Our Solar cooking Fresnel lens.
We started on Craigslist’s “Free stuff” and searched for people giving away these Rear-projection televisions. There were plenty and there are still many to be had. We picked it up and opened it up to get the large Fresnel lens out of it. Once out we built a simple wood frame and stand for it. Since then we have been experimenting with the enormous amount of heat these lenses can generate. We can boil a full kettle of water in about 7 min, we have brought a stack of pennies and a piece of glass to their melting points. We can defuse this beam by angling the lens and do some cooking with it. We have made scrambled eggs, grilled cheeses, fried meatballs, and some sautéed spinach. But, this is leading us to believe that this lens has far more potential than just a solar breakfast maker. There are inherent Off the grid uses for this. Maybe it could make a great solar water distiller or it could charge a thermal tank for radiant heating in a cabin. We just got this together and are totally enjoying experimenting with it.
Just keyword “Fresnel lens” on Youtube. You will find many videos of creative individuals sharing their experiences, experiments, and step by step instructions on how to acquire and make your own.
It’s out there… waiting on you. Go for it!
NOTE: if you go through with this project please be careful. We are sewing up a cover for our Solar lens stand because it could be dangerous if left unattended and uncovered. If one were to forget it on their back porch one evening, they could wake up to a burning house when the morning sun hits it. Be mindful please.