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Energy and Gender Capacity
Building – Intervention at
Technology and Policy Levels
Sangeeta Kohli
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology Delhi
June 15-17, 2010
Background Traditionally : cooking - the women’s job.
Biomass fuel: collection of the fuel – associated drudgery
Traditional cookstoves : – need for large quantities of fuel due to inefficient combustion
– serious health hazards due to exposure to the products of unclean combustion.
Urban population even in developing countries : access to LPG.
Rural India : LPG access limited
Expanding the base of LPG – a fossil fuel –not the best option from the environmental perspective.
Biomass : traditionally used renewable energy
Need for better technology and commensurate policies
Role of Technology Thus the alternative : better cooking technologies based on
biomass.
Two promising technologies for the past several decades:– Improved cookstoves
– Biogas technology
In India, two national programmes to spread these technologies – major initiatives in this direction : – The National Programme on Improved Cookstoves (NPIC) (1985-2004)
– The National Project for Biogas Development (NPBD) (1982)
Several strides made at that time.
Technology has come a long way now
Need to make the “right technology choices” available to the user.
Improved Cookstoves The focus in yesteryears : Fuel saving and
removal of pollutants from kitchen using chimney
Today’s focus internationally : women and
children’s health
Technology development in recent times : much
cleaner combustion and high efficiency
Improved stoves so far : a mixed response from
the women – many reasons
Some new designsEnvirofit Stoves
(Colorado state Univ group)
Oorja Pellet Stove BP / First Energy India
Envirofit Stoves (Colorado state Univ group)
Wood Gas Stove(Tom Reed)
Philips woodgas Stoves (Philips Research group)
Rice husk gasifier stoveAlex Belonio, Philippines
Green Fire Tech stoveAprovecho group
TLUD stovePaul Anderson
Issues in Improved Cookstoves New products in the market
– High Cost
– Product Life not very high
– Stoves with fan : need for battery or electricity or costly
thermoelectric generator
– Need for processed fuel (issue of supply and cost)
– Maintenance requirements and network
Technology development
– Driven by supply, not demand
– Need for user participation in developmental process
Lack of awareness about health issues vis-à-vis cookstoves
Who decides to buy or not to buy the stove : the women
or the men?
Technology Interventions Technology development to take care of
– Regional cooking needs
– Low maintenance requirements
– Quality assurance
– Cost reduction
– Assured fuel supply
– Linking with local employment generation
– Use of local materials, decentralised manufacturing and fuel
processing
– Consortium approach to ensure the above
Standards and Certification
– Testing protocols
– Performance standards (Star rating)
– Certification centres
Policy Interventions Support technology development with quality technical input
Need for implementation strategy promoting self-sustained
business approach in the long run
– Government a facilitator rather than owner of such programmes
– Promote Public-Private Partnership among all stakeholders
– Quality standards and certification mechanisms
– Entrepreneurship development, networking
– Support for market development
– Tax benefits
Promoting financing schemes for purchase of cookstoves and
fuel supply – support for micro-financing
Linking up with NREGA, housing, rural electrification etc.
Linkages between various ministries
Effective mechanisms for monitoring and evaluation
Awareness Generation
Need for widespread awareness campaigns
among men and women
– to link health issues with cleaner cooking technologies
– cost benefit analysis: expenses on health Vs stoves
– to link health and productivity and hence income
Possible modes for campaign
– Mass media
– Government channels such as schools and health and
social services institutions
– Village demonstrations and Village Fairs (melas)
– Word-of-mouth advertising among village families
Networking and Delivery
Using existing chains
– Small industries network
– Agricultural networks and retail chains
– Primary health centres
– Special incentives for pregnant women through
prenatal care centres
Empowering Self Help Groups to take lead in
– Microfinancing
– biomass processing and supply
– maintenance of cookstoves.
Biogas Technology
Millions of family size plants installed during
NPBD
Major advantages of technology
– LPG like clean cooking fuel
– Dual usage of cattle dung (fuel + manure)
Limitations for wider adoption
– High initial cost despite subsidy
– Space requirement & slurry handling difficulties
– Need for minimum two adult cattle
– High water requirement
– Lack of proper maintenance infrastructure
Biogas Technology (2)
Recent developments
– Compact biogas plants
– Alternative feedstock
Need for Technical Work for
– Increasing efficiency of cattle dung based plants
– Low cost, user-friendly, optimal plant designs
Greater thrust for commercialisation and local
entrepreneurship development
Development of training & service infrastructure
Involvement of women in awareness generation
and training
Summary Need for technology interventions
– to provide technology options to the users for cleaner cooking solutions
– to take effective care of all the links in the technology chain with involvement of women
– technology development with participation of users and grass-roots workers: women
Need for policy interventions– to facilitate development of suitable technologies
– to enable effective sustainable dissemination of the technologies with monitoring and evaluation
This will go a long way in empowerment of women and improving their quality of life