SmartHome Stove

Target SDGs

Market Suggested Retail Price

$11.00

Target Users (Target Impact Group)

Household

Distributors / Implementing Organizations

UpEnergy Group Inc.

Competitive Landscape

Direct competitors include Kenyan Domestic Ceramic Jiko Stove, EcoZoom Jet, and Burn Jikokoa.

Manufacturing/Building Method

The SmartHome Stove is manufactured by Green Bio Energy and sold under UpEnergy's SmartHome brand. Green Bio Energy's Briketi Eco-Stove is made with locally available materials and manufactured by a locally trained workforce in Uganda. During the manufacturing process each worker specializes in one specific task, such as cutting the metal or assembling the parts of the stove.

Intellectural Property Type

Trademark

User Provision Model

Green Bio Energy is a socially-oriented business based in Kampala and works with an Integrated Management and Manufacturing Model named PAMOJA which means 'together' in Swahili. Through this model, independent companies manufacture and sell the Briketi Eco-Stove. Currently Green Bio Energy has two production factories and each one is registered under its own label, Clean Cooking Solutions based in Mukono and Cash Savings Solution based in Mbale. UpEnergy Group is a distribution company that sells Green Bio Energy's Briketi Eco-Stove under their SmartHome Brand. Users can obtain the product from any of UpEnergy Group's six regional hubs in Uganda, through local retailers, savings and credit cooperatives, or their NGO and MFI (Finn Fund, kiva, Global Hearthworks Foundation and others) partners.

Distributions to Date Status

Exact number unknown, however Green Bio Energy as of December 2016 had sold 47,101 Briketi Eco-Stoves. Currently 75% of Green Bio Energy's annual sales volume are UpEnergy Group orders.  

Design Specifications

The SmartHome Stove is an Improved Cook Stove (ICS) and its design is composed of a clay inner lining and a galvanized metal housing. The stove's housing is equipped with lateral airflows to benefit the combustion process, and has a combustion chamber door to prevent heat loss. Specifications:

• Maximum Pot Capacity: 10 L
• Dimensions (l/w/h): 270/270/270 mm

Product Schematics

Technical Support

UpEnergy offers customer education at the point of sale, as a way to ensure a correct usage of the product and strengthen its social and environmental benefits. Technical support may also be provided by SmartHome's Stove manufacturer, Green Bio Energy. Green Bio Energy offers 1 year warranty and carries out repairs on request.  

Replacement Components

None

Lifecycle

2 years, plus its free one-year warranty.

Manufacturer Specified Performance Parameters

Manufacturers specify a thermal efficiency of 40%, improved airflow, long lasting durability, low-cost, improved safety and better insulation as their performance targets.    

Vetted Performance Status

UN Clean Development Mechanism conducted the approved baseline and monitoring methodology AMS II G, which monitored important parameters:

• Annual or biennial check of operation of the project appliances.
• Annual check of the efficiency of the project appliances.
• Fraction of woody biomass saved by the project activity that can be established as non-renewable biomass, as per the methodological tool “Calculation of fraction of non-renewable biomass”.
• Leakage: the amount of woody biomass saved under the project that is used by non-project households/users (who previously used renewable energy sources) shall be assessed from surveys.

• Tier 3 for efficiency
• Tier 3 for safety

Safety

The safety concerns associated with the usage of charcoal burning cookstoves are primarily related with carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide emissions. To address this issue, Green Bio Energy constantly works to improved the stove's airflow system. Another significant safety concern is domestic accidents such as accidental burning or spill-overs, for which Green Bio Energy works to increase the isolation and stability of their cookstove technology.  

Complementary Technical Systems

None

Academic Research and References

Compliance with regulations

Unknown    

Evaluation methods

Baseline and monitoring methodology AMS-II.G “Energy efficiency measures in thermal editions of non-renewable biomass,” version 05. Water Boiling Test 4.2.3.

Other Information

UpEnergy Group offers other technologies such as solar lights and water purification devices. Additionally, SmartHome Stove's manufacturer Green Bio Energy also produces biomass briquettes under their Briketi.