The Judges Awards

11.5 ‘Kyoto Box’ solar cooker
by Kyoto Energy

Kenyan-based Norwegian designer Jon Bøhmer has come up with a shoebox- shaped solution to provide boiling water to millions of people who have no access to electricity or gas. Named after the international environmental agreement, the 'Kyoto Box' costs €5 and consists of one cardboard box nestled within another, with newspaper acting as insulation between the two. The heat of the sun is harnessed and trapped inside thanks to an interior black paint coating and an upper tinfoil covering; an acrylic lid tops things off. According to Bøhmer's calculations, the 'Kyoto Box' is able to boil 10 litres of water in around two to three hours. It provides free energy to heat water for cooking and cleaning and to dry food, and could also reduce problems such as indoor smoke inhalation (which kills around 1.6m women and children every year, according to the World Health Organisation), fire hazard and spinal injury from gathering firewood. On an environmental level, the 'Kyoto Box' could help reduce deforestation, as well as lower energy costs and household CO2 emissions. To top it all, the lightweight solar cooker can be packed flat and, as thousands can fit on a lorry, is easily distributed. This clever little box may not be a cure to all the world's afflictions, but it’s certainly a good start.

Company based: Kenya
Key features: Award-winning, low-cost solar cooker created to improve the lives of millions of people in the developing world, while minimising CO2 emissions
Other projects: 'Kyoto Turbo', a smokeless biomass cooker; 'Kyoto Bag', a hi-tech multifunctional plastic bag

View more images
www.kyoto-energy.com

Categories