Minneapolis Company Hosts 'Solar Cookoff' Using Sun-Powered Ovens

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A Twin Cities company is using food to teach people about solar energy.

Applied Energy Innovations is a Minneapolis company that installs residential and commercial electrical services.

With Federal and state tax incentives for solar energy at an all-time high, the company is pushing homeowners to consider solar energy. On Saturday, the company rolled a solar oven onto the sidewalk, and held a cook-off to demonstrate its power.

"Anyone can put this up in their backyard," said Dustin Denison of AEI. "You want to have two things: you want have time on your side, and you want to have sun on your side."

The company cooked a salmon and a pot roast in the ovens at Saturday's event, but Denison said you can also cook breads, pastas and other types of food, too.

The National Renewable Energy Lab says solar is the largest energy resource available in Minnesota. It says, on average, a typical single-family home in the state gets enough daily sunlight to power the whole house, year-round.