Desenvolvimento do protótipo de uma estufa de baixo custo com aquecimento solar para as marmitas dos discentes do IFBA campus Jequié – BA

Abstract

The city of Jequié, located in the southwest of Bahia, is known as the "City of Sun." In 2023, according to the National Institute of Meteorology (INMET), the city recorded maximum temperatures of approximately 35°C and minimum temperatures close to 16°C. The Federal Institute of Bahia (IFBA), with a campus located in this city, offers technical education in integrated, subsequent, and higher education levels. Some students stay for more than one shift at the institution for curricular and extracurricular activities, requiring them to bring lunchboxes for their meals. Due to this demand, the availability of microwave ovens is insufficient for everyone to heat their lunchboxes before consumption. This research involves conducting a pilot experiment utilizing solar incidence, using low-cost and easily accessible materials and temperature sensors to monitor the temperature variation process. Data collection occurred between May and June 2024 to determine if the temperature inside the low-cost greenhouse remained stable for 6 hours as recommended by the National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA). The low-cost greenhouse proved effective in terms of thermal performance and energy efficiency, as its electrical components have low energy consumption. The social, environmental, and economic contributions of this work include providing a simple, efficient, and cost-effective piece of equipment. Another advantage is the reduction of energy consumption for the federal public administration. Moreover, the use of cleaner energy sources will contribute to the goals of the Paris Agreement, to which Brazil is a signatory, as well as to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13 of the United Nations (UN) 2030 Agenda: Transforming Our World. It can be inferred that this prototype has the potential to be replicated in other institutions for the same purpose or even in business settings to heat employees' lunchboxes