Definition
Solar dryers are devices that passively harness and concentrate the thermal solar energy to dry crops by heating up the air volume within. The solar drying process improves the crop's post-harvest quality by reducing its moisture content, generally resulting in extended produce shelf life.
Lead Actors
Off-taker; Farmer Organisation
Target Demographics
Smallholder Farmers
Objectives addressed
Farmer related
Increase farmer income:
Solar dryers may contribute partially to increasing farmer incomes by improving the quality and/or life-shelf of their produce. This higher-quality and/or improved produce can be sold at higher prices, improving the incomes of farmers.
Increase climate resilience:
Solar dryers may contribute partially to increasing climate resilience by helping farmers in drying their produce, especially in regions where increasingly excess rainfall is a pressing issue. Furthermore, by solar-drying their produce, farmers may experience lower post-harvest losses and reduced food security issues due to pests and diseases from too excess moisture.
Business related
Address sourcing needs:
Solar dryers can contribute partially to addressing sourcing needs by supporting the drying process of several crops, preventing post-harvest and quality losses. In this way, agribusinesses using solar dryers (or sourcing from farmers using them) are more likely to meet certain sourcing requirements, especially especially related to moisture levels of raw materials.
Contexts Best Suited to
(Non)perishable crops: whose shelf life and/or quality depends on moisture content (e.g., tubers, roots, grains).
Land availability: relatively easy land availability to build the dryer.
Basic road infrastructure: to transport the produce to and from the solar dryer.
Solar radiation: areas with enough solar radiation, preferably year round.
Market demand: where there is sufficient demand for dried produce (e.g., dried fruits).
Land availability: relatively easy land availability to build the dryer.
Basic road infrastructure: to transport the produce to and from the solar dryer.
Solar radiation: areas with enough solar radiation, preferably year round.
Market demand: where there is sufficient demand for dried produce (e.g., dried fruits).
Key Risks
Reduced efficiency: the efficiency of the dryer can decrease if it is not properly operated and maintained.
Inadequate operation model: if the operation and maintenance is given to a group (e.g., community farmers), improper feed levels can compromise the dryer's lifetime.
Use conflicts: unclear schedule of shared use among farmers/users can lead to conflicts between them.
Exclusion: in case of shared dryers, actors with better positions in the community (e.g., lead farmers, chiefs) can benefit more from the dryers, excluding less advantaged individuals.
Inadequate operation model: if the operation and maintenance is given to a group (e.g., community farmers), improper feed levels can compromise the dryer's lifetime.
Use conflicts: unclear schedule of shared use among farmers/users can lead to conflicts between them.
Exclusion: in case of shared dryers, actors with better positions in the community (e.g., lead farmers, chiefs) can benefit more from the dryers, excluding less advantaged individuals.
Environmental Impact
Positive:
As solar dryers rely on a renewable energy source, it helps reduce the environmental footprint of other energy sources (e.g., fuels, firewood).
Ambition level
Medium
Time
Solar dryers are relatively quick and simple to build, provided that the materials are readily available. As they are a passive technology, they are ready to use once the building phase is completed.
Investment Need
The costs are only focused on purchasing the construction materials (usually locally available), and the construction labour.
