With nearly 3,000 hours of sunshine per year, Marseille is the best-endowed city in mainland France. A blessing that Pierre-André, at the origin of the concept of “solar energy cooking”, had been hoping to take advantage of for several years, developed since 2017, and a first test in Aubagne, you could read in 20 minutes.
After several tests and the opening of an ephemeral restaurant-guinguette installed in the 15th arrondissement in 2020, the hope of serving food cooked by the heat of solar radiation channeled using a mirror will come to fruition this 18 June, reports France Info.
A heating point that can reach 450 degrees
Called Le Présage, this “solar restaurant” is a first in Europe, but not in the world, this method being particularly widespread in India. It found a home in the 13th arrondissement of Marseille where its creators had a bioclimatic building built.
Technically, the sun’s rays will be reflected in a huge mirror and channeled towards a heating point which can reach 450 degrees.
The longest part to develop was this heating point, which required almost ten years of experimentation. The restaurateurs have, however, provided a portion of traditional electricity supply, for the days when the sun is lacking. But they estimate they can cook 80% of the time with solar power for a total reduction of 50% in their carbon footprint.