Earlier this year we built a Sol4 solar concentrator at SI Makerspace and installed it at the Teaching Garden of GrowNYC. Shawn Connell, staff member at GrowNYC, runs workshops teaching youth about the green economy, sustainable gardening and... solar concentration! These are his words:

The solar cooker is having a great summer out here on Governors Island! Today we had a class of high-school students visiting the island to learn more about green job opportunities and we were able to do a long session on solar - including lots of time using the cooker. We made popcorn as a snack this morning, (look how hot the cooker got at 9am). Then this afternoon the students used it to make a stir-fry using ingredients from the garden (collard greens, garlic, onions, eggplants, and herbs).

Shawn Connell, Staff at GrowNYC.

Lunch from the garden: Stir-fry with fresh collard greens, garlic, onions, eggplants, and herbs.

528° Farenheit (275.5°C) at 9am in the morning.

High school students having their first solar stir-fry

Growing, cooking and eating at GrowNYC's Teaching Garden