Indian Oil Corporation has commenced a pilot test-study of an indoor solar cooking system at Leh, Ladakh.

The oil major has tied up with Sun Bucket System, a US-based start-up working on solar energy-based products, to design, develop and commercialise an innovative, easy-to-use cooking system that collects and stores solar energy as thermal energy for cooking purposes. The portable ‘sun bucket’ can be safely used for cooking indoors and is designed to cater to the full range of Indian cooking for a family of four, a company statement said.

The sun bucket can be charged using parabolic solar concentrators. These concentrators are devices used to channel the heat generated through the sun rays and then use it to cook.