The wizards at MIT have come up with yet another project that is nifty, cool, and eminently practical, with the invention of a simple, homemade $17 solar cooker designed for use in rural areas. The only materials are Mylar coating, yak wool, and bamboo ribs. In many countries across the world people cook with materials that are unhealthy both for themselves and to the environment, and this cooker aims to provide a cheap solution to that widespread problem with clean energy. And for an additional cost it will also be able to provide heat to homes. If they can get it into widespread production and find some funding, a huge amount of humanitarian benefit could come from this device.

The great sums of money going into research and development for solar technologies is an obvious reminder that the problems of the world are not only going to be solved in a low-tech manner, but it’s nice to have a reminder from time to time that innovations can come outside of a laboratory. The central premise of solar energy is so strong and adaptable that there are ways to apply (and improve) it across a wide spectrum.

Meanwhile, as always, solar technology writ large is improving, getting more powerful and more cheap. NASA is even ready to test out a solar sail to propel satellites and deep-space missions. With all of these creative solar solutions to difficult problems, the straightforwardness of the vast majority of solar projects is becoming more evident. Solar professionals are going to be able to handle powering vast portions of this country, sooner than people think. All that’s necessary is the money and the will to fulfill the potential for all of this ingenuity.