Domestic energy consumption in India (Pondicherry region)

Surveys have been conducted in 200 households in and around Pondicherry, in 45 households of each of two rural and two semi-urban areas, and in 20 households in an urban area. The families surveyed cover the Economically Weaker Section, the Low Income Group, the Middle Income Group, and the High Income Group; there were 60 families in each of the first three categories in rural and semi-urban areas and 20 of the fourth category in the urban area. The objective of this empirical study was to determine the daily household energy consumption for cooking, lighting, heating water, and for household electrical appliances.

The average energy content of the commercial and non-commercial fuels used for cooking, heating water and lighting has been determined on a per capita daily basis. The seasonal and hourly variations have also been determined for cooking and lighting loads. The baseline data, which give the caloric values and costs for various kinds of fuels are presented in the Appendix. This survey contains previously unavailable data on village level domestic energy needs, their magnitudes and diurnal profiles.     

Hybrid application of biogas and solar resources to fulfill household energy needs: A potentially viable option in rural areas of developing countries

The absence of clean cooking facilities and electricity means billions of rural people are deprived of much needed socioeconomic development. Livestock residues (dung) and solar radiation are two renewable energy resources that are abundantly available in rural areas of developing countries. Although it is not feasible for these two resources separately to meet both thermal (cooking) and electricity demands, hybrid applications have not been given due attention. To facilitate integrating these two resources in rural energy planning, and to promote their dissemination through hybrid applications, it is necessary to evaluate their economic merits, and assess their ability to deal with the demands. In this paper, we examine the techno-economic performance of hybrid applications of these two resources by applying a simulation technique using the HOMER tool, and by giving derived cost-saving equations. We also quantify the monetary savings from replacing traditional fuels, and perform a sensitivity analysis on a number of variables (e.g. dung cost, fuelwood cost) to see how they affect the performance of different energy supply alternatives. Furthermore, we examine the practical applicability of the biogas system in the households through a structured survey of 72 ongoing household biogas plants. This study finds that households that have between three and six cattle can potentially meet their cooking and electricity loads through a hybrid implementation of biogas and solar PV (Photovoltaic) system. By replacing conventional fuels households can achieve savings that are more than the total annualized costs incurred for installing new services.     

Beyond free electricity: The costs of electric cooking in poor households and a market-friendly alternative

The South African government is introducing a poverty-reduction policy that will supply households with a monthly 50 kWh free basic electricity (FBE) subsidy. We show that FBE distorts the energy choices of poor households by encouraging them to cook with electricity, whereas alternatives such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) can deliver a similar cooking service at a much lower cost to society. An alternative energy scheme, such as providing households with clean energy credits equivalent in value to the FBE's cost, could deliver additional energy services worth at least 6% of total household welfare (and probably much more) at no additional public cost; those benefits are so large that they would cover the entire cost of LPG fuel needed to implement the scheme. The analysis is extremely sensitive to the coincidence of electric cooking with peak power demand on the South African grid and to assumptions regarding how South Africa will meet its looming shortfall in peak power capacity. One danger of FBE is that actual peak coincidence and the costs of supplying peak power could be much less favorable than we assume, and such uncertainties expose the South African power system to potentially very high costs of service.     

Financial analysis of cooking energy options for India

A financial analysis of cooking energy options is attempted for India using data from a field study and real costs and prices. The fuels considered are; fuelwood, kerosene, biogas, liquid petroleum gas (LPG) and electricity. Traditional and efficient devices and different discount rates are used in the analysis. Financial analysis for rural areas shows that the efficient Astra-stove using wood is the least cost option and biogas, which is the only quality fuel option for rural areas, is the most expensive option. The subsidised kerosene option is cheaper than wood in the traditional stove. The ranking of options from low to high costs is from fuelwood to kerosene to LPG to biogas. In the urban situation, the subsidy on kerosene distorts the energy ladder. Kerosene is the low cost fuel option, and fuelwood in the traditional stove is among the most expensive options. The existing subsidies on kerosene, LPG and electricity seem to benefit middle and high income groups, particularly in urban areas. Low income households in urban and rural areas are forced to use fuelwood in traditional stoves, which is not only a low quality fuel but is also a high cost cooking energy option. The efficiency of the device is shown to be a crucial factor in determining the cost of using a fuel. Low income households are disadvantaged, as they use traditional low efficiency wood stoves. A need to alter energy policies to promote quality fuels and efficient devices in an accessible way to low income households is highlighted.     

Providing cleaner energy access in Indonesia through the megaproject of kerosene conversion to LPG

In 2007 Indonesia undertook a massive energy program to convert its primary cooking fuel from kerosene to LPG in more than 50 million households. This megaproject, to be completed in late 2011, provided an improved household cooking fuel, with its associated benefits in user costs, cleanliness, convenience, and environment, and reduced the government's huge subsidy for petroleum fuels. Presented from the perspective of Pertamina, Indonesia's sole NOC, and the program implementer, this paper describes the background of the fuels situation, the planning stages, including the preparatory analytical work, targeted market surveys and tests, and the subsequent building of the financial, technical, and institutional models for carrying out the program on an expeditious schedule. It presents the project's major execution steps, results of the program to date, and the unique institutional roles of each party, including the activities and benefits for the government, Pertamina, the public, the industry, and the crucial agents in the fuel supply chains. Finally there is a retrospective policy analysis and a discussion of key factors and challenges in the execution of Indonesia's largest-ever energy initiative to provide improved cooking fuel.     

Socio-economic hurdles to widespread adoption of small-scale biogas digesters in Sub-Saharan Africa: A review

The unsustainable use of fossil fuels has led to increased awareness and widespread research on the accessibility of renewable energy resources such as biogas. Biogas is a methane rich gas that is produced by anaerobic fermentation of organic material. Despite its potential to replace biomass in Africa, where over 70% of the households use wood fuel and agricultural waste for cooking, biogas technology has not been adopted by Sub-Saharan African countries compared to their Asian counterparts. This paper examines the socioeconomic constraints to adoption of biogas in Sub-Saharan Africa and explores factors that could enhance adoption of the technology. These include standardization and quality control, as well as an approach of integrated farming using biogas and slurry. The article recommends mobilization of local and external funds to promote biogas, use of ready to use funds such as the Clean Development Mechanisms in overcoming the initial construction costs of biogas units, and formation of user and disseminator associations to reduce costs by joint procurement and linkage to finance. It further advocates the promotion of multiple uses of biogas for purposes other than cooking and lighting. It is expected that widespread adoption of the technology could lead to self-sufficiency in household energy provision for cooking. This would facilitate environmental management and economic development in Sub-Saharan Africa.     

Does centralized residence promote the use of cleaner cooking fuels? Evidence from rural China

The Chinese government has implemented the rural centralized residence (RCR) policy to promote rural development in 24 provinces since 2005. This study aims to estimate the effects of RCR on households' choice of clean cooking fuels by applying the instrumental variable approach on a dataset with 3685 observations in Sichuan Province. The empirical analysis showed that RCR has a significant positive effect on the choice of clean cooking fuels. We also found that RCR makes farmer households shift from using non-clean energy to clean energy for cooking by increasing both their total income and the cost of collecting and storing traditional fuels. Peer effects also motivate households to use clean cooking fuels. Further analysis indicates that an increase in the expenditure on clean energy due to RCR does not increase the farmer households' living burden, since the increase in the total income caused by RCR is much greater. Considering the accessibility and affordability of clean energy, the RCR policy could improve the standards of living among rural residents and synergistically promote energy transition in rural China.     

A ladder within a ladder: Understanding the factors influencing a household's domestic use of electricity in four African countries

According to the energy ladder hypothesis, electricity is at the top of the energy ladder of household energy use that depends primarily on wealth status, income and education levels of the users. However, it is often observed that households with higher income, wealth, and education levels do not use electricity for all domestic activities such as lighting, heating, and cooking, creating a ladder within a ladder. Using a comprehensive data set from the Living Standard Measurement Study from four African countries (Ethiopia, Malawi, Tanzania and Uganda), covering > 17,000 households, this paper investigates the factors determining a household's adoption of electricity for lighting only and for lighting and cooking. The results of a multinomial logit model and an ordered probit model show that demographic characteristics, a household's wealth and human capital, access to markets and remoteness greatly accelerate a household's use of electricity for light and cooking, which provides evidence of a ladder within a ladder.     

Positive externalities of domestic biogas initiatives: Implications for financing

Domestic biogas programs are often justified on the basis of the private benefits and costs accruing to the individual households, in terms of providing a superior cooking fuel, improved indoor air quality and saving of time spent on collecting firewood. This paper contends, however, that the economic surpluses from domestic biogas programs are realized beyond such narrowly defined project boundaries. The paper maintains that economic value addition from the consumptive use of the biogas for cooking and the non-consumptive and indirect value derived from the biogas plant providing feedstock for other processes and other such benefits as greenhouse gas mitigation (positive externalities) need to be accounted for. The process approach adopted by this paper would enable an integrated view of the value chain and consequently, a mechanism to reallocate costs and to distribute such surpluses.     

Reducing subsidies on household fuels in India: how will it affect the poor?

Kerosene and LPG are widely used in households in India for lighting and cooking. These fuels have historically been subsidized. As part of the restructuring of the energy sector, the government is committed to limiting these subsidies. This paper examines the impact of reducing energy subsidies on the welfare of the poor. The paper uses data from nationally representative surveys of over 100,000 households. The paper concludes that the case for reducing LPG subsidies is strong. Although the kerosene subsidy is an inefficient means of subsidizing fuel use by the poor, reduction in it will need to be supported by other policies that would limit the adverse impacts.     

Fabrication of portable solar thermal bank for indoor cooking

The aim of this report is to build a portable solar thermal bank based on a Scheffler reflector that is capable of boiling-type cooking using HITEC as a thermal storage material. This report reviews the problems related to solar cooking and evaluates the novel layout of a portable solar thermal bank which includes a daily thermal storage vessel. This stove is in the shape of a cylindrical container filled with phase-changing latent heat storage material. Inside the container, we provide a small gap taking into account the volumetric expansion of the phase change material (PCM) during the melting process. The solar thermal bank is charged in the sun. It is placed directly for a few hours under the focus of a Scheffler reflector, which charges the solar thermal bank with enough thermal energy stored. After a while, the cooking process can be completed by users using that stored heat. The top cavity is used as a cooking pot in a solar thermal bank. Cooking meals do not require direct sunlight, which is typical for most solar cookers. The portable solar thermal bank is an alternative for low-income households and adapts to local traditions of indoor cooking. It is portable and can be used safely to cook indoors or outdoors. In this study, a solar cooker with a thermal storage device was developed using a PCM. The size of the stove has been calculated by calculating the energy consumption for two to three people. HITEC salt has been chosen as a phase change material for thermal storage, which will be used for cooking when there is no sunlight. It enhances the applicability of solar cooking and preserves cooking possibilities using energy stored throughout the day at low production costs.     

Induction stoves as an option for clean cooking in rural India

As part of a programme on ‘access to clean cooking alternatives in rural India’, induction stoves were introduced in nearly 4000 rural households in Himachal Pradesh, one of the few highly electrified states in India. Analysis of primary usage information from 1000 rural households revealed that electricity majorly replaced Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG), generally used as a secondary cooking fuel, but did not influence a similar shift from traditional mud stoves as the primary cooking technology. Likewise, the shift from firewood to electricity as a primary cooking fuel was observed in only 5% of the households studied. Country level analysis indicates that rural households falling in lower monthly per capita expenditure (MPCE) classes have lesser access to electricity and clean cooking options than those falling in higher MPCE classes. Again, only three states in India with high levels of rural household electrification report consumption statuses more than 82 kWh per month (the estimated mean for electricity consumption by induction stoves). Overall, the results of the study indicate that induction stoves will have limited potential in reducing the consumption of firewood and LPG if included in energy access programmes, that too only in regions where high levels of electrification exist.     

Energy consumption in three rural Kenyan households: A survey

Woodfuel is an important source of fuel energy in Kenya, constituting about 75% of the total energy consumed. The rural population relies almost entirely on fuelwood which has become increasingly difficult to obtain. In this study a questionnaire was used to establish the form and quantity of fuel used and the types of stoves used in rural households within Nyeri, Wanguru in Embu and Muhoroni in Kisumu. Forty households in Nyeri and 30 in each of the other two areas were randomly selected for the study. The availability of agricultural residues for use as fuel and the possibility of using briquettes for cooking were established. It was found that all the households have a 3-stone cooking stove in which they burn fuelwood or agricultural residues. Cowdung is used in Embu but not in Nyeri and Kisumu. The degree to which the population relies on agricultural residues for fuel varies among the villages. In Nyeri, most of the agricultural residues are either fed to cattle or left in the field. In Embu only a few of the houses use maize cobs and stalks. However, the rural population in Muhoroni rely heavily on sugarcane residues for their cooking fuel. In general, 15–35% of a household's income is spent on fuel though this does not take into account the time spent gathering fuel.     

Dynamics of rural energy access in India: An assessment

India’s rural energy challenges are formidable with the presence of majority energy poor. In 2005, out of a rural population of 809 million, 364 million lacked access to electricity and 726 million to modern cooking fuels. This indicates low effectiveness of government policies and programs of the past, and need for a more effective approach to bridge this gap. However, before the government can address this challenge, it is essential that it gain a deeper insight into prevailing status of energy access and reasons for such outcomes. Toward this, we perform a critical analysis of the dynamics of energy access status with respect to time, income and regions, and present the results as possible indicators of effectiveness of policies/programmes. Results indicate that energy deprivations are highest for poorest households with 93% depending on biomass for cooking and 62% lacking access to electricity. The annual growth rates in expansion in energy access are gradually declining from double digit growth rates experienced 10 years back to just around 4% in recent years. Regional variations indicate, on an average, cooking access levels were 5.3 times higher in top five states compared to bottom five states whereas this ratio was 3.4 for electricity access.     

Assessment of government support for the household adoption of micro-generation systems in Korea

This paper investigates how Korean government support affects household adoption of renewable energy-based micro-generation systems by analyzing household preferences in relation to the costs and benefits of system installation and different kinds of government support. The research adopts a discrete choice experiment approach and focuses on two micro-generation technologies: solar voltaic and solar thermal. Our empirical analysis revealed firstly that households prefer micro-generation systems that have low installation costs but high energy saving benefits and long warranty periods; and secondly that households prefer direct subsidies to low-interest loans. However, we also found that households are reluctant to install photovoltaic or solar thermal systems in reality because they see the cost of system installation as being higher than the benefits they would receive from such installation. In short, while existing government supports are somewhat effective in promoting household adoption of micro-generation systems, there also exists the obstacle that the majority of households are unwilling to install such systems despite government support. Thus several policy improvements, which focus on increasing the benefits and decreasing the installation costs of micro-generation systems, are suggested in this paper.     

Rural household livelihood change,fuelwood substitution,and hilly ecosystem restoration: Evidence from China

This paper systematically analyzes the driving forces and mechanism of fuelwood substitution and related ecological consequences in an under-developed county in rural Southeast China. Based on 358 respondents from rural households in Changting County, as well as additional statistical data, we present strong evidence in support of the argument that changes in the livelihoods of rural households lead to fuelwood substitution and finally, hilly ecosystem restoration. Important factors influencing fuelwood substitution are closely linked with changes in rural livelihoods: off-farm employment and agricultural specialization. Therefore, these changes are argued to be the primary driving force of fuelwood substitution. Reasons include the increasing opportunity costs of fuelwood collection, increases in household income, and decreases in household energy consumption for cooking, feeding and heating. Such changes have unexpectedly caused significant progress in hilly ecosystem restoration, particularly in mitigation of soil erosion and forest degradation. Thus, it is suggested that the progressive change and improvement in the livelihoods of rural households should be included in the mix of policies intended to restore hilly ecosystems.     

Performance of residential fuel-cell-combined heat and power systems for various household types in Japan

A residential fuel-cell-combined heat and power (FC-CHP) system is considered a promising low-carbon technology that can reduce residential energy consumption and thus, achieve Japan's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets. However, to consider future directions for the systems' research and development, it is critical to understand the relationships between the performances of FC-CHP systems and residential energy demand profiles, which vary by household characteristic. This study evaluates the effects of applying city gas-fueled FC-CHP systems to Japanese households with different attributes. We compare total costs and GHG emissions for residential energy use between the FC-CHP systems and a conventional system. The economic performance results suggest that the basic PEMFC-CHP systems have an economic advantage only for four-person families with teenage children and further development efforts for low-output FC-CHP systems are required to enable various households save energy costs. The environmental evaluation results show that SOFC-CHP systems can drastically reduce GHG emissions from particularly small-sized households.     

Domestic LPG interventions in South Africa: Challenges and lessons

A majority of grid-connected households in South Africa use electricity for cooking and heating tasks. This thermal intensive use of electricity has a high load factor and is a contributory factor of electricity demand outstripping supply at peak demand periods. The government has promoted liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) as an alternative thermal energy source for household cooking and heating. This study evaluates the long-term successes, challenges and social impacts of an LPG intervention project that was piloted in Atteridgeville Township, a typical low-income suburb. The data was gathered through one-on-one household interviews with a sample of the beneficiaries. The results indicate that seven years after the LPG intervention, about 70% of the beneficiaries continue to use LPG and report that the intervention has improved their welfare. Fast cooking is cited as the key tangible benefit of LPG technology in households, followed by saving on electricity bills. The project would have achieved more success through better community engagement, including strict beneficiary selection criteria; a long-term LPG distribution and maintenance plan; and inclusion of recurring monthly LPG subsidies for indigent households. The study discusses the subset of factors necessary for successful rollouts of similar energy projects.     

Utility assessment of parabolic solar cooker as a domestic cooking device in India

The needs of cooking energy in households can be supplemented by parabolic solar cooker (PSC). Policy for energy substitution by renewables has to consider many conflicting socio-economic issues. To know the perceptions of decision-makers and users, a survey is conducted to evaluate nine cooking energy devices available in India. Energy technology issues, economics, environmental/social, behavioral and commercial issues are considered for the evaluation. Thirty criteria are considered under these five aspects for pair-wise comparison of the devices. Additive Multi-Attribute Utility Theory (MAUT) is employed to evolve ranking of selected devices. It is found that Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) stove is the most preferred cooking device, followed by microwave ovens and kerosene stoves. PSC has occupied fifth rank amongst the devices. A sensitivity analysis is also carried out for identifying potential areas of improvement for PSC, which forms a basis for policy interventions required for its better dissemination in India.