SOLAR KITCHEN AUROVILLE

• TYPE OF BUILDING USE: INSTITUTIONAL BUILDING FOR VISITORS TO AUROVILLE

YEAR OF COMPLETION:1997
• BUILT-UP AREA: PRESENTLY ABOUT 2000 M2 PLOT SIZE: 3 ACRES LOCATION: CROWN
URBAN CORRIDOR, AUROVILLE CLIMATIC ZONE: HOT HUMID COASTAL ZONE
• ACTUAL OCCUPANCY: COOKING FOR 1000 PERSON PER MEAL TIME WITH SEATING
FOR 350 AT ONE SERVING.
 GENERAL INFORMATION AND BACKGROUND
LOCATION
•THE SOLAR KITCHEN BUILDING HAS
BEEN DESIGNED AS A MAJOR
COLLECTIVE KITCHEN FOR THE
AUROVILLE COMMUNITY AND WAS
FINALIZED IN DECEMBER 1997.
SINCE THEN IT HAS SERVED LUNCHES IN
ITS DINING HALL AND IN THE SAME TIME
SENT LUNCHES TO DIFFERENT OUTLETS
LIKE SCHOOLS OR INDIVIDUALS.
•IT DERIVES ITS NAME FROM THE BIG
SOLAR-BOWL ON ITS ROOF, WHICH
PROVIDES PART OF THE STEAM FOR
COOKING ON ALL THE SUNNY DAYS OF
THE YEAR.
THE OTHER PART OF THE STEAM
NEEDED, IS PROVIDED BY A DIESEL
FIRED BOILER
 SITE PLAN PLAZA & SOLAR KITCHEN

• 1 - SOLAR KITCHEN
• 2 - CROWN ROAD
• 3 - PARKING
• 4 - POUR TOUS - FINANCIAL SERVICE
• 5 - MEDIA CENTRE AND LIBRARY
• 6 - EXPANSION
• 7 - PEDESTRIAN BOULEVARD
• 8 - SEMI PAVED AREA
• 9 - PLAZA COVERED
• 10 - PLANNED GREEN AREA
• 11 - MAHALAKSHMI PARK
ENERGY EFFICIENT TECHNIQUES USED

• INTEGRATED SITE PLANNING FOR EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT OF SURFACE AND

ROOF RUN-OFF TO RECHARGE THE AQUIFER
• LANDSCAPING WITH INDIGENOUS “TROPICAL DECIDUOUS EVERGREEN FOREST” –
REDUCED WATER NEEDS MERGED WITH FOOD PRODUCTION
• DECENTRALISED RECYCLING OF ALL WASTE WATER INCLUDING BLACK
• URBAN AGRICULTURE TO GROWN FRUITS
• SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT WITH SEGREGATION / RECYCLING / COMPOSTING
• SOLAR BOWL INTEGRATED AS A ROOF TO GENERATE STEAM FOR COOKING
• USE OF APPROPRIATE BUILDING MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGY LIKE CSEB /
FERROCEMENT / LIGHT ROOFING / NATURAL STONE FLOORS / MINIMUM WOOD USE
• SOLAR PASSIVE DESIGN; NATURAL VENTILATION / LIGHTING / SOLAR CHIMNEYS
• ENERGY EFFICIENT FIXTURES FOR LIGHTING AND APPLIANCE
WORKING OF STRUCTURE
A 15 meter diameter solar bowl is
installed and operates at the Solar PLAN
Kitchen to produce sufficient steam
(600kg) to cook 2,000 meals on clear
days.
•The system operates with a fixed
spherical reflector made out of
prefabricated ferrocement elements,
fitted together and lined with 11,000 flat
mirror facets.
•The moveable receiver is a 4 m long
and 23 cm diameter wide structure kept
in focus through a computerized tracking
system.
•A heat transfer fluid is made to
circulate in the primary loop and steam
is produced in a heat exchanger and
sent to double-jacketed steam cooking
vessels in which food is prepared.
•The system is automatically controlled
and hybridised with a diesel fired boiler
to ensure that meals are always served
in time, irrespective of the weather
THE SOLAR BOWL CONCENTRATOR AT SOLAR KITCHEN
•The diesel boiler is stronger and contributes ¾ of the steam required
during the morning.
•But at 11 am or so, the diesel boiler is turned off on sunny days, and
the remaining cooking and the production of all hot water for
cleaning up all the kitchen vessels is all done only by the solar bowl
steam.
INTERIOR OF
KITCHEN