With modern energy supplies emitting harmful gasses that take a toll on the atmosphere, more people are trying to go green and help the environment.
Some install solar panels in their houses, and others focus on recycling. I choose to switch to solar-powered baking.
If you’re curious to learn, I’ll show you what solar baking is about and whether or not it works for you.
What Is Solar Baking?
Solar baking revolves around harnessing the sun’s energy to produce electricity and using it to power solar ovens and bake pastries.
Of course, each oven works using a different mechanism, but most of them use reflective surfaces to gather sunlight.
Once they collect that light and turn it into heat, they trap it within a small space to bake pastries.
Why Should You Use Solar Power to Bake?
Now that you understand the idea behind solar baking, let’s see why you should care.
1 – Clean Energy
You probably already know that traditional fossil-fueled energy supplies release harmful carbon dioxide into the air. That gradually heats up the atmosphere, causing climate change.
Well, you don’t have to worry about that with solar power. It’s a clean energy source that doesn’t emit harmful gasses since it only depends on the sun.
2 – Lower Electric Bills
Let’s be honest: Electric bills are getting out of control. That’s only natural, given how we use electricity in every part of our day.
Still, though, I think we could all use a solution that helps us save money. Enter solar power.
Since you don’t use traditional energy sources for solar baking, you won’t pay for the generated electricity and heat, lowering your electricity bills.
Look, you’ll only use it for baking. So, it probably won’t save you a ton of money right away, but you’ll save a decent amount in the long run.
3 – Energy Independence
Picture this: You’re baking a few croissants, and you couldn’t be more excited. You did everything right and were sure they’d turn out fluffy and flavorful.
Suddenly, the power shuts down, and your golden pastries are pretty much ruined. It’s always frustrating when that happens, isn’t it?
With solar power, you won’t have to bake under the mercy of rusty power supplies that might shut down at any moment. You’ll have the electric freedom any baker is looking for.
4 – Affordability
You might think a revolutionary invention like the solar oven would be expensive, but it’s nowhere near as expensive as a regular one. It sells for $100-400, depending on the model and where you live.
Besides their cheap prices, these ovens are easy to maintain. If you face an issue with your model, you won’t have to break your wallet to fix it.
What Are the Difficulties of Solar Baking?
Despite all the value they offer, solar ovens aren’t perfect by any means. I want to cover the flaws they come with to help you understand what you’re getting into.
Fluctuating Energy
The main selling point of solar ovens is that they use the sun’s energy to work. Unfortunately, that could also be their biggest disadvantage.
We all know that the sun doesn’t shine bright every day. That means your oven’s performance will fluctuate depending on the intensity of the sun.
Most baking recipes require a stable, powerful source of heat. So, you’ll have to adjust the baking time to compensate for the fluctuating performance.
You can probably tell these ovens are a hassle to use during winter when the sky is cloudy most of the day. They’ll take too much time to heat and may not even reach the desired temperature.
Limited Placement Options
As a device that depends on sunlight to work, you need to place your solar oven in a place where it’ll receive as much sun as possible. The more, the merrier.
That makes your placement options quite limited, as the only optimal location you can place it in is your backyard if it has access to ample sunlight. If you live in an apartment or a house without a backyard, it won’t work efficiently.
Potential Injuries
Yes, just like regular ovens, you can hurt yourself using solar ovens. How? Well, many solar ovens come with reflective panels.
I wouldn’t recommend staring directly into them, as it could potentially hurt your eyes.
Plus, since they absorb an ample amount of sunlight, they can get too hot. So, be careful not to touch them while you’re moving your oven, and keep your children and pets away from them.
Final Thoughts
Harnessing the sun’s energy for baking isn’t a simple endeavor. Sure, it’s more affordable and safer for the environment, but it’s also a bit limiting and unpredictable.
So, weigh the pros and cons of solar ovens and identify whether they meet your needs or not.
Sarah is the founder of Baking Kneads, LLC, a blog sharing guides, tips, and recipes for those learning how to bake. Growing up as the daughter of a baker, she spent much of her childhood learning the basics in a local bakery.