What is the name of your solution?
ECO STOVE
Provide a one-line summary of your solution.
Eco stove uses reusable volcanic rocks and solar instead of charcoal to cook, with benefits of lighting, phone charging, FM radio & mp3 music player.
Film your elevator pitch.
What specific problem are you solving?
According to research, in Uganda, 96% of the rural population relies on biomass for cooking and 89-90% of the population does not have a clean cookstove. About 19,700 Ugandans die every year from exposure to indoor air pollution (IAP). The contribution that firewood and charcoal make to Uganda’s GDP is estimated at US$48 million and US$26.8 million respectively (UNDP, 2011). Moreover, the excessive use of biomass for cooking has placed increasing pressure on natural resources, including forest reserves.
Charcoal production
Huge loss occurs during the production and consumption of charcoal. Nine bags of charcoal get lost through inefficient technologies used to convert wood into charcoal.
“Highly inefficient technologies of charcoal are used such that for every one tone of charcoal, seven to nine tones of trees are cut,” says Ayongyera. a private consultant“ For efficient technologies to be adopted there is a need to organize the charcoal production sector.” http://www.newvision.co.ug/section/53-395-Environment.html
Basic facts;
- 1 bag of charcoal=2-3 trees-
- an average family uses 2 bags of charcoal a month
- A bag of charcoal costs between $30-$35
- Only 10% of Ugandan households can access and afford the running cost of gas or electricity.
- 89% of Ugandans depend on charcoal or firewood as cooking fuel
- 1% use Bio-Gas
- Electricity is only found in urban areas so people in rural areas depend on kerosene lamps or camp-like fire for light.
- Every cook stove in the country has a running cost which is ever increasing.
WHO - on Indoor Air Pollution
Cooking and heating with solid fuels on open fires or traditional stoves result in high levels of indoor air pollution. Indoor smoke contains a range of health-damaging pollutants, such as small particles and carbon monoxide.
According to Global Health Risks: Mortality and burden of disease attributable to selected major risks indoor air pollution is responsible for 2.7% of the global burden of disease.
What is your solution?
The Eco Stove is an innovation in Uganda aimed at stopping indoor air pollution (AIP), conserving the environment as it saves the end-user cooking fuel costs.
It cooks with reusable heat-retaining volcanic rocks that save users the running cost, stones are smoke-free, provide light and phone charging, it is portable and can be used anywhere, both in urban, rural areas and camping. In order to increase its combustion, the stove has been adopted with an inbuilt air system that runs on solar which introduces forced air to the rocks to make it more efficient.
The stove uses 85% of local volcanic rocks got from the mountains of Kisoro in the western part of Uganda and only uses 15% of charcoal dust. The rocks are reusable for up to 8 months and retain heat much longer than any other cooking fuel. In the stove, charcoal dust is simply used as a firestarter for the rocks. From current research volcanic rocks have proved to be smoke-free and do not emit carbon emissions as it would be with charcoal or firewood.
The stove has an inbuilt forced air system that continuously blows air to the stones and thus increases combustion and the continued burning of stones, this comes with a heat regulator ( Eco dimmer dial) which helps with the adjustment of cooking heat temperature.
The stove comes with a solar power kit which includes a multi-purpose battery that provides energy for the inbuilt forced-air system. The battery keeps charge for up to 5 days meaning that one is safe even when the sun never shines for the next 5 days after a full charge, meals will be prepared without any hustle. More still, The battery can charge up to 5 phones and also comes with 2 solar bulbs to light up your home. The battery also comes with an FM radio player which features all local channels and also has an mp3 music player.
Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?
The Eco stove serves Energy-poor, Off grid households and businesses in Uganda whose dependency on wood and charcoal causes the greatest negative impact on Uganda's natural resources.
Uganda’s forests are disappearing at an alarming rate. Over 80 percent of the population in Uganda depends on biomass as their main source of energy.
How are you and your team well-positioned to deliver this solution?
Eco Group is the patent owner of the Eco stove technology which uses volcanic rocks which was intended to reach energy poor households in Uganda.
We have positioned our selves as manufacturers of this revolutional cooking technology, setup distribution hubs and agents in the different parts of Uganda to better reach the people that badly need the technology.
Which dimension of the Challenge does your solution most closely address?
Rapidly decarbonize heating and cooking systems in existing homes while improving efficiency.
Where our solution team is headquartered or located:
Kampala, UgandaOur solution's stage of development:
ScaleHow many people does your solution currently serve?
We have sofar served over 100,000 households in Uganda
Why are you applying to Solve?
We are applying to get support that will help the company to scale and reach more households to create a bigger impact.
In which of the following areas do you most need partners or support?
Product / Service Distribution (e.g. expanding client base)
Who is the Team Lead for your solution?
ROSE TWINE
What makes your solution innovative?
Yes!! The Eco stove is an innovative technology. The stove utilizes reusable volcanic rocks as opposed to the traditional way of cooking, where people have to entirely depend on charcoal and firewood to cook.
The use of the stove by the poor households significantly reduces the over dependency on charcoal and firewood.
What are your impact goals for the next year and the next five years, and how will you achieve them?
In the next one year we plan to have an automated production facility by upgrading to better and fast machinery to increase production.
In the next five years, we plan to have a bigger market share, with stoves being distributed and used by more energy poor households in East Africa having increased our production and improved our marketing strategy.
How are you measuring your progress toward your impact goals?
We are measuring progress by looking at how many people are using our product, switching to using volcanic rocks instead of using the ordinary inefficient stoves that use firewood or charcoal.
What is your theory of change?
Our theory of change is that we are changing people from the known traditional and inefficient cooking means which use charcoal and firewood to cook to the use of the Eco stove technology that utilizes reusable volcanic rocks and solar power to cook.
Describe the core technology that powers your solution.
The Eco Stove is an innovation in Uganda aimed at stopping indoor air pollution (AIP), conserving the environment as it saves the end-user cooking fuel costs.
It cooks with reusable heat-retaining volcanic rocks that save users the running cost, stones are smoke-free, provide light and phone charging, it is portable and can be used anywhere, both in urban, rural areas and camping. In order to increase its combustion, the stove has been adopted with an inbuilt air system that runs on solar which introduces forced air to the rocks to make it more efficient.
The rocks are reusable for up to 8 months and retain heat much longer than any other cooking fuel. From current research volcanic rocks have proved to be smoke-free and do not emit carbon emissions as it would be with charcoal or firewood.
The stove has an inbuilt forced air system that continuously blows air to the stones and thus increases combustion and the continued burning of stones, this comes with a heat regulator ( Eco dimmer dial) which helps with the adjustment of cooking heat temperature.
The stove comes with a solar power kit which includes a multi-purpose battery that provides energy for the inbuilt forced-air system. The battery keeps charge for up to 5 days meaning that one is safe even when the sun never shines for the next 5 days after a full charge, meals will be prepared without any hustle. More still, The battery can charge up to 5 phones and also comes with 2 solar bulbs to light up your home. The battery also comes with an FM radio player which features all local channels and also has an mp3 music player.
Which of the following categories best describes your solution?
A new application of an existing technology
Please select the technologies currently used in your solution:
Which of the UN Sustainable Development Goals does your solution address?
In which countries do you currently operate?
In which countries will you be operating within the next year?
What type of organization is your solution team?
For-profit, including B-Corp or similar models
How many people work on your solution team?
43
How long have you been working on your solution?
10 years
What is your approach to incorporating diversity, equity, and inclusivity into your work?
We recognize gender balance and hire people based on their competency and need in the company.
What is your business model?
Our business model is manufacturing and the distribution of the Eco Stoves to the energy poor households.
Do you primarily provide products or services directly to individuals, to other organizations, or to the government?
Individual consumers or stakeholders (B2C)What is your plan for becoming financially sustainable?
To increase production and improve distribution.
Solution Team
-
Rose Twine Director, Eco Group Limited
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Our Organization
ECO GROUP UGANDA LIMITED