Peace Corps Improved Cookstoves Handbook

Transcription

1 Peace Corps Improved Cookstoves Hadbook Peace Corps Iformatio Collectio ad Exchage Publicatio No. M0091

2 Iformatio Collectio ad Exchage The Peace Corps Iformatio Collectio ad Exchage (ICE), a uit of the Office of Overseas Programmig ad Traiig Support (OPATS), makes available the strategies ad techologies developed by Peace Corps Voluteers, their co-workers, ad their couterparts to developmet orgaizatios ad workers who might fid them useful. ICE works with Peace Corps techical ad traiig specialists to idetify ad develop iformatio of all kids to support Voluteers ad overseas staff. ICE also collects ad dissemiates traiig guides, curricula, lesso plas, project reports, mauals, ad other Peace Corps-geerated materials developed i the field. Some materials are reprited as is ; others provide a source of field-based iformatio for the productio of mauals or for research i particular program areas. Materials that you submit to ICE become part of the Peace Corps larger cotributio to developmet. This publicatio was produced by Peace Corps OPATS. It is distributed through the ICE uit. For further iformatio about ICE materials, or for additioal copies of this maual, please cotact ICE ad refer to the ICE Publicatio Number. Peace Corps Office of Overseas Programmig ad Traiig Support Iformatio Collectio ad Exchage th Street, NW, Sixth Floor Washigto, DC ICE@peacecorps.gov tel.: fax.: Abridged Dewey Decimal Classificatio (DDC) Number: 643 Share Your Experiece! Add your experiece to the ICE Resource Ceter. Sed your materials to us so we ca share them with other developmet workers. Your techical isights serve as the basis for the geeratio of ICE materials, reprits, ad traiig materials. They also esure that ICE is providig the most upto-date iovative problem-solvig techiques ad iformatio available to you ad your fellow developmet workers.

3 Peace Corps Improved Cookstoves Hadbook Iformatio Collectio ad Exchage Publicatio No. M0091 Published September 2012 Revised August 2013

4

5 Acroyms ad Abbreviatios CCT CO GIZ GACC ICS IST KPT LPG MDG NGO PCIA PM PST RHC TChar TLUD USAID VITA VRF WBT WHO Cotrolled cookig test Carbo mooxide Germa Society for Iteratioal Cooperatio (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Iteratioale Zusammearbeit; formerly GTZ) Global Alliace for Clea Cookstoves Improved cookstoves I-service traiig Kitche performace test Liquefied petroleum gas Milleium Developmet Goals Nogovermetal orgaizatio Partership for Clea Idoor Air Particulate matter Pre-service traiig Retaied heat cooker A special kid of TLUD stove that produces charcoal Top-Lit UpDraft (gasifier) Uited States Agecy for Iteratioal Developmet Voluteers i Techical Assistace Voluteer reportig form Water boilig test World Health Orgaizatio

6

7 Peace Corps Improved Cookstoves Hadbook Cotets Itroductio... 1 The Role of Voluteers... 1 The Beefits of Improved Cookstoves... 2 The Global Alliace for Clea Cookstoves (GACC)... 4 Peace Corps Criteria for Improved Cookstoves... 4 The Role of Peace Corps Posts... 5 How to Use This Traiig Hadbook ad Accompayig Traiig Package... 6 Alteratives to Solid Fuels... 7 Electricity, Natural Gas, ad Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG)... 7 Solar Eergy... 7 Biogas... 9 Alcohol...11 Emissios Compariso...11 Kitche ad Fuel Maagemet...12 Improved Kitche Vetilatio Meal Plaig Stove/Fire Maagemet Fuel Maagemet Pot Maagemet Retaied Heat Cooker/Haybasket/Haybox Other Practices That Reduce Child Peumoia Mortality...15 Improved Solid Fuel Cookstoves...16 Factors That Ifluece Appropriate Stove Selectio...17 Stove Termiology Primer Types of Stoves Rocket stoves Top-Lit UpDraft, TLUD (or Gasifier) Charcoal Stoves Istitutioal Stoves... 22

8 Solid Fuel Burig Stove Selectio Matrix The Three-Stoe Fire Traditioal mud or clay stoves Mud or metal skirt stove (Voluteers i Techical Assistace, VITA) Rocket: Mud or clay (ufired) Rocket: Brick Ceramic (kil-fired) Metal, prefabricated or ready-to-assemble kits Top-Lit UpDraft (TLUD or gasifier) TChar (a special TLUD gasifier stove) Voluteer Improved Cookstove Activity Desig ad Implemetatio...35 Voluteer Tasks Iitial Assessmet Idetify Parters Stove Fiacig Microeterprise Developmet Promotio: Spread the Word! Aticipatig Commo Problems Moitorig, Testig, ad Reportig Traiig Voluteers...47 Aexes ad Refereces...48 Shared Aexes With the Cookstoves Traiig Package Other Referece Materials ad Websites Itroductio to Improved Cookstoves Quiz... 50

9 Itroductio Some 3 billio people worldwide, the majority i developig coutries, bur solid fuels wood, crop residues, charcoal, or coal for cookig ad heatig, i ope fires or rudimetary stoves. This results i the release of dagerous particulate matter (PM), carbo mooxide (CO), ad other toxic pollutats ad greehouse gases ito the air. The use of solid fuels also puts pressure o local atural resources ad carries opportuity costs for the wome ad childre tasked with collectig or buyig the fuel. Four major strategies ca reduce depedecy o solid fuels for cookig ad their impacts: 1. Icrease use of alteratives to solid fuels for cookig 2. Icrease adoptio ad proper use of improved cookstoves (fuel-efficiet stoves, solar cookers, ad retaied heat cookers) 3. Improve kitche ad fuel maagemet 4. Other practices to reduce child mortality, icludig breastfeedig ad peumoia case maagemet These strategies ca have may positive effects for families who traditioally use solid fuels for cookig; they ca improve health ad reduce the time ad burde of collectig firewood, amog other beefits. Followig is the Peace Corps visio statemet for its work i improved cookstoves: We are committed to promotig proper use of improved cookstoves that are bought or built by families that use them, as well as other behaviors that reduce ifat mortality from peumoia. This hadbook has bee developed for both Peace Corps staff ad Voluteers to advise ad assist commuity members with opportuities to reduce their depedece o solid fuels for cookig i ways that are appropriate i their local cotexts. This effort focuses primarily o assessmet, plaig, desig, moitorig, ad evaluatio of a effective improved cookstove program or activity that takes ito accout recet advaces i stove desig ad recet studies regardig the effectiveess of stove implemetatio programs i achievig lastig health ad evirometal beefits. This itroductory sectio begis with iformatio about the beefits of improved cookstoves, the global movemet to promote adoptio of improved cookstoves, the role Voluteers ca play, ad the role posts ca play i that effort. The Role of Voluteers Voluteers ca play a importat role i commuicatig the beefits of alteratives to solid fuels ad of improved cookstoves, facilitatig adoptio of improved cookstoves, promotig improved kitche ad fuel maagemet, ad promotig other practices that reduce ifat mortality as a result of peumoia. Four key thigs to kow about improved cookstoves promotio: Users matter! Stoves must meet the eeds of cooks (usually wome) or they wo t be used. Fuel maagemet ad stove maiteace matter! These ca have as sigificat a impact o emissios as the stove type. Stove desig matters! Be sure you are usig a desig that has bee reviewed by a stove expert. Testig matters! Testig cofirms the beefits of the program ad stregthes future improved stove promotio efforts. Peace Corps Improved Cookstoves Hadbook 1

10 Idoor Air Pollutio Guidelies WHO Guidelies for Particulate Matter PM 2.5 : 10 µg/m 3 aual mea 25 µg/m 3 24-hour mea PM 10 : 20 µg/m 3 aual mea 50 µg/m 3 24-hour mea PM 2.5 ad PM 10 are particles of pollutats (particulate matter) with diameters of 2.5 micrometers ad 10 micrometers or less, respectively. These are small eough to ivade ad irritate airways i our lugs. The aual/24-hour meas are the average cocetratio of particulates i a eviromet over a year/24-hour period. Eve small amouts of smoke i the kitche ca cause serious respiratory problems. Voluteers may also help local microetrepreeurs to begi or stregthe a improved stove busiess. Voluteers ca promote improved cookstoves as a primary or secodary activity. As outlied i the sectio Voluteer Cookstove Activity Desig ad Implemetatio, the first step Voluteers should take before begiig ay improved cookstove activity is to lear more about improved cookstoves ad experieces with differet types of stoves i their coutries of service. This should iclude a review of curret efforts i the commuity, regio, ad coutry to promote improved cookstoves. The Beefits of Improved Cookstoves Improved cookstoves address five Uited Natios Milleium Developmet Goals: Materal health Child health Evirometal sustaiability Ed poverty ad huger Geder equality Health effects Whe solid fuels are bured idoors, whether i rudimetary stoves or three-stoe fires, as is typical i may Peace Corps commuities, the resultig idoor air pollutio levels ca be 20 to 100 times greater tha stadards recommeded uder the World Health Orgaizatio s (WHO) air quality guidelies (see box to the left). Cookig outside uder a verada, usig a smoke hood, creatig the least amout of smoke, usig a fuctioal chimey, ad icreasig vetilatio by opeig widows ad doors are ways to reduce harmful smoke whe burig biomass. Studies have show that ifats whose smoke exposures were reduced by 90 percet were 50 percet less likely to suffer from peumoia. 1 Figure 1: Soot from solid fuel cookig o kitche walls. Wome who carry a baby o their back while cookig iadvertetly expose the child to high levels of toxic smoke that ca egatively affect growth ad developmet. There is cosistet evidece that exposure to biomass smoke icreases 1 Smith, Kirk. April 18, 2012, respose to The Washigto Post article Clea cookstoves draw support, but they may ot improve idoor air quality. April 16, Peace Corps Improved Cookstoves Hadbook

11 the risk of acute lower respiratory ifectios i childhood, particularly peumoia. Globally, acute lower respiratory ifectios, i particular peumoia, cotiue to be the sigle leadig cause of death i childre uder 5 years, causig more tha 2 millio aual deaths i this age group. A WHO comparative risk assessmet foud that, each year, idoor air pollutio is resposible for early 900,000 deaths due to peumoia amog childre uder 5 years of age. Idoor air pollutio from household eergy is raked fourth o the list of serious threats to health i less developed coutries for all ages, after malutritio, usafe sex, ad usafe water. 2,3,4,5 I additio to acute respiratory ifectios, other health outcomes associated with exposure to idoor air pollutio iclude chroic obstructive pulmoary disease, such as chroic brochitis; lug cacer (for users of ope coal stoves); cataracts; tuberculosis; asopharygeal ad larygeal cacers; cardiovascular disease; asthma attacks; adverse pregacy outcomes (stillbirth, low birthweight); ad early ifat death. 6 Additioal health impacts from collectig ad burig solid fuels iclude burs ad scalds; eye irritatio ad ifectios; headaches; backaches from tedig fires o the floor; ad ijuries ad assaults icurred durig fuel collectio, which ca iclude back ad eck ijuries from carryig heavy loads of fuel, sake ad isect bites, ad attacks, icludig rape. Because household cookig teds to be cosidered the domai of wome, ad by associatio their childre, wome ad childre disproportioately suffer from these impacts. Of ote, while wome may associate idoor smoke with coughig ad eye irritatio durig the cookig period, may are uaware of the loger term health impacts. I commuities i which the vast majority of cooks are exposed to high levels of idoor air pollutio over a lifetime, wome may see cataracts as just somethig everyoe evetually suffers, ad peumoia as a commo ad perhaps uprevetable childhood illess. Properly desiged, used, ad maitaied, improved cookstoves with chimeys ca reduce idoor air pollutio levels [for both carbo mooxide (CO) ad particulate matter (PM 2.5 )] by 90 percet or more. Evirometal effects The iefficiet burig of wood ad charcoal for cookig ad heatig icreases pressures o local atural resources, ad ca exacerbate deforestatio. Fuel-savig stoves ca slow the degradatio ad help ease tesios over the use of, ad access to, these atural resources. Traditioal cookig ad heatig methods release greehouse gases, primarily carbo dioxide ad methae, ad are also a major source of black carbo, a importat short-lived climate forcer. 7 Properly desiged, maitaied, ad used improved cookstoves ca reduce fuelwood use by 50 percet or more ad ca reduce emissios of greehouse gases, icludig carbo dioxide, as well as black carbo, which also cotributes to global warmig. 2 World Health Orgaizatio, World Health Report 2002; 3 WHO Air quality guidelies for particulate matter, ozoe, itroge dioxide ad sulfur dioxide Global update Bruce N., Neufeld L., Boy E., West C. Idoor biofuel air pollutio ad respiratory health: the role of cofoudig factors amog wome i highlad Guatemala. It J Epidemiol, 27: Ezzati, Majid; Kamme, Daiel M. Idoor air pollutio from biomass combustio ad acute respiratory ifectios i Keya: a exposure-respose study. THE LANCET Vol 358 August 25, Smith, K.R. Idoor air pollutio i developig coutries: recommedatios for research. Idoor Air. 12: A short-lived climate forcer is a pollutat that cotributes to climate chage but over much smaller time scales tha carbo dioxide. Peace Corps Improved Cookstoves Hadbook 3

12 Social, ecoomic, geder, ad user-perceived beefits Time ad moey spet o gatherig ad buyig fuel limit optios for school attedace for childre ad more productive icome-geeratig opportuities for wome, perpetuatig cycles of poverty. Wome who cook with solid fuels may also lose time spet sick or ijured, or carig for sick or ijured childre, as a result of health effects of traditioal cookig activities. Fuel collectors are also at risk of assault ad harassmet that ca occur while collectig fuel. Wome usig improved cookstoves have reported beefits of less time ad effort required to clea pots ad kitche walls, due to reduced soot, ad less time required to prepare meals. Additioally, less time is required for the collectio of biomass fuels (i.e., wood, aimal dug, crop waste). The productio ad sale of improved cookstoves ca provide importat icome-geeratig opportuities for local maufacturers ad sellers. Schools i coutries where may Voluteers serve participate i school breakfast ad luch programs. I rural areas, schools ofte do ot have sufficiet fuds to hire a employee to cook, so parets take turs preparig meals for the studets. I some cases, childre are required to brig fuelwood to school i order to atted. Istallig a improved cookstove, such as a solar ove or biomass istitutioal stove, will help the school save moey o fuel, which ca be used to purchase healthier igrediets for meals or to exted the meal program to more studets. The Global Alliace for Clea Cookstoves (GACC) Buildig o eight years of work by the Partership for Clea Idoor Air, the Global Alliace for Clea Cookstoves was lauched i 2010 as a ew public private partership to save lives, empower wome, improve livelihoods, ad combat climate chage by creatig a thrivig global market for clea ad efficiet household cookig solutios. The Alliace s 100 by 20 goal calls for 100 millio homes to adopt clea ad efficiet stoves ad fuels by 2020, a effort which Peace Corps Voluteers ca help support. GACC works with public, private, ad oprofit parters, aimig to help overcome the market barriers that curretly impede the productio, deploymet, ad use of clea cookstoves i the developig world. Peace Corps Criteria for Improved Cookstoves I 2011, the Peace Corps adopted the followig criteria with the goal that the cookstoves promoted by the agecy ad by the Voluteers are cosistetly ad sustaiably used, are properly maitaied by commuity members, ad achieve the desired health, evirometal, ad socioecoomic impacts. Improved cookstove optios that Voluteers or other developmet workers promote must be Desirable: appropriate for cooks eeds ad prefereces, compatible withi the cultural cotext. Accessible: available ad eablig choice, affordable outright or otherwise e.g., micro-credit, self-help groups, etc. Effective: actually reduce levels of idoor air pollutio ad fuel use. Specifically related to this criterio, the Peace Corps aims to promote stoves that (a) cosume at least 35 percet less fuel whe cookig a typical meal tha the traditioal stove curretly i use; (b) achieve a reductio i air cotamiatio by use of a chimey for idoor stoves; ad (c) where data is available or ca be obtaied, achieve at least a 90 percet reductio i emissios or exposure, as cofirmed by either a stadard cotrolled cookig test or a kitche performace test coducted i the coutry. Reliable: cosistetly performs as expected. Maitaiable: easy to use ad clea; spare parts ad service available. 4 Peace Corps Improved Cookstoves Hadbook

13 Whe selectig stoves for promotio i a commuity or i the coutry, staff ad Voluteers should determie desirability based o cooks eeds ad prefereces through the baselie survey that ca be foud i the Improved Cookstoves traiig package, Iitial Cookstoves Assessmet sessio. They should also allow commuity members to try usig differet models of demostratio stoves. They ca the assess whether the cooks eeds have bee met usig user surveys adapted from the model icluded i the Improved Cookstoves traiig package s Improved Cookstoves Activity Plaig ad Moitorig sessio. Staff ad Voluteers may determie accessibility, reliability, ad availability of spare parts by iterviewig stove suppliers ad users, as well as by implemetig pilot projects. Effectiveess is best determied by reviewig published results of tests doe by qualified, idepedet stove testers. However, effectiveess data is ot available for may stoves. For stoves with o available data, Peace Corps staff ad Voluteers ca a) parter with or cotract a qualified idepedet stove testig group to verify how well a stove performs, ad/or b) trai staff ad Voluteers to coduct field tests. The Role of Peace Corps Posts If your post or project is cosiderig a ew iitiative to promote improved cookstoves, or if your post would like to improve the effectiveess of its cookstove promotio efforts, whether as part of project goals ad objectives or as a commo secodary project supported by post, cosider the followig recommedatios for maximum impact: Desigate oe staff perso to play a lead role i the cookstove program. This perso should become familiar with all materials i this hadbook, the Peace Corps Improved Cookstoves Traiig Package, ad the shared aexes for these two resources, distributed with the Improved Cookstoves Traiig Package. Additioally, the perso should etwork with other orgaizatios i the coutry that are promotig improved cookstoves ad get iput from experts i improved cookstoves o recommeded approaches ad techologies. This perso should also be the lead perso to moitor ad evaluate your cookstove efforts, icludig esurig that the Peace Corps Cookstoves Baselie Survey (icluded with the Peace Corps Improved Cookstoves Traiig Package o the Itraet) is traslated ito the local laguage. Cotract or form alliaces with at least oe expert i improved cookstoves to provide iput ad feedback o project desig. For iformatio o orgaizatios i your coutry workig o improved cookstoves, see the parters sectio of the Global Alliace for Clea Cookstoves website, Be sure that your Voluteer Reportig Forms (VRF), either uder a primary or a secodary activity objective, iclude the recommeded outcome idicators for cookstoves. Prioritize your cookstoves work i regios of the coutry where families cook idoors. Prioritize your cookstoves work i regios of the coutry where families use ad pay for firewood or walk log distaces to obtai firewood or other solid fuel. I cosultatio with stove experts, select several models of stoves to promote. Promote oly stove desigs that meet the Peace Corps criteria for improved cookstoves ad that are suited to local eeds ad coditios. I other words, if you are promotig stoves maufactured or promoted by others, request stove performace data. If you are promotig stoves developed, adapted, or ehaced by staff, parters, or Voluteers, test your stove models or pay a idepedet party to test them. Also choose stove models that are affordable to stove users. Determie the extet to which you will likely promote the cocept of itegrated cookig, icludig retaied heat cookers ad solar cookers. Trai Voluteers. See the sectio Traiig Voluteers for recommedatios. Peace Corps Improved Cookstoves Hadbook 5

14 How to Use This Traiig Hadbook ad Accompayig Traiig Package This hadbook ad its compaio Peace Corps Improved Cookstoves Traiig Package have bee developed for use by Peace Corps posts worldwide, recogizig both that circumstaces vary widely from post to post ad site to site, ad that the fields of stove desig ad testig methodologies are dyamic. Therefore, iformatio about specific stove optios, stove desig mauals, stove testig protocols, ad research study results are icluded as refereces ad aexes that ca be easily updated. The most widely applicable refereces, for example, stove testig protocols, are icluded electroically with the traiig package o the Peace Corps Itraet site. For other exteral refereces, website locatios are icluded at the ed of the hadbook so the latest documet ca be dowloaded. For other Peace Corps refereces, as well as liks to additioal refereces, you may also cosult the Peace Corps Kowledge 4 Health (K4 health) website at or cotact the Peace Corps Office of Overseas Programmig ad Traiig Support (OPATS). You may also cotact other posts for their specific resources. Peace Corps staff ad Voluteers are ecouraged to modify the assessmet forms as eeded ad to promote stoves that are appropriate to the populatios they serve. However, please be aware that adaptatios of stove desigs without uderstadig stove desig priciples ad without testig the modificatios may result i Peace Corps promotio of stoves that do ot reduce fuel use very much, or at all, ad do ot reduce emissios ad may actually icrease them. The text of the hadbook icludes a basic itroductio to cookig alteratives to solid fuels, kitche ad fuel maagemet, ad improved cookstove optios, followed by guidelies for Voluteers o cookstove activity assessmet, desig ad implemetatio, ad moitorig ad evaluatio. There is a short sectio o traiig Voluteers ad refereces. 6 Peace Corps Improved Cookstoves Hadbook

15 Alteratives to Solid Fuels Figure 2: Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Stove. Photo courtesy of Aprovecho Research Ceter Eve whe bured i the cleaest stoves curretly widely available, solid fuels used for idoor stoves without properly fuctioig chimeys ca result i CO ad PM emissios that far exceed World Health Orgaizatio (WHO) exposure guidelies. The alteratives to solid fuels preseted here ca elimiate or greatly reduce idoor air pollutio whe used either exclusively i place of solid fuels, or as a complemetary cookig optio whe several differet cookig methods are regularly used i what is referred to as itegrated cookig. Electricity, Natural Gas, ad Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Electricity ad gas (atural gas or liquefied petroleum gas [LPG], the latter sold i pressurized metal caisters as idicated i the photo to the left) are far less pollutig tha solid fuels. This is illustrated i Figure 3, comparig the typical emissios of three pollutats from the burig of six types of fuels to geerate the same amout of eergy: LPG is the cleaest burig fuel by far, while dug ad crop residues cotamiate air the most. Note that the chart does ot show the wide variatios i emissios that exist for woodburig stoves. Figure 3: Compariso of Emissios by Fuel Type Graph courtesy of the Partership for Clea Idoor Air (PCIA Bulleti No. 26: LPG) Voluteers may wat to help commuity members fid a way to purchase the equipmet ecessary to take advatage of these optios i places with a regular supply ad distributio system for electricity or gas. Voluteers should work with commuity members to uderstad ot oly the iitial ivestmet cost, but also the ogoig costs for gas or electricity that such optios etail. Optios for addressig cost barriers may iclude facilitatig access to micro-credit for stove ad cylider purchase, icludig through micro-savigs programs, ad focusig o smaller cyliders with lower upfrot costs. Electricity ad gas ca be used exclusively, or i parallel with improved cookstoves if exclusive use is prohibitively expesive. Solar Eergy 8 Solar eergy is widely available ad beeficial. A optimum cocetratio ad umber of hours of direct sulight occurs withi 30 degrees orth ad south of the Equator, therefore, the high solar isolatio rates i these regios ca provide free, zero emissio eergy to cook food ad boil water for six to eight hours a day up to ie moths a year usig oe of the three types of solar cookers described o the followig pages. 8 This sub-sectio largely provided by Solar Cookers Iteratioal. Peace Corps Improved Cookstoves Hadbook 7

16 Because solar cookers do ot cook durig the early morig or at ight, they should be promoted as part of a itegrated cookig system alogside improved stoves ad, ideally, retaied heat cookers (RHCs). RHCs, described i more detail i the ext sectio, allow meals cooked i the afteroo to be served still hot after dark. Figure 4: Box solar cooker. Photo courtesy of Solar Cookers Iteratioal There are three pricipal types of solar cookers: 1) a box cooker: a glass-topped cotaier that coverts sulight ito heat ad cooks like a ove at up to 350F (176C), 2) a pael solar cooker: smaller ad less expesive tha a box cooker, ca be folded flat for storage, ad also cooks like a ove but at 250F (121C), ad 3) a cocetratig parabolic reflector. Box ad pael solar cookers are best suited for foods that are cooked slowly ad evely, icludig breads ad cakes. They ca also be used to pasteurize milk ad drikig water ad to heat water for o-cookig purposes, such as bathig ad cleaig. Figure 5: Pael solar cooker. Photo courtesy of Solar Cookers Iteratioal Figure 6: Parabolic Solar Cooker. Photo courtesy of Solar Cookers Iteratioal Sice box ad pael solar cookers ever reach combustio temperatures ad pose o fire hazard, they ca be safely left to cook uatteded i the su. They ca be made with locally available cardboard, wood, metal, glass, ad reflective materials. More durable, maufactured models are available from Europe, the Uited States, Idia, South Africa, Mexico, ad Chia. The cocetratig parabolic reflector cooker focuses a itese beam of sulight o the bottom of a cookig pot ad immediately reaches combustio temperatures above 451F (232C). This desig ca cook food ad boil water as fast as a ope fire or gas burer. O a clear day, a parabolic reflector ca cook from surise util suset, eve i below freezig temperatures. Parabolic solar cookers are available i small ad medium sizes for family use. Most are maufactured, but some cemet models are made locally by had. Large istitutioal parabolic solar cookers allow cooks workig iside a kitche or i the shade to prepare meals for hudreds of 8 Peace Corps Improved Cookstoves Hadbook

17 people usig oly the light of the su, with gas or wood backup stoves available for use o cloudy days. Parabolic cookers should ever be left uatteded, sice they geerate eough heat to start a fire ad because uless automated, they eed to be adjusted every 10 to 15 miutes to esure that the reflective parabola is cotiuously trackig the su. The type of solar cooker itroduced will deped o local cookig prefereces: e.g., parabolic solar cookers for tortillas ad fried or boiled food; box or pael cookers for baked, roasted, simmered, ad stewed foods. Solar cookers will require substatial traiig ad follow-up, although they are uderstadably more rapidly accepted i regios where biomass is difficult to obtai. Solar cookers require a lightweight black pot for maximum solar thermal absorptio. Iexpesive steel or alumium pots purchased i local markets ca be paited black o the outside with otoxic blackboard pait or blackeed with soot. The table o the followig page provides some comparative iformatio o the three solar cookers. For more detailed iformatio about usig solar cookers i developig coutries, see the refereces icluded i the solar cookers aex. Biogas Biogas, produced i biodigesters from food ad other orgaic waste, is beig used successfully for cookig i may rural commuities. Peace Corps Voluteers have bee successfully promotig the use of biogas i Thailad ad i Nicaragua. Details from biodigester mauals from each of these Peace Corps coutries are icluded i the referece sectio for this hadbook. However, experiece i may developig coutries has bee that biodigester use of household cookig is ofte ot sustaied over time. Figure 7: Biogas geeratio. Photo courtesy of Aprovecho Research Ceter Biogas is a methae-rich gas produced whe biodegradable orgaic material, icludig agricultural residue or dug (ca iclude huma feces), is broke dow by bacteria i the absece of oxyge, kow as aaerobic digestio. It burs clealy ad easily i covetioal low-pressure type gas burers, ad ca eve be used for lightig with special lamps. Biogas is formed i biodigesters. I additio to producig biogas, biodigesters produce a effluet that ca be used as fertilizer. Biodigesters come i may forms, from iexpesive plastic bag models to floatig ad fixed-dome models. Household-level digesters are available ad are a best fit for families that have several cows or pigs, as quatities of huma excreta aloe are ot typically adequate. Some specialized household biodigesters do exist that rely etirely o (agricultural) waste starches. Biodigesters are most appropriate for commuities with sigificat agriculture ad aimal husbadry. I locatios where saitatio services are lackig, biogas systems coected to latries ca provide a importat additioal service. Cookig with biogas has bee more widely accepted i Asia tha i Africa or Lati America, although successful programs exist i all three regios. The plastic bag model biodigester Peace Corps Improved Cookstoves Hadbook 9

18 Solar cooker Type: Materials/Productio Pael Prefabricated: polished alumium, foldable reflector paels Locally assembled types: Cardboard, glue, alumium foil, welded sheet metal, mylarcoated, waterproof plastic reflector Box Prefabricated: Cotaier: Molded plastic or metal Alumium reflectors Locally assembled: Cotaier: sheet metal, wood, cardboard, cob (mud ad chopped straw) Parabolic Factorymade Models sold olie ad i Chia, Germay, Idia, South Africa, ad Spai ad are made of polished alumium, fiberglass, cast iro, or reiforced cocrete mouted o steel tube frames Cost Rage Pros Cos Suitable for $10 $100 Ca last 5 10 years if reflector is made of durable waterproof materials Portable/easy to store ad clea No fire hazard Zero emissios, zero fuel cosumptio Cooks at 250F (121C) Requires o stirrig of food Will ot bur food Needs to be rotated oly oce every oe or two hours Safe for childre to use Does ot work well i very cold temperatures Cooks more slowly tha a ope fire Requires su at 45-degree agle or higher to reach optimal cookig temperature Should be staked dow if used i widy coditios Locally assembled types, uless waterproofed, will deteriorate if food or water is spilled o reflector Trasiet or settled populatios i suy regios Cookig beas, letils, cor meal, rice, vegetables, stewig fruits, roastig meat, fish, heatig water for tea or coffee, bakig bread ad cakes, bakig potatoes $30 $250 If isulated, ca cook i freezig temperatures Ca hold several cookig pots No fire hazard Zero emissios, zero fuel cosumptio Cooks at up to 350F (176C) Requires o stirrig Will ot bur food Needs to be rotated oly oce every oe or two hours Safe for childre to use Ca also serve as retaied heat cooker Cooks food more slowly tha a ope fire Settled populatios i suy regios Cookig beas, letils, cor meal, rice, vegetables, stewig fruits, roastig meat, fish, heatig water for tea or coffee, bakig bread ad cakes, bakig potatoes, dryig produce, roastig uts $30 $800 Zero emissios, zero fuel cosumptio Cooks as fast ad as hot as a ope fire or stovetop burer Cooks food ad boils water from suup to sudow as log as there is direct sulight Large cocetrators ca boil, fry, or stew istitutioal sized pots of food for schools, health ceters, commuity kitches Cocetrated sulight requires the same safety precautios as ope fire Users must protect their eyes from the glare of the reflected light by stadig i the proper positio relative to the su while cookig Requires adjustmet every miutes to track the su Should be staked dow whe used i widy coditios Fryig, boilig, makig flat bread/tortillas, hot water for tea, heatig iros for pressig clothig (replaces charcoal fires used for o-electric iros) Ca be used for preparig ay food that ca be cooked over a ope fire 10 Peace Corps Improved Cookstoves Hadbook

19 promoted by may Peace Corps Voluteers has a limited life, from three to six years, depedig o the quality of the plastic ad evirometal factors, so Voluteers should take this cost ito accout whe plaig for sustaied use of biodigesters. Figure 8: Alcohol stove. Photo courtesy of Aprovecho Research Ceter Alcohol Alcohol fuels (ethaol ad methaol), whe bured i properly desiged stoves, bur very clealy, with safe air quality levels based o WHO air quality guidelies. A alcohol stove provides both high ad low power ad is very coveiet compared with cookig with biomass. They are extiguishable by water, ad their vapors are ot proe to explosio i air (as ca happe with LPG). Because alcohol produces a clear blue flame that is difficult to see, it must be bured i a stove that ecloses the flame to avoid accidetal burs, especially amog childre, who may ot realize the stove is o. I additio to cost, securig a steady source of alcohol fuel supply ca be a challege to adoptio ad sustaied use of this cookig system. Alcohol catches fire easily ad the flame ca spread if the fuel is spilled accidetally. Methaol, a type of alcohol, is a toxic substace, so its use eeds to be cosidered i terms of safety cocers. Figure 9: Compariso of emissios for stove types based o fuel source. LPG = Liquefied Petroleum Gas;TLUD = Top-Lit UpDraft gasifier type wood-burig cookstove. Data sources for this figure are: 9,10,11,12 Note: black lies represet rage of emissios results coverig a rage of stove types. Emissios Compariso As Figure 9 idicates, the alteratives to solid fuels (e.g., solar cookers, LPG, ad biodigesters) produce emissios 90 to 100 percet less tha a three-stoe fire. Improved solid fuel burig stoves also produce emissios ragig from 35 percet to 80 percet less tha a three-stoe fire. I other words, these alteratives to solid fuels ted to be sigificatly less cotamiatig tha solid fuel burig stoves. Electrical stoves are also very clea i the kitche eviromet, but are ot preseted i the figure below because et emissios for electrical stoves would also eed to cosider the eergy profile of the coutry. 9,10,11,12 9 Liquefied Petroleum Gas: A alterative cookig eergy i Ugada, presetatio at February 2011 PCIA Forum, Dr. Emmy Wasirwa, maagig director, Waa Eergy Solutios 10 Kadpal, J.B., Maheshwari; R.C., Kadpal; Tara Chadra. Biogas: Idoor air pollutio from combustio of wood ad dug cake ad their processed fuels i domestic cookstoves. Cetre for Rural Developmet ad Techology ad Cetre for Eergy Studies, Idia Istitute of Techology, Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi , Idia (Received 10 December 1993; received for publicatio 16 December 1994) 11 Micro-gasificatio: Cookig with gas from biomass. Jauary 2011, GTZ 12 Jetter, James; Kariherb, Peter. Solid Fuel Household Cook Stoves: Characterizatio of Performace ad Emissios Peace Corps Improved Cookstoves Hadbook 11

20 Kitche ad Fuel Maagemet 13 I additio to usig improved cookstoves, cooks ca reduce fuel use ad idoor air pollutio sigificatly by employig some simple kitche ad fuel maagemet tactics described i this sectio: improved kitche vetilatio, meal plaig, stove/fire maagemet, pot maagemet, ad use of retaied heat cookers. Helpig families make simple chages to improve kitche ad fuel maagemet, as well as other practices that reduce child peumoia discussed i the ext sectio, should be a regular part of ay improved cookstoves activity. Figure 10: Example of good vetilatio with gap betwee kitche wall ad roof, Bagladesh. Photo courtesy of Aprovecho Research Ceter Improved Kitche Vetilatio Cookig outdoors, whe feasible ad acceptable, is ormally the best optio to reduce exposure to smoke. Where cookig is doe idoors, improved kitche vetilatio ca be achieved through the use of chimeys, smoke hoods, widows, ad vetilatio holes. Smoke hoods are placed over a traditioal fire or a stove, helpig draw hot air ad smoke out of the room. Vetilatio holes may be made i roof eaves or i the peak of the ceilig or roof, but likely will eed to be covered so rai does t come i. Ideally they should be closable whe ot eeded. Vetilatio is greatly affected by wid ad by temperature differeces. I geeral, a large temperature differece betwee idoors ad outdoors promotes vetilatio. For more iformatio, go to for studies i vetilatio ad its effect o idoor air pollutio. Meal Plaig Pre-soakig hard foods such as beas ad some grais (faro, rye berries, millet) i water for several hours before cookig reduces the cookig time eeded, as does the use of tederizig methods, such as filterig water through ash to cook beas. Stove/Fire Maagemet For most types of traditioal ad improved cookstoves, cooks should ot overstuff the stove with fuel. This makes combustio less efficiet by restrictig air flow, which results i icreased fuel cosumptio. It ca also cause excess smoke productio ad may eve damage the stove. Stoves should also be placed i a positio where they are protected from strog wids that may cause the fire to bur too quickly or to produce excess smoke. Liftig the stove from the floor to waist height will reduce the eed for bedig over the fire whe tedig it, which reduces exposure to smoke for the cook. This may reduce exposure to smoke for childre playig o the floor or groud, as well. 13 This sectio adapted with permissio from FUEL-EFFICIENT STOVE PROGRAMS IN HUMANITARIAN SETTINGS: AN IMPLEMENTER S TOOLKIT, USAID, Jue 2010, Tool B: Fuel-Savig Cookig Methods, Pages ad Step 5, Pages Peace Corps Improved Cookstoves Hadbook

21 Figure 11: Compariso of fuel emissios relative to fuel maagemet (how well teded ad moisture level). Slide courtesy of James Jetter, US-EPA, from What s Hot i Cook Stove Testig, Fuels, ad Techology, PCIA Forum Note: black lies represet margi of error i the test results. Chimeys ad combustio chambers eed to be cleaed regularly, ad cracks i chimeys eed to be fixed or the chimey should be replaced to esure adequate air flow ad to miimize smoke i the kitche. Fuel Maagemet Fuel maagemet ca have a sigificat impact o fuel efficiecy. Studies have show that PM 2.5 emissios ca be three to four times higher for high-moisture fuel as compared with dry fuel (see Figure 11). Fuelwood should be dried well ad cut to the appropriate size. Burig wet or freshly cut ( gree ) wood diverts heat toward the evaporatio of water, ad produces much higher emissio levels due to icomplete combustio. Burig dry wood produces a more eve bur, lower emissios, ad less creosote. Carefully cotrollig the amout of fuel bured by reducig fuel size ad by burig oly the tips of sticks will result i more complete combustio. The size of fuel will deped o the fuel, stove, ad cookig task. See Desig Priciples of Wood Burig Cookstoves i the referece sectio for further guidace o maximizig fuel efficiecy. Fially, whe cookig is complete, the fire should be extiguished rather tha beig allowed to bur out o its ow. A smolderig fire teds to produce smoke ad more toxic emissios. Extiguishig the fire ca be doe by stirrig the wood ad ash to extiguish all flames, ad the spriklig water over the coals, or mixig the embers with dirt. Pot Maagemet Usig pot lids is aother way cooks may be able to reduce fuel use, by reducig boilig time ad the power eeds of the stove. Use of lids will oly traslate ito greatly reduced fuel usage if the cook has a way to tur dow the heat oce the pot reaches the simmer stage, which ca be difficult with ope fires ad may cookstoves. Usig a pot made of the best material for the food beig cooked ca also help reduce fuel eeds; metal pots heat quickly but retai little heat, ad thus are good for boilig or quickly fryig food; clay pots retai heat ad are good for slowly cookig such foods as beas or stews. Cooks ca also save cookig time ad fuel eeds by warmig a secod pot of food by placig it o top of the mai pot or usig a multi-pot stove. Retaied Heat Cooker/Haybasket/Haybox A retaied heat cooker (RHC), also kow as a haybasket or haybox, is a isulated cotaier i which boilig pots ca be placed to keep cookig without further use of the stove or fuel, thereby reducig fuel requiremets ad the time that the stove is burig. RHCs are made out of a outer cotaier (which ca be a basket, cardboard box, plastic cotaier, or other material) lied with isulatig materials such as cloth, grass, straw, or agricultural waste, ad a tightly fitted lid. As a rule of thumb, lightweight materials are good isulatig materials as they cotai trapped air that slows the trasfer of heat. The RHC should be built to sugly fit the pot with which it will be used. RHCs are best suited for cookig legumes ad grais, which cook slowly with low heat. Retaied heat cookers are also appropriate for use with solar cookers, helpig keep food hot util mealtime. For a RHC to work properly it is importat the isulatig material is kept dry. Peace Corps Improved Cookstoves Hadbook 13

22 Figure 12: Retaied heat cookers. Photo courtesy of Patricia McArdle, Solar Cookers Iteratioal Oce the pot of food is brought to a boil o a stove ad allowed to simmer for a few miutes, it is the take off of the stove ad placed ito the RHC ad covered. The amout of time that food must remai i the sealed RHC will vary by the type of food. A geeral rule of thumb is that the RHC will require oe ad oe-half to two times the ormal stovetop cookig time. The RHC eed ot be teded durig this time, so cooks are free to use their time elsewhere. I fact, the RHC should ot be opeed while food is cookig, or heat will be lost. RHCs are portable ad are comparatively simple to make ad use, although traiig, patiece, ad practice are vital to successful use of this techology. May potetial users may be iitially skeptical about its utility. Productio of the cooker ca be icorporated ito a livelihoods activity for wome or me. For more iformatio, see the USEPA-published Guide to Desigig Retaied Heat Cookers, available i Eglish ad Spaish (see aexes). 14 Peace Corps Improved Cookstoves Hadbook

23 Other Practices That Reduce Child Peumoia Mortality Experts i the health field agree that icreased adoptio of improved cookstoves will decrease child mortality rates due to peumoia or other respiratory ailmets. However, Peace Corps Voluteers should uderstad, ad work with families as appropriate, to adopt the followig additioal practices to reduce child peumoia. 1. Reduce child exposure to smoke. Keep ifats ad childre out of the kitche, away from smoke durig cookig periods, if there is a safe supervised alterative. 2. Breastfeed. The health commuity promotes exclusive breastfeedig for ifats 0 6 moths, ad cotiued breastfeedig (with supplemets) from 6 23 moths. Research studies have show that babies breastfed for less tha six moths, compared with those who were breastfed for six moths, were more tha four times as likely to develop peumoia durig their first two years Zic supplemet. While perhaps ot always available for commuities where Voluteers serve, zic take i vitami form as a supplemet has bee show to reduce peumoia by percet Immuize. Immuized childre have a lower risk of catchig peumoia. Immuizatio agaist Haemophilus ifluezae type b (Hib), peumococcus, measles, ad whoopig cough (pertussis) is the most effective way to prevet peumoia Maagemet of peumoia cases. Whe childre have peumoia, their chaces of survival are greater whe they receive care from a perso traied to maage peumoia cases, either withi the commuity or at a health facility Peace Corps Improved Cookstoves Hadbook 15

24 Improved Solid Fuel Cookstoves There are may types of stoves for burig solid fuels that reduce fuel cosumptio ad air pollutio sigificatly compared with a three-stoe fire or traditioal stove. Some are portable ad ca be used both idoors ad out. Others are fixed withi the home. Some have chimeys ad some do ot. Some rely o gasificatio, ad some produce charcoal as a byproduct. This sectio details some of the types of stoves promoted by developmet workers i rural settigs, ad strategies for selectig the most appropriate optios to promote. Regardless of the optio(s) chose, good maiteace of stoves ad chimeys, where preset, is key to icreasig their logevity ad achievig aticipated idoor air pollutio reductios. The two slides that follow show the importace of stove maiteace. Figure 13 represets the impact o wood cosumptio that a improved cookstove (Ikawasi) i Peru was show to have, by level of maiteace ad traiig. Two data poits show how results vary betwee users i Satiago ad i the commuity of Saagora. The results show that stove maiteace is at least as importat as stove type for achievig reduced fuel cosumptio results. Figure 13: Compariso of emissios for traditioal ad improved (Ikawasi) stoves, with ad without maiteace. Slide courtesy of the Partership for Clea Idoor Air, US-EPA Figure 14 shows the results of a sigificat epidemiological study i Guatemala, agai highlightig a rage of both emissios ad health impacts of both improved ad traditioal stoves, depedig o stove 16 Peace Corps Improved Cookstoves Hadbook

25 maiteace ad operatio variables. This figure shows that a poorly operated ad maitaied improved cookstove may emit more air pollutio tha a well-teded ope fire, with o correspodig impact o reducig peumoia cases. Figure 14: Peumoia cases related to particulate matter emissios of improved stoves ad ope fires, from the Respire study, Guatemala. Slide courtesy of Kirk Smith, from RESPIRE-GUATEMALA, Radomized Exposure Study of Pollutio Idoors ad Respiratory Effects, PCIA Forum, Lima, February 2011, Lisa Thompso, Uiversity of Califoria, Berkeley, Uiversity of Califoria, Sa Fracisco Factors That Ifluece Appropriate Stove Selectio 17 Posts ad Voluteers are ecouraged to promote a rage of stove optios, all appropriate to the local eviromet, culture, ad society, but with a rage of costs, ad ofte icludig both idoor ad outdoor optios. Remember that the ideal stove program has o subsidy or a low subsidy, so users must be willig to pay for the optios selected. Improved stoves ca be categorized i a variety of ways, based upo desig priciples, costructio materials, fuel type, ad other factors. This sectio focuses o stoves that bur wood for cookig (as opposed to heatig) ad are likely to be promoted by Voluteers, ad divides them ito types based o their desig, which are the subdivided based o costructio material. 17 This sub-sectio adapted with permissio from FUEL-EFFICIENT STOVE PROGRAMS IN HUMANITARIAN SETTINGS: AN IMPLEMENTER S TOOLKIT, USAID, Jue 2010, Step 5, Pages Peace Corps Improved Cookstoves Hadbook 17

26 Primary cosideratios that ifluece stove selectio are Cookig habits ad user acceptability. At what times of day do people cook? Do they cook idoors or outside? What are the types of food ad methods of cookig that are used locally (e.g., fryig, bakig, simmerig, vigorous stirrig, etc.)? What are user prefereces ad cocers related to typical umber ad types of pots cookig at a time, time eeded to cook, ad regular use of a griddle of what size, etc.? Commuity members eed to be sufficietly cotet with the desig so they will ot modify the dimesios of the stove oce it is i their home; eve a small chage i stove characteristics ca have a sigificat impact o fuel cosumptio ad emissios. Fuel type. What type of fuel(s) will the stove be desiged to bur (wood, charcoal, dug, etc.)? What fuel optios are available? Local materials. Are local materials (mud, clay, agricultural or plat waste) suitable for stovebuildig readily available? Are sheet metal goods produced locally ad available i the marketplace? Are chimey materials ad replacemet chimeys available? Costs ad fiacial resources. What is the cost of the various stove optios? What are users able to pay iitially ad over time? What fiacial resources are available to offset the stove costs? Durability. Some low-cost stoves last oly three moths, while others ca work well for 10 years. Ufired mud or clay stoves may erode more easily i log raiy seasos ad high humidity. It is importat for Voluteers, parters, ad commuity members to have iformatio about stove durability. Stove use for home heatig. I most cases, stoves are used for cookig ad are ot iteded to heat homes. Excess heat geerated by a stove is cosidered a waste of eergy. However, i cold climates, stoves may itetioally be used to heat homes. Voluteers should always promote stoves ad approaches that are fully sustaiable locally. Depedig o the local ecoomy ad stove prefereces, these approaches might iclude: Traiig local masos to build stoves; they could the be paid either i cash or i kid to build stoves for other members of their commuity or earby commuities. I Guatemala, this approach has prove successful i providig employmet for Peace Corps-traied masos. Traiig stove repair ad maiteace experts, which ca help stoves last loger ad create local employmet. Facilitatig the acceptace of improved cookstoves by educatig the commuity about the beefits, arragig for presetatios by local etrepreeurs about their products, ad helpig them access plas to purchase stoves ad stove compoets. Keep i mid that commuity members iitial experiece with improved cookstoves (ICS) is extremely importat. If the first model of ICS itroduced (by you or aother orgaizatio) is of poor quality or for some other reaso is ot accepted, it may be difficult to re-itroduce aother, better model later o. Stove Termiology Primer 18 To work with ICS, you eed to uderstad some basic priciples ad termiology of stove desig. This sectio provides some basic cocepts that ca be explored further through cosultatio with your ICS expert. Please also carefully review the Partership for Clea Idoor Air s Desig Priciples for Wood Burig Cookstoves (see aexes). 18 This sub-sectio adapted with permissio from FUEL-EFFICIENT STOVE PROGRAMS IN HUMANITARIAN SETTINGS: AN IMPLEMENTER S TOOLKIT, USAID, Jue 2010, Step 5, Pages Peace Corps Improved Cookstoves Hadbook

27 Combustio chamber The combustio chamber is the area of the stove where the fuel is bured. Combustio efficiecy Combustio efficiecy is a measure of how efficietly a device burs fuel i other words, the percet of fuel that is tured ito heat eergy by burig. It will vary depedig o the desig features of a give stove. Stoves that achieve high combustio efficiecies ted to have fewer emissios of pollutats ad ofte require less fuel tha those with lower efficiecies. Hot fires bur more clealy ad efficietly, so maximizig combustio efficiecy requires cosideratio of the three T s : temperature (higher temperature is better), turbulece (turbulet mixig of air ad combustible gases is better), ad time (air ad gases eed adequate time to completely combust). Accordigly, factors that affect heat cotaimet ad airflow (for example, stove isulatio or chimey) ca be adjusted i stove desigs to boost combustio efficiecy. Heat trasfer efficiecy Heat trasfer efficiecy is the percetage of heat released from combustio that eters a cookig pot. The trasfer of heat to the pot through hot gases created by combustio is aother importat feature of stove desig. Improved heat trasfer (i other words, keepig hot gases i direct cotact with the cookig surface ad prevetig leakage of heat) is ofte the greatest factor i reducig fuel cosumptio. Improvig heat trasfer efficiecy ca also decrease emissios if combustio efficiecy is maitaied. For example, reducig fuel cosumptio also reduces emissios for a give cookig task, assumig that combustio efficiecy remais the same. Trasferrig heat to pots or griddles is best doe with small air chaels, ofte obtaied by optimizig the space below the griddle or pot or by sikig the pot ito the hot gases. Small air chaels force the hot flue gases from the fire agaist the pot or griddle. If the gap is too large, the hot flue gases maily stay i the middle of the chael ad do ot pass their heat to the desired cookig surface. If the gaps are too small, the draft dimiishes, causig the fire to be cooler ad the emissios to go up, meaig there is less heat to be trasferred to the pot or griddle. Fuel efficiecy Fuel efficiecy (also kow as thermal efficiecy) is the percetage of the heat eergy produced durig the combustio of fuel that is used to heat food or water. This differs from combustio efficiecy i that it measures the amout of eergy that is used to do work (i.e., cook food) rather tha the efficiet breakig dow of fuel. Fuel efficiecy is a combiatio of combustio ad heat trasfer efficiecies. For example, if a typical cookstove has 0.97 combustio efficiecy ad 0.38 heat trasfer efficiecy, the fuel efficiecy (thermal efficiecy) is 0.97 x 0.38 = Air itake ad airflow Air is fudametal to the combustio process, ad a cosistet flow of air through ad out of the combustio chamber keeps combustio hot, clea, ad cosistet. Airflow aroud ad uder the fuel stack is also importat for complete combustio. Metal or ceramic grates are ofte helpful i liftig the fuel off the groud, or bottom, of the cookstove so air ca circulate properly. Peace Corps Improved Cookstoves Hadbook 19

28 Chimey A chimey, usually a vertical structure, is a device attached to a stove to chael smoke from the combustio chamber away from the stove ad out of the home. The additio of a properly desiged chimey to a stove ca greatly icrease turbulet mixig of combustio gases, improvig combustio ad reducig productio of smoke, a product of icomplete combustio. A well-desiged stove ca dramatically reduce smoke productio from icomplete combustio without a chimey, but a chimey ca improve combustio efficiecy if desiged correctly. A chimey helps to pull air through the fuel opeig, across the burig fuel, ad out of the stove. It is importat to balace the dimesios of the chimey i relatio to the combustio chamber i order to maximize the beefits. To work properly, chimeys must be kept clea by the user. A icorrectly costructed or dirty chimey ca egatively impact stove performace, ad eve result i higher idoor air pollutio tha that from a ope fire. Types of Stoves 19 Stoves ca be classified i the followig ways, which overlap: Fuel burig techology: such as rocket or Top-Lit UpDraft (TLUD), the latter is a type of gasifier desig Pre-fabricated or fabricated o site Materials of costructio: mud or clay, brick, fired clay, metal Sigle or multiple burer Household or istitutioal With chimey or without Iteded for use outdoors or idoors Fuel type: those preseted here are primarily wood, but may other solid fuels are used worldwide, icludig cor cobs, rice hulls, other crop residues, biomass pellets, biomass briquettes, dug, coal, ad charcoal. Charcoal stoves are also metioed briefly i this sectio. Two types of fuel burig techologies are summarized below, followed by special metio of cosideratios for charcoal ad istitutioal stoves, as backgroud iformatio prior to presetatio of a stove compariso matrix ad detailed iformatio o stoves most likely to be promoted by Voluteers i commuities. The cookstove techologies ad specific models described below are commo examples, but the matrix is ot comprehesive, ad may other techologies exist. For more iformatio, see the wide variety of techologies described o these websites: Cookstove techologies cotiue to evolve, ad it is recommeded that you assess all of your optios. 19 This sub-sectio adapted with permissio from FUEL-EFFICIENT STOVE PROGRAMS IN HUMANITARIAN SETTINGS: AN IMPLEMENTER S TOOLKIT, USAID, Jue 2010, Step 5, Pages Peace Corps Improved Cookstoves Hadbook

29 Figure 15: A multiple pot-type rocket stove. Courtesy of Aprovecho Research Ceter Rocket stoves Rocket stove desig priciples focus o achievig efficiet combustio ad heat trasfer by esurig high temperatures, good draft ito the fire, cotrolled use of fuel ad air, ad efficiet use of the resultat heat. Stoves usig rocket priciples ca be very simple or complex. However, they all iclude these desig compoets: a L-shaped, isulated combustio chamber; a optimized fuel feed opeig to restrict the amout of fuel ad air added to the stove at oe time; ad a optimized gap betwee the stove ad cookig surface to improve heat trasfer by forcig hot flue gases to flow agaist the sides of the pot or griddle. Emissios of rocket stoves rage from 35 percet to 65 percet less tha a three-stoe fire. For further explaatio of rocket stoves, see aprovecho.org/lab/pubs/arcpubs. Top-Lit UpDraft, TLUD (or Gasifier) 20 A Top-Lit UpDraft cookstove utilizes a gasifier with a two-stage combustio process i which the wood (or other biomass fuel) iside the fuel cylider is first trasformed ito charcoal ad gases. The gases move upward to where they mix with fresh (secodary) air ad bur with clea high heat for cookig. Gasifier stoves typically are quick to heat, have high fuel ad eergy efficiecies, are lightweight ad portable, ad produce very low levels of emissios whe used correctly. Emissios of TLUD stoves are typically 70 percet to 80 percet less tha a three-stoe fire. Figure 16: TLUD (or Gasifier) diagram. Courtesy of Dr. Paul Aderso TLUDs ca use a wide variety of dry biomass fuels that are usually bite-size or chip-size (icludig biomass briquettes ad pellets) to allow air to move upward through the fuel bed. Success is also reported with vertically iserted reeds ad straight pieces of bamboo ad wood. This batch operatio ad top igitio requires some user traiig, ad may have a lower user-acceptability rate. There are may differet TLUD stove desigs, icludig some more expesive models with fas to ehace cotrol of the combustio process ad to permit use of rice husks as fuel. The TChar models place a TLUD T-Top oto a existig charcoal stove (T-Base) so that cookig cotiues easily o the created charcoal. A importat co-product of TLUD is charcoal that ca be used either for further cookig i charcoal stoves (see the TChar descriptio) or as biochar, a carbo-egative soil amedmet to help soil retai water ad utriets, ad to beefit soil microbes. 20 Text for this sectio largely provided by Dr. Paul Aderso, world expert i biogasifier stoves. Peace Corps Improved Cookstoves Hadbook 21

30 Figure 17: Charcoal stove. Photo courtesy of Aprovecho Research Ceter Charcoal Stoves May places i the world use charcoal produced from wood for cookig. Most charcoal stoves are batch loaded (fuel is loaded ad lit all at oe time) ad heat trasfer is mostly by radiatio (istead of covectio, as i wood stoves). For these reasos, the desigs ofte differ sigificatly from woodburig stoves. Geerally speakig, charcoal is a iheretly fuel iefficiet method of cookig, as the charcoal is usually produced with a loss of up to 70 percet of the eergy i wood from which it is made. Nevertheless, charcoal is valued because it cotais more eergy per mass tha wood (more easily trasported) ad it is easy to use (requires miimal tedig durig cookig). Charcoal stoves geerally produce little particulate matter, except durig igitio, ad high levels of CO i use. CO is odorless ad ca cause death, so it is very importat to use charcoal oly i well vetilated areas. Desig priciples for improved charcoal stoves are less developed tha for wood-burig cookstoves. For more details o charcoal stoves ad the developmet of improved charcoal stove desig priciples, visit or cotact Aprovecho Research Ceter at Figure 18: Istitutioal stove (large cylidrical), Nigeria. Photo courtesy of Aprovecho Research Ceter Istitutioal Stoves While the mai focus of improved cookstoves dissemiatio has bee o the household stove sector, the istitutioal settig should ot be igored as a opportuity to make great improvemets i a commuity. Two keys to fuel efficiecy are: (1) havig the hot gases touch more surface area of the pot, ad (2) havig less surface area of the pot or food be exposed to a coolig eviromet, such as wid. For this reaso, the larger the pot the more iefficiet the traditioal stove usually is ad the more efficiet the improved stove ca be if a good desig is used. Improved istitutioal stoves ca be as simple as a large metal or earthe skirt that forces the hot gasses aroud the pot (a large versio of the well-kow cylidrical Voluteers i Techical Assistace, VITA stove) or more complex desigs that follow the desig priciples. For more iformatio, visit Aprovecho Research Ceter at 22 Peace Corps Improved Cookstoves Hadbook

31 Solid Fuel Burig Stove Selectio Matrix 2122 This matrix summarizes the basic optios of improved cookstoves, categorized by desig (traditioal, rocket, ad TLUD) ad materials. Followig the table are detailed descriptios of the desig ad characteristics, pros ad cos of each geeral type of stove, ad their maiteace requiremets, with emphasis o types typically successfully promoted by Peace Corps Voluteers i their commuities. See the referece websites listed i the refereces ad aexes, icludig the Compariso Table of Stove Iformatio for iformatio o specific stoves. Stove Type Materials/ Productio Fuel Type Cost Rage Pros Cos Suitable for Traditioal: Three-stoe Fire Three or more stoes or bricks Wood, charcoal, other $0 Ca accommodate multiple pots as the cofiguratio is flexible Not optimized for combustio or heat trasfer Not for regular use: ot a improved stove Traditioal: mud or clay stoves Local materials, usually clay or mud Wood, charcoal, other $0 $15 Ca be used for space heatig i additio to cookig for colder climates Ca take a log time to heat up ad cook food sice the clay typically absorbs a lot of heat Ca be fragile ad have limited lifespa Not a improved stove; ormally other optios are recommeded Mud or metal skirt stove (VITA) Local orgaic materials such as clay/sad/ vermiculite/straw/ sawdust or metal Wood, charcoal, other $0 $15 Reduced fuel cosumptio Less risk of fires ad burs (if built ad used properly) Iexpesive materials Requires the use of a dedicated pot Quality cotrol is essetial Use outdoors Rocket: Mud or clay Local materials, usually clay or mud, plus metal for chimey ad sometimes for griddle ad a isulatig material to isolate the combustio chamber 22 Ca be costructed by users with proper templates ad traiig Wood, charcoal, other $0 $20 Reduced risk of fires ad burs Iexpesive materials Ca accommodate multiple pots Ca take a log time to heat up ad cook food sice the clay typically absorbs a lot of heat Ca be fragile ad have limited lifespa Requires regular maiteace to patch cracks Uless a mold is used to stadardize the desig, fuel savigs may be lost due to smaller tolerace for error i desigs If used outside, choose either predictably dry regios or places where users will be cookig withi a shelter 21 This sub-sectio adapted with permissio from FUEL-EFFICIENT STOVE PROGRAMS IN HUMANITARIAN SETTINGS: AN IMPLEMENTER S TOOLKIT, USAID, Jue 2010, Step 5, Pages Maufactured i accordace with desig priciples of wood-burig cookstoves. Peace Corps Improved Cookstoves Hadbook 23

32 Stove Type Materials/ Productio Fuel Type Cost Rage Pros Cos Suitable for Rocket: Brick Fired bricks plus local materials such as clay/ mud Either wood or charcoal $30 $100 More durable tha mud or clay stove Takes less time to heat tha clay or mud stoves Fuel savigs may be lost due to user modificatios More expesive tha mud or clay Regios where bricks are readily available Rocket: Ceramic, pre-fabricated Ceramic, fired i kils i the coutry Either wood or charcoal $5 $15 Stoves ca be portable Usually more durable tha mud or clay stove Heat up quickly Pre-tested ad high efficiecy Higher cost for same characteristics (umber of burers, presece of griddle) as mud, clay, or brick stoves Prefabricated stoves without chimeys are ot desiged to be used idoors Areas where these stoves are available Trasiet people or populatios Situatios where maximum fuel efficiecy is required Metal, prefabricated or readyto-assemble kits Metal, sometimes with ceramic liers or grates Higher ed models may have fas Models maufactured i coutry ad iteratioally are available Either wood or charcoal $5 $25 Usually more durable tha mud or clay stoves Pre-tested ad high efficiecy Ready-to-assemble kits are less expesive (stove ad trasport) tha prefabricated, fully-assembled Usually portable Most prefabricated metal stoves have oly oe burer Metal stoves ca pose a icreased risk of burs Metal stoves may suffer corrosio Higher cost for same characteristics (umber of burers, presece of griddle) as mud, clay, or brick stoves Prefabricated stoves without chimeys are ot desiged to be used idoors Trasiet people or populatios Situatios where maximum fuel efficiecy is required TLUD (Top-Lit UpDraft or gasifier) Usually metal Chuky dry biomass as typified by wood chips, pellets, briquettes, maize cobs, dug chuks, or vertically placed stick-wood ad bagasse $10 $50 Highest efficiecy Usually portable Difficult to cotrol heat levels Higher cost for same characteristics (umber of burers, presece of griddle) as mud, clay, or brick stoves Situatios where maximum fuel efficiecy is required Situatios where biomass is scarce Situatios where processed biomass or agricultural waste is readily available 24 Peace Corps Improved Cookstoves Hadbook

33 Figure 19: Three-stoe fire. The Three-Stoe Fire 23 Cost: $0. The baselie agaist which most improved cookstove models are ofte assessed is the traditioal ope or three-stoe fire. I a traditioal ope fire, three stoes or similar objects are placed o the groud, with the cookig pot restig o the stoes directly above the fire. The ope flame ad lack of chimey or combustio chamber ca make this cookig fire eergy-iefficiet. I additio, three-stoe fires ca produce a lot of smoke, cotributig to poor air quality ad respiratory illess; they also pose a risk of burs from the ushielded fire. However, the ope fire is widely used by households aroud the world because it: (a) ca be assembled virtually everywhere with few resources; (b) ca accommodate a variety of pot sizes; (c) costs little or othig to assemble; ad (d) i may places it is what cooks are most accustomed to usig. It is importat to ote that a skilled cook will require less fuel o a ope fire tha she or he might with a poorly made or desiged improved cookstove. Traditioal mud or clay stoves 24 Materials: Local orgaic materials such as clay/ sad/mica/straw/grass/sawdust or agricultural waste. Typically the mixture is developed by mixig clay ad sad with orgaic material to hold it together. Dug may also sometimes be added for additioal adhesio of materials. Desig: Desigs have bee developed based o experiece ad usually are less fuel efficiet ad more cotamiatig tha other optios. Fuel Source: Wood, crop residues, dug, charcoal. Figure 20: Mud stove. Photo courtesy of Aprovecho Research Ceter Cost: $0 $15. Materials ad labor are locally available. May use a metal grill. Advatages: Wood fuel or charcoal (with additio of a metal or ceramic grate) ca be used Less risk of fires ad burs (if built ad used properly) tha a three-stoe fire or some other desigs I colder climates or seasos, ca be used for heatig livig areas i additio to cookig Iexpesive materials Ca be made to accommodate multiple pots 23 This sub-sectio adapted with permissio from FUEL-EFFICIENT STOVE PROGRAMSIN HUMANITARIAN SETTINGS: AN IMPLEMENTER S TOOLKIT, USAID, Jue 2010, Step 5, Pages This sub-sectio adapted with permissio from FUEL-EFFICIENT STOVE PROGRAMS IN HUMANITARIAN SETTINGS: AN IMPLEMENTER S TOOLKIT, USAID, Jue 2010, Step 5, Pages Peace Corps Improved Cookstoves Hadbook 25

34 Disadvatages: Requires regular maiteace to esure efficiecy. Maximum lifespa usually rages from oe to two years, the latter achieved oly through extremely diliget maiteace. Maiteace may be ecessary o a mothly basis because cracks ad crumblig should be patched as soo as they occur Ca take a log time to heat ad cook food, sice the clay typically absorbs a lot of heat ad reduces fuel efficiecy Limited portability Susceptible to damage from isects such as termites or ats ad from weather if used i a usheltered area Stoves ofte suffer from poor durability Mud or metal skirt stove (Voluteers i Techical Assistace, VITA) Materials: Local orgaic materials such as clay/sad/ vermiculite/straw/sawdust or metal. Desig: The geeral desig is to create a simple eclosed combustio chamber below a pot ad the force the hot flue gasses to pass aroud the sides of the pot by creatig a correctly sized gap for them to pass through. The body of the stove ca be either mud (made lightweight by addig orgaic matter) or thi metal (Figure 21). Figure 21: Mud or metal skirt stove (VITA). Fuel Source: Ideal fuel source is cut, dry wood, but ca be desiged to bur charcoal, aimal dug, or other locally available fuel source. Cost: $0 $15. Cost will deped o multiple factors, icludig whether you will eed to purchase materials, how far materials will eed to be trasported, ad local labor costs. These stoves are geerally very iexpesive to make. Productio cosideratios: Stoves ca be costructed by commuity members with proper templates ad traiig. However, it should be oted that stoves costructed by people without sufficiet traiig ad experiece ofte suffer from poor quality ad durability, which ca egate ay reductios i fuel or idoor air pollutio. Stoves made of mud typically must be left to dry for a period of three days to three weeks before they ca be used, depedig upo the materials used, humidity, ad size of the stove. Usig the stoves before they are fully dry will reduce the durability ad logevity of the stove, because the materials have ot had time to fully cure ad harde before beig exposed to cookig temperatures. If ot cured properly, the stove sides may crumble ad crack after a few uses. A ICS expert ca advise you o how log the stove will eed to dry, ad how to determie whe a stove has dried completely, takig ito cosideratio the moisture of the clay mixture. The quality of the clay is a extremely importat factor as weak clay will crack very fast ad make the stove less efficiet ad udesirable to users. Users ca mix the clay with aimal dug or other orgaic materials such as groudut shells, sugar cae, or rice husks to produce a mixture that will reduce crackig. 26 Peace Corps Improved Cookstoves Hadbook

35 A lightweight material such as sawdust is ofte added to the mud mixture to make the stove more efficiet. This will affect durability ad eeds to be evaluated o a case-by-case basis, but a good startig experimetal recipe is oe part clay to oe part fie sawdust. For more details, go to Advatages: Reduced fuel cosumptio compared with three-stoe fire Less risk of fires ad burs (if built ad used properly) Iexpesive materials Disadvatages: Requires the use of a dedicated pot. If used with other pots, efficiecy will drop cosiderably Deliberate or accidetal over-stuffig of the fuel compartmet may damage the stove, reducig performace Uless a mold is used to stadardize the desig, efficiecy may be lost due to user modificatios Quality cotrol is essetial Needs to be used i well-vetilated areas Traiig ad maiteace: Users eed to be traied to otice sigs of wear i the stove (cracks, crumblig alog the edges ad stove body, wor or missig pot rests) ad how to obtai ad prepare materials to med the stove Stove users must be taught ot to over-stuff the fuel compartmets of the stoves, as this could result i pieces of the stove chippig off ad reducig performace Because they are made of ufired, orgaic material, ad are ofte exposed to extreme heat ad humidity, mud stoves require frequet, ogoig maiteace Rocket: Mud or clay (ufired) Materials: Local orgaic materials such as clay/ sad/vermiculite/ash/straw/grass/sawdust or agricultural waste. Typically the mixture is developed by mixig soil or clay with orgaic material to hold it together ad make it less dese. Dug may also sometimes be added for additioal adhesio of materials. Figure 22: Ufired mud or clay rocket stove. Photo courtesy of Aprovecho Research Ceter Desig: There are may desigs that vary i size, umber of opeigs for pots, use of chimeys, etc. Oce shaped, mud stoves are dried i the su over time. The simplest desig cosists of a rocket combustio chamber ad a mud skirt that the pot sits i (show). The more orgaic matter added to the mixture the more fuel efficiet the desig will be, but durability must be take ito cosideratio. Fuel Source: Ideal fuel source is cut, dry wood, but ca be desiged to bur charcoal, aimal dug, or other locally available fuel. Peace Corps Improved Cookstoves Hadbook 27

36 Cost: $0 $20. Cost will deped o multiple factors, icludig whether you will eed to purchase clay or dug, how far materials will eed to be trasported, ad local labor costs. These stoves may cost a little more to make tha a traditioal mud or clay stove if a chimey or grill is icluded. Productio cosideratios: Stoves ca be costructed by commuity members with proper templates ad traiig; however, it should be oted that stoves costructed by people without sufficiet traiig ad experiece ofte suffer from poor quality ad durability, which ca egate ay idoor air pollutio reductios. Stoves typically must be left to dry for a period of three days to three weeks before they ca be used, depedig upo the materials used, humidity, ad size of the stove. Usig the stoves before they are fully dry will reduce the durability ad logevity of the stove, because the materials have ot had time to fully cure ad harde before beig exposed to cookig temperatures. If ot cured properly, the stove sides may crumble ad crack after a few uses. A ICS expert ca advise you o how log the stove will eed to dry, ad how to determie whe a stove has dried completely, takig ito cosideratio the moisture of the clay mixture. The quality of the clay is a extremely importat factor as weak clay will crack very fast ad make the stove less efficiet ad udesirable to users. Users ca mix the clay with aimal dug or other orgaic materials, such as groudut shells, sugar cae, or rice husks, to produce a mixture that will reduce crackig. Lightweight materials such as sawdust are ofte added to the mud mixture to make the stove more efficiet. This will affect durability ad eeds to be evaluated o a case-by-case basis. Advatages: Wood fuel or charcoal (with additio of a metal or ceramic grate) ca be used Reduced fuel cosumptio compared with three-stoe fire if costructed ad used properly Less smoke Less risk of fires ad burs (if built ad used properly) Iexpesive materials Ca be made to accommodate multiple pots (with adjustable skirt) Disadvatages: Requires regular maiteace to esure efficiecy. Maximum lifespa usually rages from oe to two years, the latter achieved oly through extremely diliget maiteace. Maiteace may be ecessary o a mothly basis because cracks ad crumblig should be patched as soo as they occur Fuel efficiecy is low due to heat absorbed by the stove body (rather tha the pot) Limited portability due to weight ad fragility Susceptible to damage from isects such as termites or ats ad from weather if used i a usheltered area Stove desigs i which pots rest withi the stove requires a dedicated-sized pot for each stove hole Deliberate or accidetal over-stuffig of the fuel compartmet may damage the stove, reducig performace Uless a mold is used to stadardize the desig, efficiecy may be lost due to user modificatios Quality cotrol is difficult If built without chimey, it eeds to be used i a well vetilated area 28 Peace Corps Improved Cookstoves Hadbook

37 Traiig ad maiteace: Users eed to be traied to otice sigs of wear i the stove (cracks, crumblig alog the edges ad stove body, wor or missig pot rests) ad how to obtai ad prepare materials to med the stove Users must also be taught to ot over-stuff the fuel compartmet, lest they break off a piece of the stove ad reduce its performace Because they are made of ufired, orgaic material, ad are ofte exposed to extreme heat ad humidity, mud stoves require frequet, ogoig maiteace Figure 23: Brick rocket stove. Photo courtesy of Aprovecho Research Ceter Rocket: Brick Materials: Bricks ad local orgaic materials such as clay/sad/vermiculite. Desig: There are may desigs that vary i size, umber of opeigs for pots, use of chimeys, etc. Fuel Source: Ideal fuel source is cut, dry wood, but ca be desiged to bur charcoal, aimal dug, or other locally available fuel source. Cost: $30 $100. These stoves will cost a little more to make tha a rocket mud or clay stove. Productio cosideratios: Stoves ca be costructed by commuity members with proper templates ad traiig. However, it should be oted that stoves costructed by people without sufficiet traiig ad experiece ofte suffer from poor quality ad durability, which ca egate ay idoor air pollutio reductios. A ICS expert ca advise you o costructio istructios, tips, ad cosideratios. Go to www. aprovecho.org for costructio plas. Advatages: Wood fuel or charcoal (with additio of a metal or ceramic grate) ca be used Reduced fuel cosumptio compared with three-stoe fire if costructed ad used properly Less smoke Less risk of fires ad burs (if built ad used properly) I colder climates or seasos, ca be used for heatig livig areas i additio to cookig Ca be made to accommodate multiple pots Loger durability tha traditioal mud or clay stoves Disadvatages: Not portable Stove desigs i which pots rest withi the stove hole limit the circumferece of the pots that ca be used with that stove If the stove is ot built with proper isulatio betwee stove body ad combustio chamber (as good desigs will call for), the fuel efficiecy will be low due to heat absorbed by the stove body (rather tha the pot) Peace Corps Improved Cookstoves Hadbook 29

38 Deliberate or accidetal over-stuffig of the fuel compartmet may damage the stove, reducig performace Uless desig specificatios are followed, efficiecy may be lost due to user modificatios Traiig ad Maiteace: Users must also be taught to ot over-stuff the fuel compartmet, lest they break off a piece of the stove ad reduce its performace As a chimey is a critical part to the fuctioig of this stove, the user must be traied i the cleaig, repairig, ad eed for possible replacemet of the chimey Ceramic (kil-fired) 25 Materials: Local orgaic materials clay/sad/vermiculite/ straw/grass/sawdust/agricultural waste. Similar to the mud stove, ceramic stoves are costructed with clay or soil combied with orgaic materials. The differece is that ceramic stoves are fired at high temperatures i a kil for added durability. If your commuity decides to maufacture these stoves, please see Fuel-Efficiet Stove Programs i Humaitaria Settigs: A Implemeter s Toolkit, USAID, i the Improved Cookstoves Traiig Package refereces for additioal iformatio o kils. Some developmet orgaizatios are developig low-emissio kils. Figure 24: Fired ceramic rocket. Photo courtesy of USAID Desig: A ceramic-lied combustio chamber covered o the outside with mud for additioal stability. Fuel Source: Ideal fuel source is cut, dry wood, but ca be desiged to bur charcoal, aimal dug, or other locally available fuel source. Cost: $10 $20. Cost will deped o multiple factors, icludig whether you will eed to purchase clay or dug, how far materials eed to be trasported, whether you must costruct a kil, local labor costs for kil operators, ad whether you use metal i the desig. Productio cosideratios: Local labor ad materials ca be used, although skilled producers for kil firig ad dryig will be eeded. The right mix of orgaic material eeds to be calculated ad tested before startig full-scale productio. If the mix is icorrect, the stove will be too heavy or too light to fire properly, resultig either i a stove body that is porous ad fragile, or too dese, absorbig a lot of heat. I either case, efficiecies will ot be maximized. Makig ad usig a mold is a good way to esure overall desig specificatios are followed closely, as eve small chages i stove desig or size ca egatively impact stove efficiecy ad performace. As with all desigs, it is importat to get costructio istructios ad work with a ICS expert who has experiece with this desig. 25 This sub-sectio adapted with permissio from FUEL-EFFICIENT STOVE PROGRAMS IN HUMANITARIAN SETTINGS: AN IMPLEMENTER S TOOLKIT, USAID, Jue 2010, Step 5, Pages Peace Corps Improved Cookstoves Hadbook

39 With some traiig, commuity members ca fiish the stove by addig mud aroud the ceramic frame of the combustio chamber. The fial muddig leds additioal stability to the stove. Muddig also allows the user to persoalize the stove with paited images, letterig, or superficial etchigs, which ca icrease user satisfactio with the stove. Advatages: Ca use wood or charcoal (with additio of a metal or ceramic grate) Stoves ca be portable or fixed Fairly durable if dried ad fired correctly Disadvatages: Requires regular maiteace, ot to the same degree as the mud stove, but cracks eed to be atteded to regularly Fuel efficiecy may be low if costructio material is ot isulative due to heat absorbed by the stove body (rather tha the pot) Deliberate or accidetal over-stuffig of the fuel compartmet may damage the stove Limited flexibility accommodatig various pot sizes (depedig o desig); stoves i which pots rest withi the stove hole limit the circumferece of the pots usable with those stoves; stoves desiged so that the stove rests o top of/over the stove hole allows for greater flexibility Uless a mold is used, efficiecy may be reduced due to user modificatios More complicated to produce tha mud or clay stoves Firig the kil requires a lot of wood (uless the kil is a woodless kil ad uses aother type of biomass, such as rice husks, to fire the bricks or ceramic cyliders) Striget quality cotrol of the kil s firig process ad the clay mixture is eeded i order to miimize breakage ad maximize efficiecy Moderate to low expected fuel ad emissios reductios Traiig ad maiteace: Firig the combustio chamber icreases the durability of the stove, makig it less vulerable to degradatio from weather ad heat most models are still fragile, ad the mudded exterior requires maiteace to repair cracks Users eed to be traied to obtai ad prepare materials to repair their stove, ad must (1) Check for cracks i the combustio chamber, which ca occur from faulty materials, droppig the stove, ad regular wear ad tear. Make repairs as show i ed-user traiig. (2) Patch cracks ad crumblig of the ufired, mudded exterior that protects the ceramic combustio chamber. Stove users must be taught ot to over-stuff the fuel compartmets of the stoves, as this could result i pieces of the stove chippig off ad reducig performace Peace Corps Improved Cookstoves Hadbook 31

40 Figure 25: Rocket pre-fabricated metal stove. Photo courtesy of Ecozoom Metal, prefabricated or ready-to-assemble kits 26 Materials: Steel or other heavy metal or sheet metal ew or scrap; sometimes with ceramic liers or grates. Higher-ed models may have fas. Desig: Metal, prefabricated stoves iclude rocket desigs ad may other desigs, such as forced-draft (fa) stoves, atural-draft gasifier stoves, etc. These stoves are more expesive tha mud or ceramic stoves perhaps three to 10 times the cost but typically are more durable ad achieve greater efficiecy ad emissios reductios. May commercially maufactured stove models have udergoe various types of testig i laboratories. Curretly there are o iteratioally accepted stadards for stoves, though this may chage i the future. 27 If you are cosiderig purchasig a partially or fully prefabricated stove, you should iquire what type of testig the maufacturer has coducted o the stove. At a miimum, you should look for idepedetly coducted water-boilig tests or cotrolled cookig tests that calculate thermal efficiecy or specific fuel cosumptio, preferably through a lab associated with the Partership for Clea Idoor Air or Global Alliace for Clea Cookstoves, icluded i the list foud o this lik: May maufacturers will also coduct tests o emissios (carbo mooxide [CO] ad particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or less [PM 2.5 ]), ad a few labs are developig testig procedures for safety ad durability. Ask the maufacturer about its product quality assurace policy, to make certai that it has specificatios ad processes i place to esure that its stoves meet those specificatios. Fuel Source: Ideal fuel source is cut, dry wood, but ca be desiged to bur charcoal, aimal dug, or other locally available fuel source. Cost: $5 $25. Cost will deped o multiple factors, icludig labor costs for assembly, cost of the stove or stove parts, ad shippig ad trasportatio cost to your site. Advatages: Lightweight Portable Heats up quickly Durable Little maiteace required Ca bur wood ad charcoal with the proper grate (applies to some models) Good desigs ca achieve very high reductios i idoor air pollutio, much higher tha typically achieved by mud stoves Ofte perceived as very attractive because they are see as more techologically advaced or because may models come i differet colors ad are shiy 26 This sub-sectio adapted with permissio from FUEL-EFFICIENT STOVE PROGRAMS IN HUMANITARIAN SETTINGS: AN IMPLEMENTER S TOOLKIT, USAID, Jue 2010, Step 5, Pages Orgaizatios, such as the Global Alliace for Clea Cookstoves ( are i the process of coordiatig the harmoizatio of such stadards. 32 Peace Corps Improved Cookstoves Hadbook

41 Disadvatages Most prefabricated metal stoves have oly oe burer Sigle-walled metal stoves ca corrode quickly if ot cared for properly Risk of burs if the stove is ot isulated to protect agaist the exterior metal heatig up Although these stoves usually are more durable tha mud or ceramic stoves, corrosio or pucturig of the combustio chamber or stove body, or crackig of the ceramic lier may occur Some models may require more fuel preparatio or other chages i ed-user behavior The desig of the stove ca t be chaged post-maufacture, so it must be matched to local coditios, customs, ad prefereces (e.g., pot size, height of stove) before stoves are purchased Traiig ad maiteace: For maufactured stove kits with ceramic liigs (which evetually are likely to crack), users eed to be traied to otice sigs of wear ad how to obtai ad prepare materials to repair their stoves Stove durability ad performace may be affected by lack of replacemet parts, such as metal skirts, ceramic combustio chambers, metal grates, or pot supports Commuity members ca be traied to repair these stoves as a small busiess activity, ad to provide supplies for maiteace of stoves Traiig must be provided to esure quality ad cosistecy of parts supplied locally Peace Corps staff ad Voluteers should discuss all of these issues with the stove maufacturer before purchasig large quatities of stoves Figure 26: TLUD (Gasifier) stove. Photo courtesy of Aprovecho Research Ceter Top-Lit UpDraft (TLUD or gasifier) 28 Materials: Top-Lit UpDraft gasifier (TLUD) stoves are made from steel or other heavy metal or sheet metal ew or scrap. Used cas ca be utilized. Desig: These stoves are best if desiged by a specialist i TLUD stoves. Desigs for household use are publicly available. See the TLUD liks to a variety of websites i the refereces sectio. See the aexes for a lik to a video of a TLUD stove i actio. Fuel Source: The ideal fuel is irregularly shaped wood chips, chuks, or pellets with dimesios of 0.5 x 1 x 2 cm, plus or mius half of each dimesio. Sawdust does ot work because it settles too compactly for the ecessary updraft. Vertically placed straight sticks, bamboo, ad reeds work well whe the user has some experiece. Loose big sticks do ot work because there is too much space betwee them. Rice husks require a small fa i the TLUD uit. Cost: $10 $50. Low-cost (less durable or smaller) versios ca be made or higher cost (more durable) versios ca be purchased. TLUDs are becomig available commercially. Advatages: Lightweight Portable, but ca also provide heat to fixed-locatio stovetops Heats up quickly ad maitais costat flame with miimal attetio Little maiteace required 28 Text for this sectio provided by Dr. Paul Aderso. Peace Corps Improved Cookstoves Hadbook 33

42 Some desigs produce a biochar ed product that adds value to soil Good desigs ca achieve large reductios i idoor air pollutio, ad the highest reductios i emissios of ay type of wood-burig stove May be perceived as attractive Disadvatages Each TLUD uit has oly oe burer uless a differet stove structure (pot support) is used Metal stoves ca corrode quickly, depedig o the quality of material ad stove care Risk of burs if the stove is ot isulated to protect agaist the exterior metal heatig up TLUDs require careful fuel preparatio ad operatio, i other words, more chages i ed-user behavior tha for other stove models More difficult to cotrol heat level tha i other types of stoves The user caot add more fuel to the uit while it is burig Stove shape may be coducive to tippig, especially for large or heavy pots Operatio ad maiteace: Careful preparatio of the starter material is critical for proper fuctioig of the stove The stove is lit from the top ad burs through the material over time, depedig o the amout ad type of fuel pre-loaded i the uit ad the flow of air. With practice, the cook will lear to load the stove with the proper amout of fuel required for the cookig task To tur the stove off before the bur is complete, the cook eeds to remove the combustio uit ad dump the hot char ito a suffer ca (a metal ca with a tight-fittig lid) Figure 27: TChar (type of TLUD). TChar (a special TLUD gasifier stove) 29 Most of the descriptio of the stadard TLUD gasifier stoves applies to the TChar uits. However, the TChar desigs have a TLUD top (or T-Top) that fits oto a existig charcoal stove as its base. After the fuel is spet, the T-Top is lifted straight up ad the created charcoal remais i the fully fuctioal charcoal stove that the family ormally uses. Because the TChar stove uses dry biomass fuels ad creates its ow charcoal for the charcoal stove, there is o eed to purchase traditioally made charcoal. Documetatio of TChar Techology for Cookstoves, icludig istructios for fabricatio ad a Peace Corps workshop i Hoduras, ca be foud at 29 Text for this sectio provided by Dr. Paul Aderso, with mior modificatios. 34 Peace Corps Improved Cookstoves Hadbook

43 Voluteer Improved Cookstove Activity Desig ad Implemetatio The sustaied value of improved cookstoves ot oly for families withi the commuity where a Voluteer lives, but also for other commuities i the regio that may i the future replicate the efforts will be strogly affected by the quality of activity assessmet, plaig, implemetatio, moitorig, ad evaluatio. This sectio icludes a summary of tasks that Voluteers udertakig improved cookstoves projects should perform, followed by guidace related to those tasks. Voluteer Tasks Voluteers udertakig a improved cookstoves project with their parter(s) are expected to do the followig: Lear more about improved cookstoves ad experieces with differet types of stoves i their coutry of service, icludig learig about curret efforts i the commuity, regio, ad coutry to promote improved cookstoves. Coduct a iitial assessmet to aswer at least: What are curret practices, ad what do people curretly ivest (time ad moey) i fuel? What are curret eeds ad prefereces, ad what would cooks like i a improved stove? For example, some cooks feel that smoke is a beefit because it keeps isects away. O the other had, may cooks are bothered by the accumulatio of soot o pots ad walls ad see the potetial of reduced soot as a advatage of a improved cookstove. Which parters ad programs does it make sese to work with, both programmatically ad based o demostrated iterest? Do commuity members have sufficiet eed, willigess, ad resources to pay for available cookstoves, or should you ad your parter ot egage i a improved cookstoves activity? Acquire ad use the stove models that you will likely promote. These should match the desired stove characteristics from your assessmet ad the Peace Corps stove criteria (Page 4). You will likely begi with models that your post is promotig, or that other recogized developmet orgaizatios are promotig. Based o your experiece, you may decide to select other stove models, ad you should be able to help others select ad properly use their stoves. Idetify parters to work with. With a parter or parters, develop a implemetatio pla. The pla should: Ivolve at least oe local, regioal, or atioal parter orgaizatio or istitutio i the plaig, implemetatio, ogoig support, ad evaluatio phases. Secure local govermet cooperatio ad support. Iclude a commuicatios compoet to promote iterest i improved cookstoves. Iclude stove testig as appropriate. At a miimum, baselie ad impact fuel use with oe of the stadard stove test methods should be icluded. If stove models that have ot bee tested or that have bee modified are to be promoted, testig should be carried out to esure that the stoves meet the Peace Corps stove criteria. Iclude developmet of behavior chage strategies ad elemets. Build capacity ad promote appropriate stove-maiteace behaviors. Voluteers ad their parters may choose to promote chages oly i kitche ad fuel maagemet behaviors ad may decide ot to promote istallatio of improved cookstoves. Empower families with iformatio to make the most appropriate stove-optio decisios: cost, emissios, health beefits, durability, ad fuel efficiecy, ad avoid promotio of stove solutios that require sigificat subsidies (more tha $50 per family). Peace Corps Improved Cookstoves Hadbook 35

44 Address fiacig ad promote fiacig arragemets that ca be replicated with local resources by others. Promote family paymets of stoves i istallmets or microfiace, if eeded. Promote other behaviors kow to reduce peumoia, icludig immuizatios for all childre aged 5 ad youger. Locate or trai local artisas; ivolve local artisas, masos, carpeters, bricklayers, or welders i the project. Address techical support issues. Iclude a moitorig ad evaluatio compoet. Promote iterest i improved cookstoves. Coduct baselie kitche performace tests. Implemet the pla. Moitor progress, provide refresher traiigs as eeded, perform mid-implemetatio stove performace testig, ad make ay eeded adjustmets discovered. Report outputs (i.e., the umber of people traied, umber of stoves built). Evaluate results. Report outcomes ad ay lessos leared. Iitial Assessmet Every activity should begi with a assessmet that helps the Voluteer develop a clear uderstadig of: 1) the curret cotext; 2) the advatages ad disadvatages of the cotext; ad 3) ay geder cosideratios that impact the cotext. The Voluteer should idetify ad motivate potetial parters ad lear about ay similar efforts that have bee successful or usuccessful i the commuity or i eighborig areas. Some improved efficiecy stove programs have failed because the optios chose did ot meet the eeds or prefereces of wome ad other users i relatio to the umber of pots typically used at a time, the availability of a grill for fryig, prefereces for cookig idoors or outdoors, user prefereces for portable or fixed stoves, or user eeds related to cookig time. The best improved cookstove programs do ot assume a oe-size-fits-all approach, but offer users a array of optios. Not all users have the same eeds ad prefereces, eve withi the same commuity. The iitial assessmet may also lead you to the coclusio that a improved cookstove project is ot appropriate for you to udertake with your commuity. For example, if the aswer to all of the followig questios is o, the a improved cookstove activity may ot be a priority eed i your commuity: Is visible idoor smoke preset i most kitches, to the extet that beig preset durig a cookig period causes you to cough, or your throat or eyes to bur? Is the local fuel supply or its access limited? Do families sped a sigificat portio of their time or mothly budget o fuel? Are fuel collectors at risk of abuse, attack, or exploitatio? The Peace Corps Baselie Survey o Commuity ad Idividual Cookig Fuel Use ad Prefereces (see aexes) icludes two parts: A commuity leader iterview, which idetifies commuitywide iformatio, such as fuel costs ad orgaizatios that are workig i the commuity. You may have already icluded some of this iformatio i your commuity assessmet work for your primary project activities. A stakeholder discussio group may be a good way to gather much of this iformatio. 36 Peace Corps Improved Cookstoves Hadbook

45 A household survey to determie curret kowledge, practices, cocers, ad prefereces, which may vary from household to household. Observatios of house ad kitche characteristics are also icluded i the survey. Prior to decidig whether to begi a project, Voluteers should iterview at least two commuity leaders, two health ceter represetatives, ad 10 families i the commuity. Oce the decisio has bee made to move forward with a cookstove project, i most cases, Voluteers are workig withi small commuities ad ca survey all of the households that have iterest i participatig i a improved cookstove program. However, i cases where Voluteers are workig withi larger commuities or are supportig larger programs, a radom sample methodology should ideally be used to select survey participats, to esure a represetative sample. See Fuel-Efficiet Stove Programs i Humaitaria Settigs: A Implemeter s Toolkit, USAID, available as idicated i the refereces sectio with the Peace Corps Improved Cookstoves Traiig Package or o the Iteret, for further guidace o radom samplig for cookstove projects. Aother resource is WHO s Evaluatig household eergy ad health itervetios: a catalogue of methods (see aexes). Idetify PARTNers As with ay other edeavor a Voluteer udertakes, collaborative, ethusiastic local parters ca make all the differece. Local parters that may be iterested i egagig i this issue iclude: The muicipality Local govermet extesio agets promotig rural developmet The health post ad orgaizatios promotig improved health Schools Wome s groups Eviromet groups Military groups (a Voluteer i Bolivia egaged ethusiastic military persoel to assemble ad istall stoves) I additio, Voluteers should be sure to cotact represetatives of developmet orgaizatios promotig improved cookstoves, as well as certified providers or maufacturers of improved cookstoves. Take advatage of the experiece these orgaizatios have. Stove Fiacig Early i the project developmet phase, you ad your parters will eed to select the types of stoves to promote. It is importat to promote solutios that are affordable to the families served, yet also appropriate to meet the user eeds ad the desired health ad emissios outcomes. I most cases, users will appreciate a rage of choices, ad families withi commuities will have a rage of eeds ad abilities to pay. For example, oe mother i Hoduras preferred a portable stove to a fixed stove because she was plaig o movig withi a year to be closer to her so. Where possible, a partially or fully commercial approach should be used. Research idicates that participats who pay for their stoves, eve if it is oly a omial fee, are more likely to replace broke compoets ad value ad maitai them better tha if they receive them at o cost. Makig every effort to have users pay for all or part of the cost of their stoves will icrease the sustaiability of a improved cookstove program or activity. Peace Corps Improved Cookstoves Hadbook 37

46 While most rural families will likely ot have eough fuds i savigs to pay the full cost of a stove from oe day to the ext, your implemetatio pla should cosider fiacig optios such as: Savigs plas. Voluteers i El Salvador have worked with commuity members to save moey over a period of six to 12 moths to be able to purchase a relatively low-cost stove. I the case of El Salvador, the cost of the stove model promoted i this way was US $40. Subsidized microfiace model. Such a model was used by Eergy4everyoe i Accra, Ghaa, i the Adabraka Fish Market eergy efficiet cookstove project. Eergy4everyoe partered with a local microfiace istitutio to provide loas to fish market vedors to purchase cookstoves. I this type of partership, the cookstove fuder provides the grat or cash collateral to the microfiace istitutio. The microfiace istitutio provides the loa fud maagemet expertise. Providig the loa fud for this particular veture creates a icetive for the microfiace istitutio to maage the cookstove loa fud program, as they will receive iterest o the loas issued ad have access to additioal capital for ledig. It is always a good idea to parter with a experieced microfiace istitutio to maage the loa fud. The microfiace istitutio ca scree cliets ad maage the disbursemet ad repaymets of the loas. Depedig o the arragemet with the microfiace istitutio, oce the loas have bee repaid, the loa fud capital might be retured to the fuder i order to do a similar cookstove project i aother locatio. Commuity bakig. This model orgaizes commuity members ito a self-maaged savigs ad loa associatio. I this model there may ot be a exteral loa fud from a microfiace istitutio. Istead, the loa fud is geerated by the members themselves. Members of commuity baks save regularly. The savigs is the pooled ad let to members i the bak who pay iterest o the loas. The iterest is the paid back to members as divideds i proportio to their savigs. I this model, idividuals could either use their accumulated savigs to purchase a stove or take out a persoal loa from their commuity bak ad pay it back with iterest. Micro-cosigmet. Voluteers i Guatemala have promoted cookstoves through the microcosigmet system for stove parts (for example, the griddle or the chimey) or portable stoves that are purchased, ot built, where support systems for this model exist. I this model, a supplier of portable stoves or stove parts lets a seller keep the item i stock without payig for it util it is sold. Microcosigmet is a social eterprise approach that applies the cosigmet model so small etrepreeurs ca start busiesses with lower iitial costs. The Merry-Go-Roud. There are may types of rotatig savigs ad credit associatios. A simple type is the Merry-Go-Roud. I this savigs mechaism, a group forms ad agrees to cotribute a set moetary amout that is made daily, weekly, or mothly by all members. O a rotatig basis, oe member receives the lump sum of all cotributios for that day, week, or moth. Provided the sum is large eough, the perso receivig the lump sum would have eough moey to purchase a cookstove. The group eeds to be large eough so the savigs amouts are reasoable for the idividual to cotribute ad provide a substatial lump sum, ad yet small eough to esure a high level of trust, sice each member is obligated to brig his or her cotributio util the cycle is complete ad each perso has received a lump sum paymet. At that poit, the group ca choose to disbad or cotiue. This model requires little or o bookkeepig, other tha to keep track of the order i which members are to receive their lump sum paymet. Likig up with carbo credit fiacig programs. These are likely ot curretly available i most Peace Corps coutries, but if they are, they ca be a great fiacial resource for improved cookstove programs, providig fiacig for as much as $50 per stove. Coutry experts i improved cookstoves would kow if egotiatios are ogoig regardig cookstove programs i the coutry. A example is the model developed for cookstoves i Peru by Microsol. See the refereces ad aexes for liks to websites for iformatio o carbo credit fiacig ad o this model. 38 Peace Corps Improved Cookstoves Hadbook

47 I additio, Voluteers with parters may seek outside sources of fuds to help keep the cost of stoves dow. Ideally, these outside sources should be replicable, such that Voluteers are ot promotig a isolated hadout solutio, but rather a model that could be adopted by eighborig commuities. For example, a local muicipality may desigate a portio of its aual fuds to a cookstove project. Microeterprise Developmet A good way to implemet a improved cookstoves project is to approach it as a microeterprise developmet project. Traiig ceramicists, masos, or bricklayers to build ad istall improved cookstoves ca diversify their skills ad create a ew source of icome for local professioals. This way of approachig the project is beeficial for a few reasos. First, it esures that the project is truly owed by the commuity. Locals will decide by themselves exactly how to implemet the project because after completig the traiig, they carry out the resposibility of maagig the costructio or sale of the improved cookstoves. Secod, it esures greater sustaiability of the project because the project focuses o capacity buildig for local professioals ad is ot depedet upo outside sources of icome. Promotio: Spread the Word! Cookstoves programs are most effective whe their implemetatio icludes a promotio campaig to istill wide iterest ad demad for the ew cookstoves. Educatio about the evirometal ad health beefits of improved cookstoves will ecourage commuity members to participate, although it should be oted that experiece has show that time ad cost savigs ted to be stroger motivators for stove adoptio tha health or evirometal beefits. Each commuity is differet, ad assessig what motivates stove adoptio should be part of your implemetatio pla; social marketig ad behavior chage messages should the be developed aroud the fidigs. Ways to promote a cookstove project: Fairs ad stove demostratios Radio Slogas Posters Key commuity members as spokespersos Ads i local dialect/laguage Photos Web Televisio Jigles Socio-dramas A importat part of the iitial stage of a improved cookstoves project is to get the word out ad get the commuity talkig about it. Media sources such as radio ad televisio are a good way to reach a lot of people at a miimum cost. Some ways to use media iclude: Discussios of ew cookig techologies ad ways to save fuel. Weekly programs that address aspects of ew cookstoves, icludig health ad evirometal messages. Demostratios of usig ew methods (such as solar) or ew cookstoves. Iterviews ad videos of people showig off their ew cookstoves. Socio-dramas. A socio-drama is a play i which several idividuals act out assiged roles as a method for explorig the coflicts ad issues. Peace Corps Improved Cookstoves Hadbook 39

48 A Voluteer i Bolivia foud the local radio ad televisio statios to be extremely helpful for advertisig cooker demostratios, i additio to otifyig the commuity members of paymet deadlies. As a result of the ethusiastic iterest show durig the demostratios by the commuity, the local govermet decided to get ivolved by subsidizig the wood-burig stoves ad solar cookers promoted durig the project. I total, 150 cookers were istalled at her site, icludig two istitutioal cookers for the school luch program. Other promotio cosideratios: If the commuity has a local ewspaper or periodical, articles ad pictures of the project ca help promote it ad ivolve parters ad youg people i writig ad photographig. If the cookstoves project ivolves lookig for exteral fudig, iclude the costs of lauchig a ad campaig. If Voluteers are goig to be ivolved with radio or televisio broadcasts, or publishig, they must seek approval from their associate Peace Corps director (APCD) ad refer to the Voluteer Hadbook for official rules ad regulatios. Ivolvig schools: Childre who participate i activities with the ew stove or ove will go home ad talk to their parets about what they did i school, helpig to spread the word about the project. Demostratios ad Practice Cookig Sessios 30 Cookig demostratios at public sites such as markets, schools, commuity ceters, ad places of worship to dissemiate iformatio about stoves ad their beefits over traditioal cookig methods ca geerate iterest. Commuity members may be ivited to taste ad share the food cooked ad commet o features of the ew cookig methods, such as use of fuel or the amout of smoke geerated compared with those factors i a traditioal stove or ope fire. Providig cooks the opportuity to give the ew techology a test drive before decidig whether or ot they would like to istall oe i their ow homes or before decidig which model to istall is a approach that developmet workers have used successfully with improved cookstove programs. Demostratio uits ca also be used as a educatioal tool for a discussio about evirometal issues, such as deforestatio or erosio, or such health issues as the amout of smoke emitted. Icludig music, skits, or other cultural activities i public demostratios helps to geerate more iterest. Capacity Buildig ad Behavior Chage The heart of ay Voluteer activity is capacity buildig, with a ultimate aim for chaged behaviors. As Voluteers ad their parters pla promotio ad outreach efforts, they have to cosider behavior chage cocepts ad strategies. Desigig for behavior chage ivolves uderstadig geder roles ad coductig surveys to determie why people adopt or do ot adopt certai behaviors, ad addressig those factors with awareess-raisig, traiig, ad behavior chage support. For example, behavior chage activities ad commuicatio efforts of Voluteers ad parters will ivolve: Raisig awareess of the beefits of improved cookstoves so commuity members decide to acquire a improved cookstove. For example, explai the potetial health effects of idoor air pollutio, especially o childre. Or, explai the potetial beefits of usig a improved cookstove ad perhaps a retaied heat cooker i terms of health, eviromet, ad persoal fiaces. Helpig commuity members select ad fiace the best stove for their situatio. Persoalizig a stove ca create a cogeial atmosphere ad istill pride i owership of the stove that ca 30 This sub-sectio adapted with permissio from FUEL-EFFICIENT STOVE PROGRAMS IN HUMANITARIAN SETTINGS: AN IMPLEMENTER S TOOLKIT, USAID, Jue 2010, Step 10, Page Peace Corps Improved Cookstoves Hadbook

49 Figure 28: Example of a stove that has bee persoalized with a ceramic exterior. Photo courtesy of Agua, Arboles y Pueblo, El Salvador Figure 29: Commuity promoter of improved cookstoves, Hoduras. have a positive ifluece o the way recipiets maitai ad use their stoves. Esure, however, that these persoalized touches do ot egatively affect the operatio of the stove. For istace, households might pait or draw o them, add a ceramic fiish, or add the family ame o a stove. Helpig commuity members properly use ad maitai their stoves, as the stoves may differ from their traditioal way of cookig. For example, provide traiig or idividual istructio to ew stove users o how to use their stoves safely, icludig specific guidace o what ot to do with a ew stove, etc. They will eed guidace o improved kitche ad fuel maagemet, ad how to maitai ad perhaps repair the stove. I some commuities, the me will always be resposible for climbig o the roof to clea stove chimeys, while i others wome will perform that task, so traiig ad guidace eed to support the appropriate groups. Ecouragig commuity members to cotiue usig their ew stoves, helpig them to chage certai habits, adopt ew habits, ad address ay issues that arise from usig such stoves. Users of improved stoves, such as Doña Delfa Lagos i Hoduras (Figure 29), serve as excellet advocates for chaged behaviors. A strategy used by oe Voluteer to support cotiued use of stoves was to require commuity leaders to exclusively use the ew stoves for a two-week period ad to share their experieces. Helpig commuity members to adopt other practices that reduce the health risks of cookstoves ad reduce child mortality ad morbidity due to peumoia or other respiratory ailmets. This ca be doe by itegratig messages with cocepts of healthy homes or kitches that iclude water ad saitatio behaviors (e.g., messages about safe water storage, had-washig, ad appropriate disposal of feces). Workig with health promoters 31 Public health facilities, such as health cliics i rural areas, ofte develop ad implemet health extesio programs for commuity educatio. The programs iclude classes, workshops, or demostratios i local fairs o the most urget health issues i a area, such as utritio, preatal care, childhood morbidity from exposure to idoor air pollutio, ad proper water-treatmet procedures. 31 This sub-sectio adapted with permissio from FUEL-EFFICIENT STOVE PROGRAMS IN HUMANITARIAN SETTINGS: AN IMPLEMENTER S TOOLKIT, USAID, Jue 2010, Step 10, Page 155. Peace Corps Improved Cookstoves Hadbook 41

50 A Voluteer could parter with a local medical facility to create a outreach program for improved cookstoves that focuses o educatig commuity members o the health beefits of reducig their exposure to idoor air pollutio. The Voluteer should esure that a commuity member, possibly someoe who works directly withi the health istitutio, is traied as a expert i the costructio, operatio, ad maiteace of the models of cookstoves promoted ad istalled i the commuity. All parters who are promotig improved cookstoves ad the requisite chaged behaviors eed sufficiet traiig so they ca, i tur, appropriately trai commuity members. Voluteers ad parters together ca set learig objectives for themselves ad for the commuity members whom they will support. They must kow the techical operatig priciples of the stoves they are promotig ad the ratioale for choosig the selected stove models. Voluteers ad parters should have experiece usig the stoves effectively themselves. Ideally, they will have completely mastered the use of the stoves ad will be able to aswer ay questios from the commuity members. New stove owers should have iitial stove traiig, with a plaed series of follow-up household visits (the first withi oe week of the traiig), complemeted by public demostratios. Research i developmet cotexts shows that eablig ad persuadig commuity members to use their ew stoves to their fullest potetial requires a cosiderable ivestmet of time. Durig ay traiig or demostratio, all participats wome ad me should be made to feel comfortable eough to ask questios. Oe of the may reasos it s key to ivolve both wome ad me i the traiig is that while wome may be the most obvious oes who stad to beefit from a improved stove, me ofte have the decisio-makig power for purchases withi the household. It is importat to balace verbal istructios with visual tools ad demostratios, as well as with hads-o practice with how to prepare fuels or ted the fire, esurig that your key messages will be imparted successfully ad commuity members will feel cofidet i their skills ad be coviced that they should chage their behavior. Visual Tools 32 Oe method to help people remember how to properly use ad maitai ew stoves ca be to create drawigs ad posters that provide simple visuals of the do s ad do ts of stove use. They ca be a useful ad popular way to educate commuity members. See the oe-page Nicaragua Maual de Usuario Biodigestor ad the Fuel-Efficiet Stove Programs i Humaitaria Settigs: A Implemeter s Toolkit, USAID, o the Iteret for sample visual tools that have bee used to demostrate stove maiteace ad use. 32 This sub-sectio adapted with permissio from FUEL-EFFICIENT STOVE PROGRAMS IN HUMANITARIAN SETTINGS: AN IMPLEMENTER S TOOLKIT, USAID, Jue 2010, Step 10, Page Peace Corps Improved Cookstoves Hadbook

51 Aticipatig Commo Problems 33 The followig table shows commo problems faced by ICS programs ad ways you ca reduce the chaces that they will occur. Risk/problem Impact Ways to mitigate risk Icosistet quality of stoves produced Ieffective product Disiterest/distrust of commuity members Be sure that those costructig stoves receive adequate hads-o traiig, icludig practice with buildig at least two stoves with supervisio Use molds ad measures to stadardize the product Provide periodic follow-up traiig to reiforce skills Implemet quality cotrol practices Poor quality of raw materials Ieffective or rapidly deterioratig stoves Select your stove model accordig to the resources available i your area Disiterest/distrust of commuity members Implemet quality cotrol practices Icreased costs if materials must be brought from farther away Reluctace of commuity members to chage behavior Improper stove use or limited use of ew stove Fuel savigs will ot be achieved Be careful about stove selectio ad ivolve the commuity Demostrate stove beefits before ad durig project implemetatio Ivolve commuity leaders ad ethusiastic stove users as early adopters to help promote the use of ICS Improper stove use Fuel savigs will ot be achieved Coduct ogoig traiig ad follow up visits Emissios reductios wo t be realized Use behavior chage techiques, icludig ideas listed i this sectio Stoves could be damaged 33 This sub-sectio adapted with permissio from FUEL-EFFICIENT STOVE PROGRAMS IN HUMANITARIAN SETTINGS: AN IMPLEMENTER S TOOLKIT, USAID, Jue 2010, Step 7, Pages Peace Corps Improved Cookstoves Hadbook 43

52 Moitorig, Testig, ad Reportig The ultimate goal of a improved cookstove activity program or project is that the commuity members correctly ad regularly (ad ideally exclusively) use the improved stoves/oves, thereby improvig their families health, decreasig their use of firewood, ad decreasig greehouse gas cotributios. If a ew stove model is promoted, adjustmets may eed to be made to the stove desig to resolve techical issues ad issues related to user prefereces. Users may eed to adopt ad maitai ew kitche maagemet ad stove maiteace behaviors. Well-desiged ad executed moitorig ad evaluatio activities will cotribute to the success of cookstoves programs. The Peace Corps has established four agecy idicators for improved cookstoves: Eergy Cosumptio-Cookstoves: Number of idividuals, out of the total umber of idividuals the Voluteer/parter worked with, who lowered their cosumptio of fuel wood or charcoal through the use of a ew or improved cookstove. Cookstoves Purchased or Costructed: Number of cookstoves (ew or rehabilitated) purchased or costructed for households or istitutios (e.g. health cliics, schools) with assistace of Voluteers or parters. Households Usig a Properly Maitaied Improved Cookstove: Number of households havig a properly maitaied improved cookstove that is beig used for at least 90% of household cookig eeds. Idividuals Beefittig from a New or Rehabilitated Cookstove: Number of idividuals livig i households beefittig from ew or rehabilitated cookstoves. These idicators should be icluded i the Voluteer reportig tool as primary or secodary idicators by all posts where Voluteers have i the past promoted, or are expected i the future to promote, adoptio of 100 or more improved cookstoves or oves per year. Posts are welcome to establish other idicators, ad Voluteers are ecouraged to take a broader look at moitorig ad evaluatig their projects. For example, posts ad Voluteers may wat to determie whether families are exclusively usig their improved stoves (versus usig both the improved stove ad traditioal stove for differet tasks or i parallel). Posts ad Voluteers are ecouraged to evaluate ay other beefits that users perceive from the adoptio of their improved cookstoves ad to gather iformatio that might reasoably be related to the adoptio of the improved cookstoves. While health beefits are difficult to quatify without extesive epidemiological studies, there are ofte ways of determiig ostatistical idicatios. For example, oe retured Voluteer documeted a decrease i complaits of eye irritatio. 34 Every post must esure that ay cookstove that Voluteers promote meets the Peace Corps miimum criteria for improved cookstoves, icludig that stoves (a) cosume at least 35% less fuel whe cookig a typical meal tha the traditioal stove curretly i use (b) achieve a reductio i air cotamiatio by use of a chimey for idoor stoves, ad where data is available or ca be obtaied, achieve at least a 90% reductio i emissios or exposures, as cofirmed by either a stadard cotrolled cookig test or a kitche performace test coducted i the coutry. To meet these criteria, posts ad Voluteers may choose to promote a stove that has bee tested by aother orgaizatio, to have their stove tested by a stove-testig ceter, or to test their ow stoves. 34 Redma, Aaro. Trasitioig towards Sustaiable Cookig Systems: With a Case Study of Improved Cookstoves i Rural El Salvador. Thesis Paper, Arizoa State Uiversity, August Peace Corps Improved Cookstoves Hadbook

53 Fid iformatio o stove-testig ceters i or ear your coutry o the Global Alliace for Clea Cookstoves website. There are three stadard tests for determiig the fuel efficiecy of improved stoves: The Water Boilig Test (WBT). This lab-based test is most appropriate for those maufacturig stoves or adaptig stove desigs. It ca be used to determie fuel efficiecy, the ability of a stove to reduce to low power, the time it takes to boil water, ad emissios. Cotrolled Cookig Test (CCT). This test ivolves local cooks preparig a local dish. Addig the iheret variables of this method limits comparability of results to a give settig, but provides importat feedback as to the likely acceptability of a stove by local users. Kitche Performace Test (KPT). While this test has the most variables (see disadvatages i the followig table), it is the best test for determiig the field-based results of stove use. It cosists of a survey ad a fuel-cosumptio test with families usig both the traditioal ad the improved cookstove. The test gives results of user satisfactio ad per capita fuel cosumptio for a give stove. What is measured? Techical Objective Test settig What ca the test track? Advatages Disadvatages The Water Boilig Test (WBT) How much fuel is used to boil ad simmer a specified amout of water uder fixed coditios To determie how much of the available heat is delivered to the cookig pot whe water is heated Cotrolled, lab-based eviromet The effect of chages i stove desig, fuel quality, ad other physical variables The test is short; results are ot highly variable, relatively few tests ca give useful ad quick feedback Easiest, quickest, ad cheapest to coduct Not a accurate way to determie actual fuel use uder field coditios or chages i fuel use The Cotrolled Cookig Test (CCT) A traied commuity member prepares pre determied meals i a specified way measures stove performace i compariso with traditioal cookig methods To compare the specific fuel cosumptio (grams of fuel per kilogram of food cooked) A cotrolled settig usig local fuels, pots, ad practice It reveals what is possible i households uder ideal coditios Requires cookig oly oe type of food (though testers are ecouraged to prepare a combiatio of foods, if more extesive testig seems importat) Caot ecessarily track what is actually achieved by households durig daily use; tests from differet places ca be compared oly if the pot, wood, ad operatio of the stove are the same, which is uusual Adapted courtesy of PCIA from The Kitche Performace Test (KPT) How much fuel is used i actual households whe cookig ormally over a few days To calculate the amout of wood the family used per day To be performed by Voluteers i the field; real-world settigs KPT is desiged to assess actual effects o household fuel cosumptio Typically coducted i the course of a actual stove dissemiatio effort ad ormally gives the best idicatio of real-world chages A lot of cofoudig variables: holidays, visitors, use of other stoves, vetilatio, fuel supply, etc. Peace Corps Improved Cookstoves Hadbook 45

54 Stadard protocols for these three tests are icluded with the Peace Corps Improved Cookstoves Traiig Package o the Itraet or o the Iteret, as idicated i the refereces sectio of this hadbook. For all three tests, special equipmet is required. The equipmet is a scale with a capacity of at least six kilograms with a accuracy of ±1 gram, ad a digital thermometer, accurate to 1/10 th of a degree, with a thermocouple probe suitable for immersio i liquids. Optioal additioal special equipmet iclude a air quality meter for measurig particulate matter ad carbo mooxide, ad a wood humidity meter. Ideally, posts will purchase the miimum equipmet ecessary to coduct the tests, ad ay Voluteer promotig improved cookstoves for 30 or more commuity members will coduct a kitche performace test with at least five families with traditioal stoves prior to adoptio of improved cookstoves ad with the same five families after adoptio of improved cookstoves (baselie ad impact fuel use). The results of the stadard stove performace tests ca be used to estimate reductios i fuel use ad emissios i other words, quatifyig the evirometal beefits ad the reductios i health risks. 46 Peace Corps Improved Cookstoves Hadbook

55 Traiig Voluteers May posts with Voluteers who promote adoptio of improved cookstoves have ot icorporated promotig cookstoves ito ay of their project plas. Improved cookstoves are ofte promoted as secodary activities, supportig the work of Voluteers i health, eviromet, agriculture, ad busiess projects. Therefore, it is appropriate to iclude i pre-service traiig (PST) oly a itroductio to cookstoves, ad to coduct a more itesive cookstove traiig activity as a i-service traiig (IST) oly for Voluteers who have idetified that there is a iterest i improved cookstoves i their commuities. Please refer to the Peace Corps Improved Cookstoves traiig package, a compaio piece to this hadbook, for detailed learig objectives ad sessio plas for improved cookstoves desiged for traiees i PST ad for Voluteers ad their parters i IST. This traiig package also icludes resource aexes shared with this hadbook. Staff ad Voluteer leaders ca fid the Improved Cookstoves Traiig Package o the Focus I/Trai Up Itraet site. I summary, these are the sessios icluded i the improved cookstoves traiig package: Sessio umber Most likely to be used for Recommeded sessio duratio Figure 30: Voluteers at a cookstoves traiig workshop, Nicaragua. Sessio Title 1 PST 1 ¾ hours Itroductio to Improved Cookstoves 2 PST 3 ¼ hours Iitial Assessmet 3 IST or ogoig 3 14 hours Improved Cookstove Costructio learig 4 IST or ogoig 3 ¼ hours Stadard Cookstove Performace Tests learig 5 IST or ogoig 2 hours Cookstove Activity Plaig learig Total: hours While the traiig package sessios are desiged as formal traiig sessios, it is expected that a large umber of Voluteers beefitig from this hadbook ad the traiig package will be usig them as ogoig learig refereces. For example, be sure to take the Improved Cookstoves Quiz at the ed of the Peace Corps Improved Cookstoves Traiig Package to determie the extet to which you have leared key cocepts about improved cookstoves, ad check your aswers with the quiz aswers give i the correspodig sessios of the traiig package. Peace Corps Improved Cookstoves Hadbook 47