SOLAR KITCHEN AUROVILLE Architecture

by: Suhasini Ayer

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.
SOLAR KITCHEN AUROVILLE

General Information and Background

•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
 In Auroville
The first solar panels were installed in Auroville in the early
eighties. Today, Auroville has more than 150 houses fully
powered by photovoltaic panels and about 50 houses that use
solar power in conjunction with a state grid connection. Some
communities run solely on solar and wind energy. The total
standalone photovoltaic energy capacity of Auroville is more
than 15% of the total photovoltaic capacity in India.

•Solar energy in Auroville is used mainly for home lighting

systems, pumping water for drinking purposes and irrigation,
heating water for domestic purposes, and food processing.
•Other solar applications developed are solar curing chambers
for ferrocement prefabricated elements and solar concentrators.
LOCATION
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
PLAN
•A 15 meter diameter solar bowl is installed and
operates at the Solar 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 conditions
The solar bowl concentrator at solar
kitchen
Another view of bowl
SECTION THROUGH DINING
INTERIOR OF KITCHEN
 ENTRY

DINING WINDOW

NORTH FACADE
DINING HALL
Solar Kitchen

The aim of the project was to build a demonstration project

a. In the use of SOLAR THERMAL ENERGY in steam generation, this in

the case of this project will be used for cooking meals 3 times a day for
about 1000 people.

b. To support the organic farming sector of Auroville and the local

villages by being the main purchaser for their products, this can be used for
the meals prepared in the kitchen.

c. To provide for the nutritional needs of the present community of

Auroville (1700 inhabitants approx :) including the meals at the schools,
work places and for special occasions.

d. To be a demonstration project for Appropriate building materials and

technology, Solar Passive
Architecture and Waste Water Recycling.
THE SOLAR BOWL
•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.
MECHANISM OF SOLAR BOWL
Spherical reflectors