Pesitho

Last edited: 29 September 2023

ECOCA PV cooking package, 4-11-22 — The ECOCA cooker is shown with the photovoltaic panel, *Photo credit: Pesitho*

ECOCA induction stove by Pesitho, 4-11-22 — The ECOCA induction stove with its cook pot and integrated battery, *Photo credit: Pesitho*

Pesitho is a Danish company committed to providing off-grid power solutions for the world’s poor. They were founded by 4 Engineers with the vision to provide people in rural, off-grid areas with clean cooking appliances for every-day use. The outcome of this first idea is our ECOCA; Thee world’s first off-grid solar electric cookstove!

The ECOCA is a compact, self-contained, multi-purpose home cooking unit, run by solar energy. It is to be imagined as a fully working kitchen, which can provide an entire family in a rural area with food and electricity throughout the whole day. It consists of an electric base, which includes a battery pack, a solar panel array and a highly insulated cooking pot that can keep food warm for hours. The small size and light weight of the ECOCA make it possible to install and use in all sorts of areas, making it extremely suitable and valuable for places like refugee camps in African countries, enabling the families that live in these spaces to prepare food for themselves at all times.

The electricity generated from the solar panel and stored in the battery can easily cover the average cooking needs of a whole family. More precisely, that means that an average family of 5-7 members can cook 3 meals a day, also several hours after dark. Apart from the cooking unit itself, the ECOCA is further equipped with two USB charging ports and two rechargeable, portable lamps. These features enable the users to charge smaller appliances such as mobile phones and razors. This allows for a variety of indoor activities, also after sunset, such as education and hand craft, giving the families possibilities for generating further income and self-development. Above text from Pesitho website

News[]

September 2023: ECOCA pilot stove program: - Mercy Corps in partnership with the Danish company Pesitho, has initiated a pilot program at the Bidibidi Refugee Camp in Uganda to make PV-powered ECOCA induction stoves available to residents of the camp. The program will provide a pay-as-you-cook method of payment for residents. As in other refugee camps, the women are usually the most vulnerable, having to go the edges of the camp and beyond to gather what little firewood is available for cooking. This leaves them open to possibly becoming victims of violence. The new stoves will help relieve that stress. When fully charged, the ECOCA has enough energy to cook three meals a day. The need for time-intensive firewood gathering disappears, as does the carcinogenic smoke and pollution produced by wood fires. Women have more time to attend community meetings, socialize with friends, care for their families, or invest in income-generating opportunities. Read more...