by Julie Genser

Earlier this summer I got to meet Barbara Kerr (in wheelchair, right, with helpers Jim and Berta), a local woman who invented the solar wall oven and pioneered the use of other forms of solar cooking. I have been wanting to meet her since I moved here two years ago and finally had a chance to visit her at her home. Barbara was one of the founders of Solar Cookers International (SCI), originally called Solar Box Cookers International, a California 501(c)(3) nonprofit, non-governmental organization that spreads solar cooking awareness and skills worldwide, particularly in areas with plentiful sunshine and diminishing sources of cooking fuel. Solar cooker designs based on Barbara’s early work are now widely used in developing countries, including in refugee camps and remote areas of the world. Barbara co-founded the Kerr-Cole Sustainable Living Center in Taylor, Arizona, the town just next door to me. I spent an hour and a half touring the outside grounds and interior of the center and learning about all the ways one can conserve energy using passive solar home design principles and solar appliances. This was of special interest to me since I struggle with how to heat and cool my home without the use of electrical machines due to my severe chemical and electrical sensitivities.

The center’s objective is to “live in harmony with life, using sustainable living skills” and they use knowledge accumulated over 30 years towards this effort. Their current homemaking methods include solar cookers, solar food dehydrators, organic gardening and other practices. They live off the electricity grid and off of community water and sewage connections. Car use and shopping are minimized by preparing home grown meals, using stored bulk foods, and home preserved foods.

Solar wall oven and small solar heater

• Passive solar house designed by Barbara Kerr using eave overhangs and the “high five”: mass, glass, orientation, insulation, ventilation.

• Clearstory windows that provide the rear room with heat and light.

• Solar wall oven (invented by Barbara) that provides highly convenient access to the cooker from inside the kitchen.

• Greenhouse: four-season, solar heated. Provides ventilation, plant starts, winter veggies and herbs, ornamentals, sunspace, and home heat gain.

Solar crop dryer

Solar hot water heater

• Solar crop dryer (food dehydrator) with a downdraft design and multiple heat collectors.

• Humanure bins that produce compost for the garden.

• Root cellar to store grains, dry legumes, and garden crops.

• 2,500 gallon rain harvesting system.

• Solar hot water heater with a freeze-proof box design.

• Solar water distiller that provides up to 2 1/2 gallons of water on a sunny day.

Solar water distiller system

It was so inspirational to meet this beautiful woman who had the strength of character and vision to be a pioneer in sustainable living practices. As a person challenged by severe chemical, electrical, and other environmental intolerances, some of the methods she was using were not things I could do myself due to either health reasons or financial concerns. Nonetheless, I was so excited to tour her home and see the culmination of all the wisdom she had gained over the years about sustainable living put into practice. I left with many ideas brewing in my head of how to apply her methods in a manner that would be tolerable for my own health requirements.

The center conducts tours by appointment and sells various publications, videos, and products (such as solar ovens and water pasteurization indicator). To contact them, call (928) 536-2269 or email [email protected]. Learn more at solarcooking.org/bkerr.