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I am interested in the possibility of using solar heaters for pre-heating the water used for cooking. This would save money, reduce wood or gas being burned, & fuel burned in cutting and transporting the wood, and reduce CO2 emissions, etc. What I am trying to get is information on energy released in burning green-to-moderately dry softwood, rice husks & coconut fibre, and as well, the energy recovery in different types of situations, ranging from 3-stone cook-fires to reasonably efficient firebrick cook stoves. As well, on the other side of the equation, how much heat-energy is recovered by solar panels, how much is consumed in manufacturing these and also in transport and typical installation. Basically, I am trying to compare energy usage of a carbon-fuel cooking system with solar-heating and do an energy saving/cost-benefit analysis for installing heaters. My gut instinct is that this should produce positive results, but I need more than a feel good factor. I am going to have to come up with some real numbers... Whether you can help here, I am not sure, but maybe you can at least point me in the direction of organisations who can provide this information.