Practical Action

Boiling Point 53: Technologies that really work - May 2007
Liz Bates, HEDON, July 2007

Overview
The theme of this edition is "Technologies that really work" and we are pleased to welcome Crispin Pemberton-Pigott as theme editor. Crispin is well known to many Boiling Point readers and has worked in the field of stoves for over 25 years. His editorial discusses changes that have happened within the household energy sector over the years and looks at what the future challenges could be.

This edition covers a range of energy technologies and looks at what has made them successful and used by people in Africa, Asia and Latin America. There is also a discussion around the issues needed to make a technology successful including the social, economic, marketing, environmental and political factors.

Boiling Point Issue 52 from Practical Action is available on the HEDON website (1.8 MB pdf)

Contents:

ITDG-EA pico-hydro project



Looks like a good way to power electric fanned stoves.

"The two schemes have brought electricity for lighting and small appliances such as radios and mobile phones to over 200 families (around 1,500 people). Villagers are very enthusiastic about the schemes, in particular the opportunity they give for children to study in the evening - exam results are said to have improved considerably."

Pico-hydro

Indigenous communities in rural Viet Nam, such as the Muong, often lack any form of power generation. This provides them with little opportunity to undertake practical and income-generating activities after nightfall. Recently, however, the Muong have adopted a form of hydropower, known as pico-hydro – the smallest scale of hydropower system. The kinetic power of moving water is transformed into electrical power by a turbine and generator. This gives the community valuable light in the evening and the ability to explore new technological avenues.

Commercialised stove production in Sri Lanka – 300000 stoves a year - A success story.
R.M.Amerasekera, Executive Director, Integrated Development Association (IDEA) Sri Lanka 2005

Liz Bates, after 9 years, Says Goodbye to Boiling Point, Which Itself Is Moving to HEDON
HEDON newsletter (30/08/2006)

While her absence will no doubt be felt, Boiling Point will continue to bring its audience the highest levels of quality, relevance, and integrity from its new home.

Smoke's increasing cloud across the globe
Practical Action June 16, 2006

Introduction:

It is in the world’s poorest regions that smoke is a major threat, including China, India and sub-Saharan Africa. On current trends, 200 million more people will rely on these polluting fuels by 2030. Women and children are exposed for up to seven hours a day to pollution concentrations 100 times and more above accepted safety levels. There is ample medical evidence that smoke from burning biomass fuels leads to killer diseases, such as penumonia, chronic bronchitis and lung cancer.

Cooking Fuel Options (pdf) Help Guide Sudan
United Nations Joint Logistic Center UNJLC Khartoum - Sudan

South Asia Regional Workshop on Indoor Air Pollution, Health and Household Energy
27-28 February 2006, Kathmandu, Nepal
Practical Action February 2006

Anagi Stove Construction in Sri Lanka
ARECOP, Practical Action

The most popular ICS in Sri Lanka is marketed under the trade name
“Anagi”. The word “Anagi” in Sinhala language means precious or
excellent. So “Anagi” stove is very useful as it saves fire wood and
cooking time. Lab tests carried out on the stove indicate a technical
efficiency of 21 % and numerous field cooking tests indicate average
firewood savings over 30%...