The sterilization of instruments in rural health clinics in less developed countries is
an increasing problem because chemical methods can no longer be recommended and wood fuel
is becoming more and more scarce. Thus, it seemed obvious to try to utilize solar energy for
sterilization purposes. A solar oven was designed and manufactured using local materials and
simple tools. The solar oven was tested by physical, chemical, and microbiological methods. A
mathematical model for the sterilization effect was developed and programmed into a
microprocessor that was connected to a thermocouple. The microprocessor switches on a green light when the sterilization is completed. After successful testing, the oven was built into the west-facing wall of a rural health clinic and used daily for sterilization.