Some field experiences with improved chulhas (cookstoves) introduced in rural households of Andhra Pradesh, India

Abstract Conservation of cooking energy used in rural households is an imminent need, particularly in areas where a shortage of traditional fuels is leading to commercialization of wood, or substitution of firewood with animal dung and crop residues which have alternate vital uses. Amongst the renewable energy technologies promoted by the Government, the improved chulha (cookstove) has the greatest scope for large scale adoption and energy conservation. Performance evaluation of fixed and portable model chulhas introduced in a dry farming, sorghum-eating area of the Telangana region, Andhra Pradesh, highlighted the importance of close monitoring during introduction and in the initial stages of use. Effective operation of the chulhas by users resulted in decreased fuel consumption of the order of 19.5 and 27.7% with fixed and portable models. The annual energy savings in a 5-member household averaged 284 and 507 kg, respectively.