Search

This paper describes the monitoring and evaluation of three improved cookstove dissemination projects implemented between 2004 and 2006 by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in India and Mexico. The projects assessed stove performance using lab-based water boiling tests (WBTs), which yield a number of performance indicators including time to boil water, specific fuel consumption, and energy efficiency when the stove is operated at both high and low power output. They also conducted field-based kitchen performance tests (KPTs), which yield daily per capita fuel consumption in real cooking conditions. In addition, one NGO utilized a controlled cooking test, which combined elements of lab- and field-based tests. In all cases, improved cookstoves (ICSs) were compared to local traditional cookstoves (TCSs). The results of the WBTs were mixed. Although the improved stoves generally showed some improvement in efficiency for the low-power simmering phases, the stoves were less efficient than traditional stoves in high-power water-boiling phases. The results from the KPTs were much less ambiguous. Three ICS models were tested for fuel consumption during real household use. All ICSs showed statistically significant reductions (p < 0.05) in average daily per capita fuel use ranging from 19 to 67%. We also explore the correlations between the outcomes in lab-based tests and field-based tests in order to understand the relationships between the two assessment methods. Only fuel consumption in the low-power phase of the WBT showed a strong correlation with fuel consumption in the field (r2 = 0.83, p = 0.01). We discuss the implications of this association as well as the other outcomes and present some policy recommendations for monitoring and evaluation of large-scale stove interventions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The women-energy nexus involves the challenge of engendering energy and the challenge of empowering women through energy. The first challenge arises from the gender disaggregation of energy consumption patterns. A quantitative account of the share of women in these patterns is presented through a description of the rural energy consumption pattern of the village of Pura in South India. The results indicate that women work more hours than men. Women also perform the back-breaking tasks and are displaced by agricultural mechanisation. The energy output-input imbalance is aggravated by the fact that, in developing countries, women traditionally eat last and least in a family – women therefore take in less food energy than men. The gender distribution of labour results in negative health impacts. The scarcity of energy services in rural areas has serious social and gender impacts. Tackling them requires energy interventions to improve the quality of life for women. Examples of such energy interventions are the community biogas plant at the village of Pura and the multi-purpose platforms of the Mali project. Since technological opportunities exist for such energy interventions, attention is turned to the second challenge of empowering women through energy entrepreneur ship. This requires a change of mind-set on the part of energy planners and activists – they must promote the notion of women as managers and entrepreneurs, and not just beneficiaries, of improved energy services. The idea is to push the following sequence: women as deprived in energy consumption patterns → women as beneficiaries of energy interventions → women as managers of enterprises → women as energy entrepreneurs. This is nothing short of a paradigm shift – but once achieved and implemented, the results will speak for themselves. Such an approach will engender energy by converting it into a force for improving the quality of life as well as enhancing productive capacities – a virtuous circle of energy for women and women for energy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The present paper investigates the clean cooking fuel transition in India and the role of socio-economic factors, in determining the primary cooking fuel choices among Indian households during the last seven years. Our empirical finding suggests that there has been a sharp increase in clean cooking fuel consumption from 2015–16 to 2019–21 across the socio-economic groups, castes, religions and rural-urban areas. Our logit regression estimates based on NFHS fourth and fifth-round data on a sample of 664,543 and 685,337 households suggest that socioeconomic status is imperative in the clean cooking fuel consumption process. We further demonstrate that, as the household's size and age increase, they prefer less clean cooking fuels; however, households living in urban areas, especially female-headed, are more likely to use clean cooking fuels than their counterparts. Our finding also indicates that lower caste households are less likely to use clean cooking fuel than their upper caste counterparts, even though there has been a sharp improvement for the SC caste from 2015–16 to 2019–21. A comparatively contrasting result for religion suggests that Muslims and Christians are more likely to use clean cooking fuels than Hindus. Similarly, households with higher educational attainment, better wealth status, and female financial decision-makers with the availability of piped water sources are more likely to use clean cooking fuels. Further, to understand the effectiveness of PMUY policies on overall LPG use, a Difference In Difference (DID) technique has been applied, and the result indicates a positive impact of PMUY on the overall use of clean cooking fuel for the BPL households. • There has been a sharp increase in clean cooking fuel consumption from 2015-16 to 2019-21 across the socio-economic groups, castes, religions and rural-urban areas. • Socioeconomic status is imperative in the clean cooking fuel consumption process. • Households with higher educational attainment, better wealth status, and female financial decision-makers with the availability of piped water sources are more likely to use clean cooking fuels. • A positive impact of PMUY on the overall use of clean cooking fuel for BPL households. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper performs end-use energy analysis and estimates the benefits to India of a proposed efficiency improvement measure in three-phase induction motors. It was found that in a 3.7 kW motor, widely used in agriculture and industry, typical rewinding practice is associated with reduction in either winding conductor size by 1 SWG or reduction in number of turns per coil by one turn from the winding specification. This improper rewinding practice results in efficiency reduction by over 5 percentage points. Moreover, torque per ampere is decreased and higher temperature rise ensues. This is applicable to motors of all efficiency categories including energy-efficient designs. A method has been proposed to non-destructively determine the winding details without damaging the winding. This paper proposes a measure for efficiency improvement in improperly rewound motors of “standard” and energy-efficient designs as well as on “standard” motors that have not been rewound. The efficiency improvement measure essentially involves rewinding the motor taken up for efficiency improvement. The reduction in efficiency due to not-so-proper rewinding practices is also taken into account for the analysis. By means of this measure, the aforementioned performance deterioration can be reduced, if not removed entirely. The method will be of significance to India, where more than 50% of the operational motors are rewound motors and the majority of the rewinders are not well informed. Best practices to be followed during rewinding are also recommended. The conservation potential of the measure has been explored and economic analysis for implementation of the measure is provided. The payback period for the investment towards the proposed efficiency improvement measure by the industrial end-user for the 3.7 kW (5 HP) case is 1.3 years, if the motor is to operate for 24 hours continuously for 300 days. Suggestions have been made for the implementation of the efficiency improvement measure on an all-India level. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper presents results of three United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) sponsored field studies which assessed the fuel consumption impacts of household energy programs in Benin, Uganda, and Gujarat, India. These studies expand on a previous round of U.S. EPA supported efforts to build field testing capacity and collect stove performance data in Peru, Nepal, and Maharashtra, India. Daily fuel consumption estimates of traditional and intervention technologies were made using the Kitchen Performance Test (KPT) protocol to determine the potential fuel savings associated with the respective programs. The programs in Benin and Gujarat, India resulted in significant fuel savings of approximately 29% and 61%, respectively. In Uganda, the homes using liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) consumed approximately 31% less charcoal than those not using LPG, although the total energy consumption per household was similar between the baseline and LPG user groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Published data from quantitative assessments of in-home fuel use in developing countries are sparse, yet this information is important for understanding the basic daily energy consumption of half the world's population as well as the effectiveness of programs seeking to reduce the health, environmental, and socioeconomic impacts of using inefficient cooking technologies and fuels. This paper presents results from a coordinated training and field study program sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Projections Agency, with the goal of increasing our understanding of household energy use by building capacity of stove implementing organizations. The programs were conducted with stove organizations in India, Nepal, and Peru, with results from Nepal and Peru indicating the respective stove interventions resulted in significant fuel savings (~27–66%), and in India the energy consumption from combined usage of a pellet stove and liquefied petroleum gas was 59% lower than use of traditional biomass stoves. The fuel savings in Peru were highly dependent on the level of stove maintenance and user training with the largest savings (66% per capita) achieved in homes where the stoves were maintained and users were provided additional training, indicating that these are critical factors for realizing maximum stove performance in homes. Combining these results with previously published KPT results showed patterns of higher baseline fuelwood consumption in Latin America (2.1–3.4kg per capita per day) in comparison to Nepal and India (1.0–1.4kg per capita per day). The fuel savings estimates from the KPT studies were generally similar to savings estimates for controlled testing (Water Boiling Tests and Controlled Cooking Tests) of the respective program stoves, showing promise for better linking stove performance in the laboratory with field performance. Finally, variability of fuel consumption and fuel savings estimates are examined to inform on study design and monitoring for carbon offset methodologies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Of the total final energy consumption in India, the industrial sector accounts for about 36%, of which the manufacturing sector consumes about 66% (2004–2005 figures) with iron and steel, chemicals and petrochemicals, pulp and paper and cement industries being the largest energy users. In the recent past, energy intensity has been decreasing in the manufacturing sector, mainly due to fuel substitution away from coal in some sectors, most notably cement. Industrial output in developing countries like India continues to expand owing to rising populations and catching up on economic growth. This can result in higher energy use—energy provided primarily by the combustion of fossil fuels—and thereby to higher carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Using decomposition analysis, we show that most of the intensity reductions are driven purely by structural effect rather than actual improvement in energy efficiency. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Four out of five people without electricity live in rural areas of developing countries, mainly in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Most of these households use kerosene lamps for lighting. The light outputs of these devices are very poor and vary from about 10 to 100 lumens, depending on the type of lamps and wicks. The paper compares the technology, economics and CO2 emissions of kerosene-based lamps with modern bio-energy systems and solar photovoltaics. Light output, luminous efficacy and energy consumption are used for comparing the technical parameters. Economics is expressed in terms of the cost of useful energy (cost per 1000 lumen hours), determined from the annualized life cycle cost of the systems. Fuel consumption rates are used to determine CO2 emissions of all the devices. This study reveals that efficient electric lighting provides higher light levels and low energy consumption as well as low CO2 emissions. In the absence of grid electricity, distributed renewable energy systems such as solar photovoltaics (at individual house level) and modern bio-energy systems are better options for providing good quality and reliable lighting in rural areas compared to traditional kerosene-based lighting. Moreover, these renewable energy systems as well as grid-based electricity systems also reduce CO2 emissions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Small-scale industry (SSI) is a crucial component of the Indian economy with strategic importance. SSIs exist mostly in geographical clusters and many of them are highly energy-intensive. Their survival and growth needs efficient use of energy, a key input in their operations. Empirical studies on energy use and related issues like environmental impact, energy conservation potential, and the consequences of higher energy efficiency on SSIs are rare. This paper analyses energy consumption and associated issues in the textile dyeing cluster of Tirupur in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The energy consumption pattern showed dominance of biomass. Air pollution and CO2 emissions were estimated using standard, international emission factors by fuel and technology used. The importance of energy among the inputs was established by estimating the Cobb-Douglas production function which indicated energy as the second most important input. There was a statistically significant association of energy efficiency with all the economic performance indicators adopted in the study. Overall, it appears that energy-efficient firms are also likely to perform better on the economic front and hence experience higher returns to scale. The outcome of this study underscores the value of enhancing energy efficiency in SSI clusters, providing multiple benefits and ultimately contributing to sustainable development. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]