Nienhuys

Research Report on BACIP Wood Stoves for High Mountain Areas
Designs for Traditional Houses in the Northern Areas, Including Warm Water Facility
BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMME - BACIP
Aga Khan Planning and Building Services, Pakistan
Sjoerd Nienhuys, BACIP Programme Director, Gilgit, Pakistan, November 2000

BACIP

Foreword

The Building and Construction Improvement Programme (BACIP), operating in the Northern Areas of Pakistan, is a project under the Aga Khan Planning and Building Services, Pakistan (AKPBSP). The programme is financed by PAKSID, a collaboration between the Canadian International Development Aid (CIDA) and the Aga Khan Development Network. The BACIP Programme Director is contracted through the Netherlands International Development Co-operation Programme (DGIS). BACIP works in co-operation with other Aga Khan Development Network Institutions (AKDNI) in the Northern Areas and Chitral, Pakistan. During 1999 and 2000 some 40 staff members, consisting of architects, engineers and social workers, have been involved in the BACIP programme activities. In addition, more than 200 village-based male and female resource persons assist on a voluntary basis in the implementation of the programme.

The present programme (to end-December 2000) consists of the development and introduction of house improvements (more than 40 different types) for traditional and new houses which are useful for villages in remote areas. Technology and skills development among local entrepreneurs has been initiated to enhance the delivery of the house improvements locally. Participatory cluster and village planning is a part of the process as well and community discussions have begun for determining appropriate housing locations to avoid building in geographically hazardous areas. Parallel to these mainstream activities, attention has been given to the design of new schools. As many of the technologies being applied in the new school designs can also be applied in houses, the demonstration effect would have a high impact on the youth and future house builders.

The present report gives an overview of the different types of stoves that have been developed by BACIP. The designs are improvements upon the existing stoves in terms of durability, cost, fuel efficiency and manufacturing techniques. The designs have been repeatedly modified to suit the needs and acceptability of the people.

The BACIP stove (buchari) has been developed on the basis of the AKPBSP (formerly the Aga Khan Housing Board) buchari which was introduced about seven years ago and more than 10,000 installed in the region. The new models have been fitted with various options, such as the top-oven, improved chimney, warm water facility and various chapatti plates for making bread.

See: http://www.bioenergylists.org/stovesdoc/Nienhuys/Stoves-Research-Pakista...

The Beehive (Honeycomb) Charcoal Briquette Stove in the Khumbu Region
Nepal, Sjoerd Nienhuys, March 18, 2003

Beehive Stove

The Beehive (Honeycomb) Charcoal Briquette Stove in the Khumbu Region, Nepal, Sjoerd Nienhuys (1 800 kb pdf) March 18, 2003

1.1 OBJECTIVE
The document is the result of a mission to Lukla/Mosi (8,000 ft. / 2634 m) and Khumjung (11,800 ft. / 3882 m) in the Khumbu region and contains observations about the use of the Beehive charcoal briquette stove for cooking and space heating. The Beehive charcoal briquette stove has the potential to become a practical source of renewable energy (RE) for domestic use, hotel owners and trekkers in high altitude camping grounds. Currently large amounts of kerosene is being brought into the region to satisfy the need for cooking energy and for use in Everest Base Camp.

The observations in this report are related to the potential use of biomass charcoal briquettes and improved briquette stoves at high altitudes in Nepal. With proper application of the available technology, biomass briquettes can be a means of providing a convenient source of energy for cooking and space heating, substituting the need for kerosene which is a non-renewable energy source subsidised by the Nepalese government.

The need to improve the locally manufactured biomass charcoal briquettes has been also identified by WWF Nepal Programme. The same problems in the supply of energy exist in similar high mountain regions, such as the conservation areas managed by the WWF-Nepal Programme and the King Mahendra Trust for Nature Conservation. The charcoal briquettes are manufactured from agricultural residue and forest waste products. High firewood consumption for domestic cooking and heating purposes is depleting forest reserves because at the higher altitudes, where tree growth is considerably slower than at the lower altitudes such as in the Terai, regeneration of firewood cannot meet the demands. The author looked at some of the technical, social and financial implications of the produced briquettes and stove.

See attached report.

Renewable Energy Curriculum Design for Schools Potato Cooking as Science Education For Primary and Secondary Schools
Sjoerd Nienhuys Senior Renewable Energy Advisor, SNV-Nepal May 2004, Kathmandu

Renewable Energy Curriculum

ABSTRACT
A training module providing an example of a school curriculum in the area of energy conservation in
households by comparing three different cooking methods for potatoes. The exercise can be
undertaken in the classroom or as homework. By undertaking the exercise at home, the families of
the students will also be involved and obtain direct practical knowledge. Lower cooking energy needs
in rural areas has an important positive gender impact. Through participatory and real case
demonstration, primary schoolchildren learn about the different amounts of energy used for different
cooking methods. Secondary school students can use the same analysis, but more precise calculations
and better understanding of kitchen energy can be developed. The methodology can be replicated for
other types of cooking, such as for rice, beans and traditional dishes.

See attached report.

Installation of Improved Metal Cooking Stoves in the Khumbu Region: Field Visit Reports (3)
Sustainable Technology Adaptive Research and Implementation Center, Nepal Sjoerd Nienhuys, SNV-Nepal January 2005

Khumbu Metal Stoves

Attached reports:
(1 of 3)
(2 of 3)
(3 of 3)

1. BACKGROUND
   The majority of people in Nepal live in rural areas (88%). From the total energy requirements of
   the country, the rural areas account for 80%, mainly used for cooking. Almost all rural energy
   consumption (98%) is from traditional biomass resources, such as fuel wood, agricultural residues
   and animal dung. Accessibility to the electric grid by rural people is very limited, while LPG gas
   and kerosene oil in the high altitude and remote areas is relatively costly due to the high cost of
   transport. Therefore, people living in remote areas depend heavily on forest resources to meet
   their demand for cooking energy.

In high altitude areas fuel wood is needed for cooking and space heating; the amount increasing
with the altitude and colder temperatures. This results in continuous forest degradation, nutrient
depletion from soils (by burning agro waste and cow dung), low agricultural outputs and soil
erosion. Together, these aspects result in a further reduction of accessibility to fuel wood.
Especially in high altitude areas, WWF-NP seeks methods to reduce the overall demand of
firewood and stimulates activities such as the development of better, more efficient cooking
stoves. Other energy conserving measurements include: thermal insulation of buildings, passive
solar energy for houses and the development of greenhouses and biogas reactors for high
altitudes. The Netherlands Development Organisation (SNV-Nepal), in conjunction with the
Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC), is supporting the current programme of WWF-NP
with STARIC-N in the development and dissemination of efficient cooking stoves for high
altitudes.

Two types of cooking stoves are currently being considered:
• An all-metal stove with two cooking holes and the possibility of a water heater.
• An elevated mud stove (lower cost, less heat radiation), also with a water heater.

Both stoves have chimneys. The present report is dealing with the all-metal cooking stove.
The first model of the all-metal cooking stove has a two-hole top with a sunken pot design and is
based on the “rocket” or elbow principle, improving the efficiency in two ways: by improved
convection (sunken pot) and improved combustion through aeration from below (elbow). In
addition, the lightweight stainless steel burning chamber is insulated, creating a hotter flame and
better gas combustion, also increasing the efficiency.

This design is currently being field tested to assess its acceptability by the villagers. The
additional water heating facility will be developed after acceptance of the basic stove design.
Variations of the stove (three holes) can be developed at a later stage.

See attached reports.

Cooking Stove Improvements: Design for Remote High Altitude Areas Dolpa Region Nepal, Sjoerd Nienhuys April 2005

ABSTRACT
Metal and mud cooking stoves are analysed in Dolpa, a remote high altitude district in Nepal (over 2000m) where poor firewood efficiency of cooking stoves has been observed whilst the area is already largely deforested. Current metal or mud stoves have the air-intake above the firewood, lowering gas temperatures and causing incomplete combustion. More than 20 improvement options are presented in a table. These lead to higher burning temperatures, reduced firewood consumption and lesser soot development. Modifications have been made to lower manufacturing costs. The paper briefly explains the principles of the improvements and provides detailed sketches of the solutions. Improved cooking efficiency requires chopping of the firewood into
small pieces, but the additional time spent is balanced against the considerably less time spent in the collection of firewood. The prototype stove has been field-tested and modified several times to produce a model that is easy to manufacture and is acceptable to the villagers.

Information is based on the author’s personal experience and technical information from the stoves discussion group at www.stoves.bioenergylists.org