How to Make Off-Grid Solar Electric Cooking Cheaper Than Wood-Based Cooking

Robert Van Buskirk, Lawrence Kachione, Gilbert Robert, Rachel Kanyerere, Christina Gilbert and James Majoni
Additional contact information
Robert Van Buskirk: Kuyere, 3217 College Ave., Berkeley, CA 94705, USA
Lawrence Kachione: Kachione, LLC, Chichiri, Blantyre, Malawi
Gilbert Robert: Kachione, LLC, Chichiri, Blantyre, Malawi
Rachel Kanyerere: Kachione, LLC, Chichiri, Blantyre, Malawi
Christina Gilbert: Kachione, LLC, Chichiri, Blantyre, Malawi
James Majoni: Kachione, LLC, Chichiri, Blantyre, Malawi

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 14, 1-21

Abstract: Low-income sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) households rely on wood for cooking for the simple reason that it is the lowest cost cooking fuel. Thus, full attainment of Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7) requires developing clean cooking technologies that are cheaper than wood cooking. This study provides a comparative marginal levelized cost of energy (MLCOE) analysis for wood cooking vs. innovative solar electric cooking technologies. The two key off-grid solar technologies evaluated are: (1) direct-use DC solar (DDS) electricity for cooking applications, and (2) high-cycle-life lithium titanate (LTO) batteries. MLCOE is reported in USD/kWh for energy delivered to cooked food. A low median MLCOE of USD 0.125/kWh is attained using DDS electricity which is output directly by a solar panel with little or no intervening electricity storage and few electricity conversion and control costs. DDS solar panel output has variable voltage and current that is managed by a specialized DDS cooker. LTO battery-regulated electricity has a median MLCOE of USD 0.24/kWh which declines to USD 0.16/kWh with electric pressure cooker use. The distributions of MLCOE for wood-based, DDS-electric, and LTO-electric cooking strongly overlap. The MLCOE cost model suggests specific means for modifying input costs, component lifetime, and system efficiency to improve solar MLCOE further relative to wood MLCOE.

Keywords: LCOE; solar cooking; lithium titanate; LTO battery; Africa solar; Africa electricity access (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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