This Lebanese Bakery Makes Bread Using Solar Power

It has mirrored panels on its roof which concentrate the sun’s rays to heat up the oil. This is transferred to the bakery below, where it’s used to heat a convection oven to 300˚C. The solar oven was designed by the Lebanese firm Partners with Sun. It says the oven can slash Lebanese bakers’ energy bills as they currently depend on expensive diesel generators.

Lebanon’s ongoing economic crisis has devastated its power grid. In 2021, the country’s 2 main power plants ran out of fuel and shut down. Today, most households only receive 1 hour of electricity a day, so many homes and businesses rely on generators.

Partners with Sun says its oven cuts bakeries’ diesel usage by up to 80% meaning lower costs for the baker and lower prices for their customers. Rampant inflation has driven up the price of food across Lebanon. Last year, the country’s average monthly inflation rate was 171.2%. A loaf of bread in Lebanon costs 15 times more today than it did 3 years ago.