Production of sweetmeat utilising solar thermal energy: economic and thermal analysis of a case study

Sweetmeats are very popular in India; especially those made in West Bengal are extremely delicious and have a rich tradition to back them. This sweetmeat production that was mainly confined to the kitchens of sweet shops and small dealers has now developed into an industry because of its huge popularity with consumers and the consequent demand for it, both in the country and abroad. Unfortunately, the production of Indian sweetmeats is still dependent upon the use of conventional energy and results in a huge consumption of energy. However, since its production does not require high temperature, conventional energy can easily be substituted by solar energy. The use of solar thermal systems by using parabolic concentrators in the production of sweetmeats can be beneficial from many points of view. In this study, conducted in the factory of a processed food manufacturing company, trial runs of the system were made to draw the ultimate conclusion that solar thermal systems can be effectively used in the production of sweetmeats, rosogolla to be specific, without compromising the quality or taste of the product and ensuring the sustainability of a green environment as well. The study also addresses the economic and thermal analysis of the solar concentrating system in terms of substituting the diesel fuel, which is being used in the current production systems.