What’s cooking in PV?

Scientists have conducted an analysis of 20 years of academic publications about PV-powered electric cooking and have found interest in the field peaked in 2021-2022 in both developing and developed countries. They have also outlined some potential future developments.

A research group led by academics from Ghana's Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology has analyzed the development of PV-powered electric cooking (e-cooking) over the past twenty years. Through systematic review and bibliometric analysis, they have established emerging trends and developments in the field.

“E-cooking uses electric cookstoves, induction cooktops, or other e-cooking appliances. This approach offers several advantages over traditional cooking methods, including improved indoor air quality, decreased deforestation, higher energy efficiency, and the potential to leverage renewable energy sources to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions,” said the team. “The use of solar power has become a highly promising source. This is especially relevant for developing nations with limited electricity access.”

Using various academic databases, the scientists have looked for all PV cooking articles written in English between 2003 and 2023 and published either in peer-reviewed journals, conference proceedings, or book chapters. The initial search yielded 229 records, cut down to 160 after headline and abstract screening and 48 after full article screening.

The 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, the interest in it has grown, with a study year growth, peaking in 2021 and 2022 with 18 and 17 articles, respectively. India has 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 diverse motivations for exploring this technology,” said the researchers. “In developing regions, the primary drivers are the need to address energy access and clean cooking challenges. In contrast, developed countries are motivated by environmental concerns, sustainable development goals, and technology transfer or collaboration opportunities. Additionally, the market potential for manufacturing and distributing solar PV-based e-cooking equipment represents a significant factor attracting global interest.”

A thematic evaluation of keywords has shown that up to 2016, research focused on the technology itself, while in 2017-2020, it focused on the development of the actual system, and most recently, it has been focused on the levelized cost of energy (LCOE). Factorial analysis has revealed the interconnectedness of research in PV e-cooking and other renewable energy sources (solar, biomass, wind), off-grid and mini-grid solutions, cost-effectiveness, sustainable development goals, and integrated systems for poly generation and water treatment.

The future

The researcher has spotlighted four specific topics, pointing to their development and potential for future growth. In the field of PV e-cooking appliances, they mentioned the development of PV-powered induction stoves, electric cookers, and pressure cookers, as well as storage methods such as battery storage, phase change materials (PCM), and insulated cookers.

In the field of integration with mini- and micro-grids, they pointed to the several projects worldwide that integrate PV cooking into a decentralized grid and the contribution machine learning prediction could provide. On the topic of hydrogen-based cooking with PV, they highlighted that it could become cost-competitive by 2030, but challenges such as storage, infrastructure, and safety concerns are still present. As for research into socio-economic and adoption factors, they pointed to behavioral studies that show how different factors influence adoption rates.

Concluding their paper, the group added that “future research should focus on integrating artificial intelligence and internet of things (IoT) for predictive system optimization, developing innovative thermal and hybrid storage solutions, investigating scalable hydrogen-based cooking technologies, conducting socio-economic analyses of user behaviors, and assessing environmental and economic impacts through life-cycle evaluations.”

The research work was presented in “Advancing the solar cooking revolution: Insights into the evolving landscape of solar PV-based electric cooking,” published in Solar Energy Advances. Scientists from Ghana's Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and Cape Coast Technical University have conducted the study.