further intensify the heat if need be. The
hours between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. offer the
maximum solar intensity, although I have successfully started food earlier and later in midsummer. In
full sun on a 70-degree day in the summer, a pot of
rice or beans will cook in two hours or less.

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The second style of solar cooking is commonly

referred to as parabolic cooking. This cooker utilizes
the geometry of a parabolic shape to locate a focal
pointwhere the suns rays concentrate to produce
intense heat, similar to that supplied by a cooktop
and effective for frying pans as well as pots.
When I was at SEI, for example, we used a unit
constructed at a German technical college for worldwide distribution. This units reflective panels and
tubular steel created a highly practical cooker. The
cooking surface was elevated directly in the focal
point of its umbrella shape so that sunlight was
focused from all directions when properly aligned.
Later during my travels in Argentina, I encountered
this design again at Gaia. While we have been
unable to replicate the versatility of either the SEI
or Argentinean units here, we have constructed a
parabolic cooker from a salvaged satellite dish. This
huge unit was difficult to adjust and fix in place,
though it was extremely powerful. The power of the
unit forced the cooks using the equipment to wear
welding goggles and cover their skin for protection
from the intensity.

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