Cook Stoves Research Articles

Thermal performance of cocoa pod cook stove

Indonesia produces approximately 550.000 ton/year of cocoa pod waste from chocolate indus-try. The waste has a good potential to be used as a biomass feedstock of a cook stove. How-ever, thermal performance of the conventional cook stove is low when using a high moisture content feedstock, such as a cocoa pod waste. In addition, conventional cook stove generates high pollutant when high moisture content feedstock is used. In other to encounter the prob-lems, the present work develops gasifier based cocoa pod cook stove and investigates thermal performance of the stove at various equivalence ratios. The data collection is performed by varying equivalence ratio at 0.4, 0.5, and 0.6. Temperature of the stove, flame image, flame temperature, and water temperature are collected and used to analyze the thermal perfor-mance (i.e. useful heat and thermal efficiency) of the stove. The results reveal that a waste of cocoa pod can be used as a feedstock of gasifier based cook stove. Maximum useful heat of 1337.6 kJ and maximum thermal efficiency of 3.5% are obtained at optimum equivalence ratio of 0.5. To improve performance of the stove, the cocoa pod waste should be sun dried to reduce its moisture content and the porous burner may be applied as a burner of the gasifier based cook stove in the future work.

Performance comparison of three prototype biomass stoves with traditional and Mirt stoves for baking Injera

Abstract Background Injera is food consumed daily by Ethiopians like bread and rice in other parts of the world. Biomass stoves are used to bake Injera in most rural households. The unsustainable use of fuelwood causes deforestation. Improved cook stoves such as Mirt (name in local language) were introduced to replace traditional stoves and save fuel wood. This study presents a performance comparison of three newly developed prototype biomass stoves with traditional and Mirt stoves. The prototype stoves were made with a clay pan (designated MUC: Mekelle University prototype with clay pan), with a glass pan (MUG) and with an aluminum pan (MUA). Controlled cooking tests were conducted for each type of stove to determine the thermal efficiency and specific fuel consumption. Results The thermal efficiencies of the traditional, Mirt, MUC, MUA and MUG stoves were found to be 14%, 17%, 21%, 29% and 32%, respectively. Similarly, the percentage fuel wood savings by Mirt, MUC, MUA and MUG compared to the traditional stove were 32%, 48%, 64% and 67%, respectively. The results indicate that the prototype stoves had significantly better performance compared to the traditional and Mirt stoves. Conclusion The prototype stoves have the potential to reduce fuel wood consumption by more than half of that currently consumed employing traditional stoves. In addition to the economic benefit of saving fuel wood, the improved stoves will have significant environmental implication. Based on the fuel saving figures, it is estimated that 0.4, 0.5 and 0.52 tons/year of fuel wood may be saved per household adopting MUC, MUA and MUG stoves, respectively.

Value-Addition in Biomass for enhanced Household Energy Security in Navakholo Sub-County, Kenya

Although firewood is still the dominant source of energy in the majority of rural households in Navakholo, its sustainable availability is threatened by a steady decline in tree cover as much land gets converted to agricultural use. Opportunities for expanding energy security in such places reside in previously untapped potential for value addition on biomass energy sources. The broad objective of this research was to enhance availability and access to biomass energy while at the same time conserving tree cover for posterity. The specific objective was to assess opportunities for energy security through value-addition on available biomass energy sources. Data was collected using a questionnaire survey and focus group discussions in each of the five Wards of the Sub-County. Descriptive statistics and content analysis of responses were used to analyse the data and generate knowledge to inform future decision-making. Although Navakholo sub-county is a maize and sugarcane zone, results showed that value-addition practices on these two biomass energy sources such as through briquetting are non-existent. Much of the maize cobs are directly used as low energy fuel or simply left to rot away. Cow dung, which has a potential for energy provision through conversion into energy balls is usually used as manure in the farm. In addition, investment in biogas production is untapped because of the high initial costs. Only rudimentary approaches such as use of saw dust in cook stoves, and extinguishing firewood and charcoal after the day’s cooking are used to ease the pressure on available firewood. Although charcoal is a value-added product on wood fuel, respondents did not see it from that perspective. It was instead viewed as an energy alternative for those who could afford it. Opportunities for other value-added products like briquettes from charcoal, dust, saw dust and sugarcane cutting singly or in blended form remains unexploited. With appropriate exposure and capacity building on binder material and supply of press equipment, availability of biomass energy can be increased through the conversion of readily available maize cobs into briquettes. Secondary feedstock like cow dung, charcoal dust and saw dust may also be converted or used as binder material.

Performance Analysis of Dhaba Size Improved Biomass Cook Stove for Commercial Application as Clean and Efficient Cooking Solutions

The current study evaluates the behaviour of the Dhaba-size cook stove for commercial applications in rural area. Further, the study focuses on its impact on the biomass saving and the surrounding environment. The Dhaba-sized cook stove system was installed for the experimental investigation in R.S.Gruh Udyog, Borsad, Anand, Gujarat. The results obtained based on pre-and post-installation of the system, the system was assessed the cooking pattern, biomass and time consumption, smoke emission, and socio- economic effect. During the experiment, 10 batches of Rice Papdi were cooked uniformly. The Dhaba-size Improved Biomass Cook Stove (IBCS) is used for only boiling water, and atta iscooked on Traditional type of Cook stove. Initially, the traditional type of cook stove was used for water boiling and the other for cooking of atta. Based on the results for pre-installation and post-installation conditions, it was found that wood consumption per day was reduced with the reduction in time. As per discussion with the beneficiary, he is happy with the design, efficiency, and performance of it.

Indoor Air Pollution from Household Cooking and Associated Health Hazards of Selected Rural Communities of Madhupur Tract in Bangladesh

Indoor air pollution is deemed one of the most severe environmental pollutions that occur mainly due to the inefficient and incomplete combustion of solid cooking fuels, which emits different types of particulate matter (PM2.5, PM10). Therefore, this study was organized in the hilly rural area of Sagordighi of Tangail district in Bangladesh to monitor the atmospheric particulate matters PM2.5, PM10 and CO (carbon monoxide) concentrations from the rural kitchens as well as the possible health hazards due to exposure of the air pollutants. One hundred and thirty air samples were collected from the kitchens by using Airveda air quality monitor and Testo 317-3 - Ambient CO meter to monitor the particulate matter and carbon-monoxide concentrations respectively during cooking and non-cooking time. A survey was also conducted through questionnaire. The concentrations of PM2.5 fluctuated from 112-999 µgm-3 whereas the mean concentration was 401.88±232 µgm-3 during cooking time. On the other hand, PM10 concentration varied from 114-1999 µgm-3 were observed during cooking time with a mean concentration was 523.10±413 µgm-3. The concentration of PM2.5 varied from 32-362 µgm-3 at non-cooking period while the mean value was 81.38±41 µgm-3. The concentration of PM10 ranged between 55-429 µgm-3 at non-cooking period and the mean of PM10 was 109.51±51 µgm-3. The mean concentration of CO during cooking period was 51.52±17 ppm and it varied from 20 ppm to 96.4 ppm. On the contrary, the mean concentration of CO during non-cooking period was 6.60± 6 ppm and it fluctuated from 0 to 40 ppm. The concentration of atmospheric particulate matter showed the highest concentration during cooking time. Contemplation on the measured concentration of particulate matters, these values were greater than concentration found in many European cities and also surpassed the Bangladesh National Ambient Air Quality Standard. The monitored CO value exceeded the recommended value. Questionnaire survey result indicated that respondents suffered from various diseases due to household cooking activities such as facing eye irritation, headaches, dry cough, dizziness and nasal congestion during cooking time. This research suggests installation of improved cooking stoves and providing proper ventilation facilities in kitchen and using renewable energy as well as creating public awareness among rural communities for minimizing the impacts of pollutants emitted from cooking activities.

Strategizing towards sustainable energy planning: Modeling the mix of future generation technologies for 2050 in Benin

The Benin energy sector faces serious challenges, including an unfavorable energy mix with regular power shortages, erratic power outages, reliance on electricity imports, and dependence on traditional cooking stoves. This study has investigated strategies critical for Benin to employ to achieve 24.6 %, 44 %, and 100 % renewable energy (RE) integration targets in the final electricity mix in 2025, 2030, and 2050, respectively. This study used the EnergyPLAN model to develop different energy scenarios suitable for Benin to achieve its proposed RE penetration target. A combination of natural gas (NG) with solar photovoltaic (PV), wind energy, hydropower, and concentrated solar power (CSP) is used to develop three scenarios for RE integration namely the government targets scenario, 2 % RE per year scenario and 50 % RE in 2050 scenario. The results show that the government targets scenario is too ambitious because of the current trend and pace of developing the energy sector. Moreover, a combination of 563 MW of NG, 125 MW of PV, 200 MW of wind, 600 MW of hydropower, and 60 MW of CSP would achieve 50 % RE by 2050 under the 50 % RE scenario. This scenario would decrease CO2 emissions by 50 % with no CEEP generation. Furthermore, the total electricity generation from MSW in Benin is estimated to be 0.232, 0.3215, and 1.16 TWh/yr in 2025, 2030, and 2050, respectively. The study's findings could help decision-makers and stakeholders make informed decisions to promote the integration of RE resources in the Benin Republic.

Experimental hut and field evaluation of a metofluthrin-based spatial repellent against pyrethroid-resistant Anopheles funestus in Siaya County, western Kenya

BackgroundSpatial repellents (SR) may complement current vector control tools and provide additional coverage when people are not under their bednets or are outdoors. Here we assessed the efficacy of a metofluthrin-based SR in reducing exposure to pyrethroid-resistant Anopheles funestus in Siaya County, western Kenya.MethodsMetofluthrin was vaporized using an emanator configured to a liquid petroleum gas (LPG) canister, placed inside experimental huts (phase 1) or outdoors (phase 2), and evaluated for reductions in human landing rate, density, knockdown and mortality rates of An. funestus, which are present in high density in the area. To demonstrate the mosquito recruiting effect of LPG, a hut with only an LPG cooker but no metofluthrin was added as a comparator and compared with an LPG cooker burning alongside the emanator and a third hut with no LPG cooker as control. Phase 2 evaluated the protective range of the SR product while emanating from the centre of a team of mosquito collectors sitting outdoors in north, south, east and west directions at 5, 10 and 20 feet from the emanating device.ResultsCombustion of LPG with a cook stove increased the density of An. funestus indoors by 51% over controls with no cook stove. In contrast, huts with metofluthrin vaporized with LPG combustion had lower indoor density of An. funestus (99.3% less than controls), with knockdown and mortality rates of 95.5 and 87.7%, respectively, in the mosquitoes collected in the treated huts. In the outdoor study (phase 2), the outdoor landing rate was significantly lower at 5 and 10 feet than at 20 feet from the emanator.ConclusionsVaporized metofluthrin almost completely prevented An. funestus landing indoors and led to 10 times lower landing rates within 10 feet of the emanator outdoors, the first product to demonstrate such potential. Cooking with LPG inside the house could increase exposure to Anopheles mosquito bites, but the use of the metofluthrin canister eliminates this risk.Graphical abstract

Development of an combined energy complex consisting of a micro-hydroelectric power plant and a solar photoelectric plant for the conditions of Uzbekistan

The article develops a block diagram of an energy device that serves as the embodiment of a microhydroelectric power station and a solar photovoltaic installation. Based on this structural diagram, a combined energy device consisting of a solar photovoltaic power plant and a microhydroelectric power station was developed and installed for experimental research at the family enterprise “Akbarzhon Korki” in the Sokchilik microdistrict, Toshlok district. Based on the needs of the family business, the electricity generated by a combined power plant consisting of a 4 kW solar photovoltaic system and a 0.7 kW microhydroelectric power plant was used for lighting systems, a refrigerator, an electric cooking stove, and a modem. Internet connection device and video surveillance equipment. As a result of the implementation at the family enterprise, 2 124 000 soums of electricity produced by the combined energy device were used for the enterprise’s own needs during the year, and economic efficiency of 12 599 000 soums was achieved.

Design and Assessment of a solar collector system for low-cost, pollution-free cooking and grilling applications

Recently, using solar energy for several purposes has become very important to preserve the environment, reduce pollution, and reduce consumption. Examples of these applications are cooking, barbecuing, desalination, and generating electrical power. Solar oomph is extremely important in providing the energy used in cooking. In the current work, a solar collector consisting of six flexible reflective panels was designed and assembled for solar cooking and grilling operations in the city of Jazan, southwestern Saudi Arabia. Pots of different sizes have been prepared for cooking operations, as well as a grid for grilling operations. They are installed at the center of the collection of reflected rays from the solar center, in addition to a movable stand and a manual system for directing the direction of the falling sunlight. The current solar energy system provides an estimated power of about 2,300 watts from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. It took 16 minutes to cook 2700 grams of vegetables with the current system and less than two minutes to boil 2 liters of water. Grilling a whole chicken weighing 800 grams, cut in half, takes about ten minutes. Cooking was also done inside the kitchen using a solar energy source by transferring heat from the solar concentrator's absorber to a 35-diameter pipe filled with vegetable oil as a heat transfer fluid. The absorber temperature reached 321 degrees Celsius, while the internal cooking stove registered 129 degrees. The storage of collected heat and how it is transferred to indoor cooking processes were also studied.

Policy Analysis on Clean Cooking in Malawi: Case of Improved Cookstoves

Transition from cooking with traditional biomass to clean cooking is a persistent challenge in Malawi. The underlying technologies in clean cooking are improved cookstove. Improved cook stoves are designed to reduce fuel consumption per meal and to curb smoke emissions experienced in traditional three-stone cookstove. However, promotion adoption and utilisation of clean cooking requires coordinated policy and regulatory framework. This study analysed the Malawi policy regulatory framework on clean cooking by benchmarking with relevant literature. The following policy gaps were identified: (i) the lack of clear cookstove rating by Malawi Bureau of Standards; (ii) uncomplimentary policies and regulations in the energy and forestry sectors on clean cooking fuels and technologies; (iii) the lack of empirical data on adoption and utilisation of clean cooking technologies and fuels in Malawi; (iv) predicaments in adopting and using international standards for testing cookstoves; and (v) the value chain of improved cookstoves and other forms of clean cooking fuels and technologies that is not adequately analysed. Coordinated development and harmonious implementation of clean cooking regulations in the key sectors of energy and forestry can promote adoption and utilisation of clean cooking methods and technologies in Malawi.

Improvement of Ceramic insulation of Cook Stoves using Carbonized Organic Waste

Improvement of Ceramic insulation of Cook Stoves using Carbonized Organic Waste

Factors Determining the Adoption of Induction Stove for Household Cooking in Bhaktapur

The current global warming trend is unequivocally the result of human activities and is proceeding at an unprecedented rate over the millennia. About 6.7 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions are caused by household cooking. It is essential to expand the use of clean fuels and technologies to reduce household emissions. Most households in urban areas use LPG for cooking purposes along with a gradual introduction of electric induction stoves. The main objective of this paper is to identify the factors determining the choice of induction stoves for household cooking. Primary data were collected from 300 households of Bhaktapur and Madhyapur Thimi Municipalities in March, 2021. Binomial Logit regression was performed to examine the determinant of induction stove adoption by household. LPG is the primary source of cooking for household. Sixty seven percent of households use electricity partially for cooking purposes. Forty five percent of total households use an electric rice cooker and 27 percent use an induction stove. Twenty six percent of households do not know about induction stoves. The family's education level, particularly the cooking member, is the primary determinant of adopting an induction stove. The probability of adoption of induction stoves increases with an increase in income. Families living in their own houses are more likely to use induction stoves than those living in rented houses.

Waste heat regeneration from thermoelectric generator based improved biomass cookstove (TIBC): Modelling of TEG system utilizing DC-DC converter with fuzzy logic MPPT

Most of the people in the rural areas cook their food in traditional biomass cookstove which emits a lot of emission that leads to poor health of the women and children. This paper points out a technology that utilises a thermoelectric generator (TEG), which converts thermal energy into electrical energy directly. A TEG is a small plate made of semiconductor p-n junctions connected electrically in series and thermally in parallel. The difference in temperature produced on the hot side and cold side of the TEG is proportional to the voltage generated. The TEG is integrated into the wall of the inner combustion chamber of the biomass cookstove with the help of heat plate and the cold side of the TEG is connected to a flower-type heat sink to maintain the temperature difference. The power generated by the TEG is used to drive a 12 V DC fan which helps to keep the cold side of the TEG relatively cooler and direct the same air inside the inner combustion chamber of the cook stove through holes to increase the air-to-fuel ratio. As a result, it improves the cookstove's combustion, thereby reducing emissions and increasing thermal efficiency. For testing the efficiency of the TEGs available in the market, a hit and trial method is used by taking TEGs of different specifications and connecting them to a hot side and a cold side test bed and then finally the performance is realized. Therefore, for every different TEG, a hardware has to be made for final conclusion of the result. To eliminate the hit and trial method, the electrical characteristics of thermoelectric generator module has been analysed by modeling a TEG module in MATLAB/Simulink and implementing it with fuzzy logic control (FLC) based MPPT utilizing a DC-DC boost converter with a constant as well as variable load. This fuzzy logic-based scheme exhibits fast dynamic response and precisely tracks the maximum power point (MPP) from TEG under varying load conditions. Based on the robust performance of the obtained simulation results, the TEG module is integrated and tested in the laboratory using a thermoelectric generator based improved biomass cookstove (TIBC). The novelty lies on the concept of using MATLAB/Simulink platform by modeling the FLC based MPPT incorporating boost converter to test the performance of TEG module for its integration with TIBC and eliminating traditional hit and trial method. This TIBC is able to power the fan directly within just 2–3 min using the electricity generated by the TEG module. The maximum power generated from the TIBC is 6.25 W using a single TEG. The fan requires 1.4 W and rest of the power was used to charge auxiliary battery.

Experimental study on the performance of household electric cooking stoves: Locally made versus imported technologies

Biomass combustion produces air pollutants, causing high mortality rates, while electric cooking, which is efficient and eco-friendly, reduces mortality and maximizes socio-economic and ecological benefits. Thus, the primary purpose of this study is to compare the performance of domestic and imported household electric hotplate stoves via experimental investigation. For the study, 20 households have been purposively selected in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia from low- and middle-income groups. Following that, the researchers trained the participants and enumerators to record the energy consumption and time taken for each cooking event. The experiments have been conducted using medium-sized domestic and imported electric hotplate stoves for 15 days each. Digital energy meters have been used to record the daily cooking energy demand. Participants record the daily data using the developed Excel spreadsheet. Accordingly, the study disclosed that the average daily cooking energy consumption per household for locally-made and imported electric cookstoves is 3.55 kWh and 2.81 kWh, respectively. The result also reveals that local electric stoves are subjected to inferior efficiency and higher heat losses. On the other hand, the analysis of the average time required to cook a meal revealed that cooking with imported cookstoves took slightly longer than cooking with locally-made cookstoves. This is because as there is no power-control mechanism, locally-made electric stoves usually work at maximum power rate and cook faster than imported ones. Moreover, the average monthly energy expense per household using these stoves in their respective ways were $3.90 (213.33ETB), and $3.1(169.86ETB), suggesting that locally manufactured stoves have higher energy cost bills. An independent T-test results revealed a significant difference (p < 0.001) between the two types of stoves. However, most households use locally made electric cook stoves due to their low prices, easy maintenance, and low understanding of stove efficiency. Hence, further investigation is needed to improve the efficiency and standardization of local electric cook stoves and increase the supply chain of imported electric appliances.

A Critical Analysis on Access and Affordability of Clean Cooking Fuel in India

Improving the access to affordable and reliable energy services for cooking is essential and very important for developing countries in reducing adverse human health and environmental impacts which are caused by burning of traditional biomass. In low-income households, perceived health benefits of adopting improved stoves and financial benefits from fuel savings, tend to be outweighed by the costs of improved stoves and increased rates of fuels, even after accounting for the opportunity and cost of time spent collecting biomass fuel. This paper reviews empirical study and analyze the choices of fuel, adoption of improved stoves for cooking in countries where biomass is still the predominant cooking fuel and awareness. It also summarizes the evidence on the significant adverse health impacts from exposure to indoor smoke, especially among women and young children. The review highlights the wide range of factors that influence households cooking fuel choices and adoption of improved stoves, including socioeconomic i.e. access and availability, collection costs and fuel prices, household income, education and awareness, behavioral i.e. food tastes, lifestyle and cultural and external factors both indoor air pollution, government policies. The paper identifies knowledge and evidence gaps on the success of policies and programs designed to scale up the adoption of improved cook stoves, government policies and awareness among general public.

Combustion Characterization of Cooking Stove Based on Box–Behnken Response Surface Methodology

Combustion Characterization of Cooking Stove Based on Box–Behnken Response Surface Methodology

Evaluation of the preference for and viability of clean cookstove adoption in rural Tanzania

BackgroundSustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7 calls for “universal access to affordable, reliable, modern energy services” for the 2.6 billion individuals lacking access to clean cooking fuels and stoves. Low- and middle-income countries are designing policies towards clean fuels, but often prioritize World Health Organization defined ‘clean’ fuels and stoves to urban areas. As clean solutions are explored, it remains unclear what rural households prefer as their clean alternative.MethodsThis study conducted household energy surveys with main cooks across four villages in Shirati, Tanzania to understand rural household preferences within the viable clean fuels. Data analysis includes descriptive statistics and a generalized linear model with the Poisson family and log link to estimate prevalence ratios, all of which were conducted in Microsoft Excel and STATA 16.1.ResultsThe results revealed that while 83% of households (n = 187) stacked a combination of firewood, charcoal, liquified petroleum gas (LPG), and/or kerosene, 82% [95% Confidence Interval: 74%, 89%] of households stated a preference to use LPG. We found that aggregate expenditure on LPG was less than daily purchases of charcoal and firewood. Our analysis found that all villages had a higher prevalence of stacking firewood, charcoal, and LPG, than areas further from the main trading center. Both areas with trading posts had a lower prevalence of using only firewood.ConclusionsHousehold preference should be systematically incorporated into clean cooking policy decisions. Our results imply that LPG should not be pursued only in urban contexts. We discuss how preference affect adoption and the need to include user preferences to meet universal clean cooking access (SDG 7).

Fine Particulate Matter Exposure and Health Impacts from Indoor Activities

Exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is an important contributor to global human disease burden, particularly indoors where people spend the majority of their time and exposure is highest. We propose a framework linking indoor PM2.5 emissions from human activities to exposure and health impacts, expressed in Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALY). Derived dynamic indoor PM2.5 concentrations—capturing temporal variations through different window-opening scenarios and air renewal rates—are used to estimate uncertainty for a parametric model (up to a factor of 114). Intake fractions (fraction of emitted substance taken in (μgintake/μgemitted)), effect factors (μDALY/μgintake), related impact characterisation factors (health impact per unit mass emitted (μDALY/μgemitted)), and impact scores (health impact per hour activity (μDALY/hactivity)) are provided for 19 one-hour indoor activities and can be flexibly scaled to real activity durations. Indoor concentrations exceeded recommended World Health Organization (WHO) limits for all activities at low ventilation rates. Per person, 98 to 119 μDALY/hactivity (52 to 63 minuteslost/hactivity) was associated with traditional fuel cook stoves, with high air renewal rates (3 and 14 h-1). The burning of candles, at low air renewal rates of 0.2 to 0.6 h-1, results in 7 to 11 μDALY/hactivity (4 to 11 minuteslost/hactivity). Derived impact scores and characterisation factors serve as a starting point for integrating indoor PM2.5 emissions and exposure into life cycle impact and public health assessments.

The Effects of Fuel-Efficient Cookstoves on Fuel Use, Particulate Matter, and Cooking Practices: Results from a Randomized Trial in Rural Uganda

Smoky cookfires contribute to global climate change and kill approximately four million people annually. While many studies have examined the effects of fuel-efficient cookstoves, this study does so while selling stoves at market prices. After introducing a fuel-efficient cookstove, fuelwood use and household air particulates declined by 12% and by smaller percentages after adjusting for observer-induced bias, or the Hawthorne effect. These reductions were less than laboratory predictions and fell well short of World Health Organization pollution targets. Even when introducing a second stove, most households continued to use their traditional stoves for most cooking. Future research should focus on improving the usability of fuel-efficient cookstoves and/or policies that assist consumers to shift to safer fuels like gas or electricity coupled with mechanisms to disable the existing smoky cookfire.

Comparaison Des Consommations De Charbon De Bois Des Foyers Améliorés Et Des Foyers Métalliques, Une Approche Modélisée

A survey of households in a suburban area of Madagascar has enabled us to discern the use of improved cook stoves and metal charcoal stoves, depending on the socio-economic, cultural and technical factors characterizing the households. This study presents a model of charcoal consumption for these two stoves, using quantitative and qualitative variables. The models developed make it possible to compare the two stoves in terms of the average quantity of charcoal consumed monthly by the households. As a result, for both stoves, household size correlates positively with charcoal consumption, while price correlates inversely. A forecast charcoal price of 725 Ariary (local currency) per kilo results in an 11.3% drop in consumption, on average, for both types of charcoal stove. However, a 2.8% reduction in charcoal expenditure with improved cook stoves, and just 0.15% with metal stoves. Households with metal households are therefore less sensitive to price variations. The life-standing character of the electricity bill is also verified, i.e. wealthier families consume more electrical energy than poorer ones. With metal stoves, the number of baccalaureate holders correlates positively with charcoal consumption. As for the type of housing occupied by households, the better it is, the lower the charcoal consumption. Furthermore, it is proved that the charcoal saved by using improved cook stoves is only 2.44% by weight. Households using improved cook stoves consumed an average of 9.663 kg/cap/month, compared with 9.899 kg/cap/month for metal stoves. This is still a long way from the expected results. Market regulation, training and sensitizing activities concerning improved cook stoves are needed to achieve the objectives set and to ensure the sustainability of the programs promoting these stoves.