A new product uses the power of the sun to generate temperatures of up to 371°C (700°F) in a small and convenient package. Vacuum tube technology has traditionally been used to produce hot water for residential and commercial use, but GoSun is using the technology to directly heat a grill.
The tubes use a special coating to maximize the collection of solar radiation (sunlight), and a vacuum layer in the wall of the tube to prevent the heat from escaping. The result is that the tube heats up to high temperatures since it is very difficult for heat to escape the tube once it enters.
Here are some more quick facts on the stove:
- The stove still works well even on cloudy days. The reason is that there is still lots of diffuse (indirect) sunlight on cloudy days.
- You can cook a 10 oz hot dog in less than 10 minutes.
- The exterior of the tube remains fairly cool even though the inside is at hot thanks to the vacuum layer in the glass.
- The stove does not need fuel of any kind as it uses sunlight to directly produce heat.
- The complete stove is 7 pounds.
*Image Credit: www.gosunstove.com
**Solar Consultant is not affiliated with GoSun
This sort of thing really is the future. Imagine the potential for remote areas etc when the technology improves and prices drop.
We certainly hope so! The knock on these types of renewable technologies is that they do not work all of the time (eg. if the sun is down). However, we think you are absolutely right in that there will be applications for technology such as this in remote areas.