First full Spring Day of Sun!

by James Wampler
(Shelbyville, Ky. USA)

Spring Break started last week - I had a meeting with my classroom development students before we left to begin playing around with designs that we might want to bring into the classroom.

One of my students just sent me this picture with questions: What would be a good insulator? How do I retain heat? I told her to keep track of her questions so that we could see if there were common questions within the group that would be beneficial for the class.

I had an opportunity to do some cooking of my own on the SolSource, with another practice round of the copenhagen. The Sol Source got extremely hot. I was very pleased. It was hot enough to char the burgers as if they were on a coal or gas grill. With the Copenhagen, I am either doing something wrong, or it only performs well in abundant, direct sunshine. I'll keep working with it. I was not able to get to the high temperatures that others have. I maxed out at 175 degrees F.

I also began work on Jim La Joie's All Season Solar Cooker, as suggested by someone on this website a while back (I'll have to go back and check to see who that was - thanks for planting a seed!)

I got the corrugated plastic (which was not as easy to track down as you might think in the required 4'x8' size!)yesterday and I'm making the template today. The goal is to have a working oven by Sunday. Will keep everyone posted! I think this would be an excellent thing to have running outside my window during the day to raise interest in the students as well as the teachers. With the ASSC, I should be able to get a hot meal going by lunch time...and teachers (all people on the planet?) love free food.