The Stack Solar Steamer is a design to encourage healthy eating while harnessing the energy of the sun. Matt Anthony came up with the idea for the Stack Solar Steamer while working on the Solar Decathlon house design team with the University of Cincinnati; the project involved creating a fully self-sustained solar house for a competition hosted in Washington D.C.
“I was thinking of some ideas based on eating trends and how to help foster healthy eating habits, and I thought about combining the solar heating concepts we were using to heat the water and apply it to kind of a bento-box style lunch carrier that might have the capability to use the sun's energy to steam or heat food,” explains Anthony.
The general principle of the Stack Solar Steamer is that sunlight passes through two glass walls with a vacuum in between and is absorbed as heat by the dark coating on the inner wall. This solar energy cannot escape due to the vacuum layer and builds up heat while in direct sunlight.
“I saw this as a way to perhaps persuade people to both bring foods from home that have a tendency to be healthier than many options for eating out and to have a reason to get outside on a lunch break and enjoy a connection to nature,” explains Anthony. “A nice by-product of the vacuum layer is that it can also keep the food cold if you put it in cold glass dishes (like if they were leftovers stored in the fridge) and zip on the protective solar blocking and insulative sleeve.”
Visit: Coroflot
Via: EcoFriend
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