Biolite Homestove

BioLite

BioLite Homestove is a biomass cookstove that generates electricity from waste heat while cooking. It can charge mobile phones and LED lights through an on-board USB port.

Snapshot
Manufacturing & delivery
Performance & use
Research & standards
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Product description

BioLite Homestove is a biomass cookstove that generates electricity from waste heat while cooking. It can charge mobile phones and LED lights through an on-board USB port.

Target region(s)

Kenya, India, Uganda.

Distributors/implementing organizations

BioLite distributes through locally enbedded credit enablers.

Market suggested retail price

$40 – $70 USD

Competitive landscape

There are hundreds of clean cookstoves. A list of nearly 300 is available in the Clean Cooking Catalog.

Three stone fires and inefficient, traditional stoves.

SDG targeted

Goal #7: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all

Target user(s)

Off-grid households in need of an efficient stove and a source of light at night or a source of energy to charge mobile devices.

Manufacturing/building method(s)

Mass produced.

Product Intellectual Property

IP Protected (Patent Unknown)

User Provision Model

Consumer retail sales through local partners

Distribution to date

20,000 ^(interview with representative)

Fields marked are sourced values that have been evaluated by the manufacturer or a third party, all others are design specifications.

IWA emissions: IWA high power CO (g/MJ-del)

3.18 ^(interview with representative)

IWA high power PM (mg/MJ-del)

128.2 ^(interview with representative)

IWA low power CO (g/min/L)

0.05 ^(interview with representative)

IWA efficiency: IWA high power thermal efficiency (%)

45.3%^(interview with representative)

IWA low power specific consumption (MJ/min/L)

0.036 ^(interview with representative)

IWA indoor emissions: IWA CO (g/min)

Low power 0.2 g/min High power 0.3 g/min ^(interview with representative)

Fuel types

Wood, Dung, Biomass, Crop residues

Pot type accommodated (Flat bottom/Round bottom)

It accomodates both flat and round bottom ^(interview with representative)

Cold start thermal efficiency (%)

39% ^(interview with representative)

Fuel consumed (g/task)

from 42.73 g/L (hot start) oto 60.06 g/L (cold start) ^(interview with representative)

Hot start thermal efficiency (%)

52% ^(interview with representative)

Cold start firepower (W)

3,621 W ^(interview with representative)

Hot start firepower (W)

3,504 W ^(interview with representative)

Mean time to boil (mins)

5/L water Time to boil one pot 17-23 minutes ^(interview with representative)

Design specifications

Fuels: Biomass, Crop residues, Dung, Wood Materials: Metal Includes a fan, thermoelectric generator, and pot skirt
Dimensions (cm): 27 x 27 x 31 Weight (kg): 8.0
From the Clean Cooking Catalog

Product schematics

The stove has a Patented thermoelectric technology that provides on-demand electricity to
charge mobile phones & run an LED light.

Technical support

The stove needs only slight maintenance and is designed for easy field service. A trained general technician may be necessary for maintenance of critical parts, and Biolite trains field distribution partners to do the work.

Replacement components

BioLite assembles the stove completely, but they provide field distribution partners with parts, training, and financial incentives for continued service.

Lifecycle

Five years. It has a one-year manufacturer warranty.

Manufacturer specified performance targets

Cleaner air, reduction in CO2 emissions Reduction of indoor smoke by 90% Elimination of up to 2.5 tons of green house gas emissions per stove per year Chargeelectronic devices Generates electricity (2W) from its waste heat $200 saved annually 50% less fuel

Vetted performance

Specific consumption: 114 g fuel/kg food Time to cook food: 51 min Time to boil: 5 min/ 1 L water, 20 min / 5 L water Weight of remaining char: 116 g

USB Power Output Peak: 1.5W @ 5V Charging Time: 20 minutes of charging provides 60 minutes of talk time Source: Clean Cooking Catalog

Testing organizations

Renewable Energy and New Materials Institute, US EPA according to the Clean Cooking Catalog.

Safety

Unrated.

Keep all flammable items away from the surrounding area of the stove, and do not enclose the area you are cooking within; proper ventilation is always required. Do not touch the body of the stove while in use.

Complementary technical systems

Unknown

Academic research

Jetter, J.J., Kariher, P., Solid-fuel hosehold cook stoves: characterization of performance and emissions. Biomass and bioenergy. 2009;33:2294-305

Jetter, J., et al., Pollutant emissions and energy efficiency under controlled conditions for household biomass cookstoves and implications for metrics useful in setting international test standards. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2012;46(19):10827-10834.

Anenberg, S.C., et al., Cleaner cooking solutions to achieve health, climate, and economic cobenefits. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2013;47(9):3944-3952.

Compliance with regulations

Testers rated the performance of this stove according to tier rankings established by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO)’s International Workshop Agreement (IWA).

The testers rated this stove on emissions, indoor emissions and efficiency (but it was not tested on safety).

Evaluation methods

Controlled Cooking Test (CCT 2.0)

Other information

Awards this stove design has won: World Design Impact Prize, 2013-2014 2013 Public Interest Design Global 100 2013 Core 77 Social Impact Design Award 2012 Tech Awards Nokia Health Prize 2012 Fast Company Innovation by Design Award, 2011 St. Andrews Prize for the Environment 2010 Vodafone Innovation Prize 1st place in the 2010 Sustainable Brands Innovation Open

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