Rational biomass energy use for water heating in rural schools

Abstract

This work has the following Contribution: the Introduction of an innovation in the Efficient Cooker-Oven Integrated Unit -UICHE: Unidad Integrada Cocina-Horno Eficiente- in order to fulfil another function: water heating so as to continue taking profit of its efficient thermal-energetic behaviour. Its Proposal is: “The design, development, transference and monitoring of this simple alternative system, appropriate and appropriable, on earth and with rational energy”. Its Objectives are the following: 1)To contribute to give an answer to three of the components of the complementary facilities of the Rural Schools like community habitat: cooking-baking of food, water heating and air heating; 2) To use renewable energy efficiently in order to diminish the demand of firewood fuel; 3) To decrease the impact of the environment, minimizing the emission of smoke, particles and toxic gases reaching optimal combustion; 4) To increase people's life quality, in general, and that of low income sectors, in particular, decreasing thermal radiation and contamination in the work area of the users of those systems; 5) To spread and show technology so as to facilitate its adoption both on a community and familiar level; 6) To perform transference, building and experimentation in Rural Schools which provide students with breakfast and lunch services, improving the feeding, hygiene and comfort processes; 7) To assess its thermal-energetic performance; 8) To generate undertakings to allow additional economic incomes for the community group. The Methodology employed includes Research-Participative Action as a multiplying effect, Assisted Self-Management as a facilitating accomplishment means, a Training Workshop as a change factor and the Efficient and Rational Energy Use for the protection of the natural environment. The Results obtained are: a) alternatives for the UICHE water heating subsystem have been designed participatively with rational use of firewood as fuel, b) the most convenient materials and components have been determined, c) these facilities are built as demonstrative models in three Rural Schools, in articulation with the Secretary of Education of the Province of Tucumán, by means of the Business Unit of the UNT (UNe-UNT) and with funds of the Energy and Transport Program of the National Direction of Special Programs and Projects of the Secretary of Science, Technology and Productive Innovation, d) pertinent measures and evaluations have been initiated. The Scope of the work includes: to spread and transfer its record, the reasons which back it up; its description; building; functioning and the inter-sectorial instances (Community and Institutions: Government and Scientific-Academic), interdisciplinary and socio-pedagogical; all that to enable the generation and adoption of those in relation to the requirements of the social, economic and cultural background, the environmental, energetic and sanitary factors of the beneficiaries under consideration.