| Work Detail |
Scientists have analysed 20 years of academic publications on photovoltaic electric cooking and found that interest in the field peaked in 2021-2022, in both developing and developed countries. They have also outlined some possible future developments. A research group led by academics from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana has analysed the development of photovoltaic electric cooking (e-cooking) over the past twenty years. Through a systematic review and bibliometric analysis, they have established the emerging trends and developments in this field. “E-cooking uses electric stoves, induction hobs, or other e-cooking appliances. This approach offers several advantages over traditional cooking methods, such as improved indoor air quality, decreased deforestation, increased energy efficiency, and the potential to leverage renewable energy sources to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions,” the team says. “The use of solar energy has emerged as a very promising source. This is especially relevant for developing nations with limited access to electricity.” Using several academic databases, the scientists searched for all articles on photovoltaic cooking written in English between 2003 and 2023 and published in peer-reviewed journals, conference proceedings or book chapters. The initial search yielded 229 records, which were reduced to 160 after screening for headlines and abstracts and to 48 after screening for full articles. Trends Based on those articles, they found that between 2003 and 2012, the topic had only had up to three articles per year. Since 2013, interest in it has grown, with one-year growth in study peaking in 2021 and 2022 with 18 and 17 articles, respectively. India is the country with the highest number of publications, followed by the United States, the United Kingdom, and several developing countries such as Bangladesh, South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria, and Malawi. “The involvement of both developing and developed countries highlights the diverse motivations for exploring this technology,” the researchers say. “In developing regions, the main drivers are the need to address energy access and clean cooking issues. In contrast, developed countries are motivated by environmental concerns, sustainable development goals, and opportunities for collaboration or technology transfer. In addition, the market potential for manufacturing and distribution of solar PV-based e-cooking equipment represents a significant factor attracting global interest.” A thematic assessment of keywords has shown that until 2016, research focused on the technology itself, while in 2017-2020, it focused on the development of the actual system, and more recently, it has focused on the levelized cost of energy (LCOE). Factor analysis has revealed the interconnection of research on PV e-cooking and other renewable energy sources (solar, biomass, wind), off-grid and mini-grid solutions, cost-effectiveness, sustainable development goals, and integrated poly-generation and water treatment systems. The future The researcher has highlighted four specific themes, pointing out their development and future growth potential. In the field of photovoltaic electronic cooking appliances, they mention the development of induction cookers, electric cookers and pressure cookers powered by photovoltaic energy, as well as storage methods such as battery storage, phase change materials (PCM) and insulated cookers. In the field of integration with mini- and microgrids, they pointed to the various projects around the world that integrate PV cooking into a decentralized grid and the contribution that machine learning prediction could make. Regarding hydrogen-based PV cooking, they highlighted that it could become cost-competitive by 2030, but challenges such as storage, infrastructure and security issues remain. Regarding research on socioeconomic and adoption factors, they pointed to behavioral studies that show how different factors influence adoption rates. To conclude their paper, the group added that “future research should focus on integrating artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things (IoT) for predictive system optimization, developing innovative thermal and hybrid storage solutions, investigating scalable hydrogen-based cooking technologies, conducting socioeconomic analyses of user behaviors, and assessing environmental and economic impacts through life cycle assessments.” The research paper was presented in “ Advancing the solar cooking revolution: Insights into the evolving landscape of solar PV-based electric cooking,” published in Solar Energy Advances . The study was carried out by scientists from Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana and Cape Coast Technical University. |
