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A Comparative Study of Energy, Emissions, and Economic Efficiency of Various Cookstoves in Nepal

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Vegetation Fires and Pollution in Asia

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Abstract

The study has been conducted to compare nine different categories of stoves using various available fuels in Nepal. All the stoves were tested at Renewable Energy Test Station (RETS) following ISO-IWA recommended Water Boiling Test (WBT) version 4.2.3 along with the PM2.5 and CO emission measurement using Laboratory Emission Measurement System (LEMS) developed by Aprovecho Research Centre, USA. The high-power thermal efficiencies of tested stoves are found as induction stoves (90.63%), infrared stoves (75.58%), heating coils (48.26%), LPG (57.09%), kerosene stoves (46.56%), biogas (41.24%), pellet (42.15), biomass rocket stove (28.14%), and chimney stoves (24.75%). The maximum PM2.5 emission values are found for biomass fuel wood-burning stoves ranging from 289.144 to 458.068 mg/MJd, and no emission for LPG and biogas stoves. The CO emission ranged from 5.81 to 6.391 g/MJd for biomass burning stoves. Similarly, for other biogas stoves (4.67 g/MJd), LPG stoves (1.367 g/MJd), and kerosene stoves (0.314 g/MJd), the cost of cooking a standard meal was calculated to be the least in the highly efficient induction stove at NRs. 13.06 and cost the most in kerosene stoves at NRs. 47.29 per meal. Considering all the stoves’ performance parameters and the fuel cost, electric stoves are the best solution. However, the lack of a reliable grid electricity supply and the abundance of biomass resources in households indicates the need for further research and development to improve the efficiency of biomass and biogas stoves in Nepal until the cooking energy demand can be fully met through grid electricity.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Alternative Energy Promotion Center, Kathmandu, Nepal

    Narayan P. Adhikari & Shubha Laxmi Shrestha

  2. Institute of Engineering, Tribhuwan University, Kathmandu, Nepal

    Prajwal R. Shakya

  3. MinErgy Private Limited, Kathmandu, Nepal

    Suyesh Prajapati

Authors
  1. Narayan P. Adhikari
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  2. Prajwal R. Shakya
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  3. Shubha Laxmi Shrestha
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  4. Suyesh Prajapati
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Correspondence to Narayan P. Adhikari .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL, USA

    Krishna Prasad Vadrevu

  2. Center for Environmental Science in Saitama, Kazo, Saitama, Japan

    Toshimasa Ohara

  3. University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA

    Chris Justice

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Adhikari, N.P., Shakya, P.R., Shrestha, S.L., Prajapati, S. (2023). A Comparative Study of Energy, Emissions, and Economic Efficiency of Various Cookstoves in Nepal. In: Vadrevu, K.P., Ohara, T., Justice, C. (eds) Vegetation Fires and Pollution in Asia. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-29916-2_19

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