UC Merced Undergraduate Research Journal

Joel H. Goodman is a retired assistant professor of architecture at the University of Minnesota who, motivated to bridge the gap between sustainable living and underdeveloped communities, began developing various solar cooker designs. To bring forth Goodman’s vision, we were tasked with designing a solar cooker to be permanently integrated into a building and able to direct variable sun rays towards the cooking surface with its funnel-like shape. The cooker provides a sustainable alternative to traditional cooking methods such as wood and coal burning, which remain prevalent in underdeveloped regions despite their harmful environmental and health impacts. Solar cookers, like other clean cooking technologies, have the potential to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, mitigate deforestation, and improve public health by reducing indoor air pollution. Furthermore, access to clean cooking methods reduces the time and effort required for fuel collection, which can increase societal productivity and lower mortality rates, particularly among women and children. The integration of solar cookers into architectural designs represents a sustainable solution that not only enhances the well-being of communities but also supports global climate change mitigation efforts by reducing reliance on nonrenewable energy sources.