Solar Energy: Empowering – Saving – Teaching

Renewable energy is transforming people’s life. Options like solar ovens and solar heaters for households -especially for vulnerable consumers-, have positively impacted on the health and wellbeing of its occupants.

To get to know first-hand the testimonials on the use of solar ovens, the German-Mexican Energy Partnership secretariat visited from the June, 4th to 6th some municipalities of the state of Oaxaca to exchange points of view with solar oven users. The visit was facilitated by Lorena Harp, from “Cocineros Solares”, a project supported by Solar Household Energy INC.

The places visited were: Tlacolula, Santa Ana del Valle, San Miguel del Valle, colonia Vicente Guerrero and El Manantial. In those places, the users (mainly women), shared their experiences using the solar oven. According to them, benefits of their use include savings in firewood and gas for cooking of around 70%, reduction of cooking time, and overall safety for the inhabitants of the households.

Likewise, the economic benefit of using solar heating was highlighted. Thus, the people of the visited places were very much in favor of using that technology and keen on exploring other possible applications of renewable energy.

As part of its activities the German-Mexican Energy Partnership supports the exchange of best-practices and deploying sustainable energy technologies to contribute to tackling climate change.

Top: Doña Esther (Cocinera solar), William Jensen (GIZ) and Lorena Harp (Cocineros solares) Bottom: Josche Muth (GIZ) and Francisco Contreras (GIZ)

Three generations of Cocineras solares: Ruth, Natalia and Doña Macedonia

Solar cooking at its best: Mexican black beans

The Energy Partnership secretariat with Lorena Harp and Cocineras solares from San Miguel del Valle, Oaxaca

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