Energy Research Centre

Mission

Energy Research Centre was established in 1983 and has pioneered work in the emerging area of biomass combustion and gasification, indoor air quality, biomethanation, and solar thermal applications. The Centre has developed 35 models of household and community stoves. As per the survey conducted by NCAER, 5 million cook stoves designed by the centre are in operation in India and other countries in the Asia-Pacific region. The Centre has been designated as the regional test center for testing cookstoves, solar thermal equipments and indoor air quality. In addition, 300 trainings have been conducted on stove manufacture and testing. The Centre has provided consultancy to a large number of countries in Asia - Pacific region such as Maldives, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Kiribati and Touvalu, in the area of cookstoves and solar thermal technologies. ERC has a state of the art lab for indoor air quality research.

Organization Type Non-Governmental Organization

Contact Information

This information has been removed as it is likely no longer accurate

Primary Initiatives, Target Populations, and Scope of Work:

None noted

Fuels/Technologies: Alcohol Fuels
Biogas
Biomass
Kerosene
Solar
Sectors of Experience: Education
Energy
Environment
Renewable Energy
Rural Development

Our Experience And Interest In The Four PCIA Central Focus Areas

Social/Cultural barriers to using traditional fuels and stoves:

The ERC provids training for implementation of National programme on Improved cookstoves in the states of Haryana, Himachal, U.P., Jammu and Kashmir, North eastern states etc. It has organised thousands of user awreness programmes in these states. In order to break the different sociocultural barriers, the Cenre has developed models of cookstoves suitable for sections of population having different social/ cultural background. A large number of audio-visulal modules were also developed.


Market development for improved cooking technologies:

Five million cook stoves designed by the Centre are in operation in India and other countries in the Asia-Pacific region. Pottery and cement models, which can be produced on mass scale were developed and persons were trained to fabricate these.


Technology standardization for cooking, heating and ventilation:

Thirty five models of stoves for cooking and heating in high altitutde were developed. The methodology for design of ventilated kitchen have been developed and a number of technical manuals have been prepared on cookstoves, indoor air quality and testing of cookstoves.


Indoor air pollution exposure and health monitoring:

A landmark study was conducted in three villages of Haryana state, in which lung fuction of women before and after the installation of Chulha were studied. Results showed that there was marked improvement of lung function in 23% women within 6 months of the installation of improved cookstoves

Relevant Publications or Studies

Technical manual on cookstove , RWEDP, FAO Edited Special issue of Glow on Indoor air quality Published nealy 40 research papers in international and national journals on different aspects of cookstoves.
Selected papers: Sharma, S.K., Environmental Hazards of Chimneyless Stoves, Presented at Regional Meeting on Rural Energy Programmes, MNES, Hyderabad, 25-26, Nov. 1998.
Sharma, S.K., Environmental Impact of Fixed Stoves with Chimneys, Presented at Regional Meeting on Rural Energy Programmes, MNES,Ahmedabad, Nov.5-6, 1998.
S.K.Sharma, R.K.Wanchoo and Suneetta Chopra. Performance of Mohini-U, A Singlee Pot Mud Cookstove: Proceedings 31th Intersociety of Energy Conversion Engineeering Conference, Washington D.C. ASME, vol.4, p 2269 -2273, 1996
S.K.Sharma, S.Chopra and R.K.Wanchoo Thermal performance of a single pot Chimneyless mud cookstove , National Bio-Energy Convention, Delhi. p.70 Dec. 1995
Sharma, S.K.,Satish,K. and Chopra.S., Thermal Performance of Metal Cladded Ceramic Sona Chulla.: Proceedings of National Solar Energy Convention, New Delhi,1992, Tata McGraw- Hill Publishing Company Ltd.New Delhi,1993 pp371-376.
Sharma,S.K., Singla, K.K.: NPIC in the states of Haryana & H.P.- Response of benificiaries, Antika,Vol. 4, 38-43 (1993)
Sharma,S.K., Chopra,S. and Tuli,R.: Develeopment of Abhinav/Jetan - Unified Model, Antika, Vol. 4, 70-82 (1993) Sharma,S.K.: Problems and Prospects of Integrated Rural Energy Programmes, Workshop On Rural Energy, Indian Association For Advancement Of Science, New Delhi, Jan.14-15, 1992
Sharma, S.K. : Biomass fuel systems in Gur & Khandsari industries in India, Proc. of the national Conference on Wood based energy systems in Rural & Village industries (Sponsored by FAO & NSIC), 28-30 Oct. 1991, New Delhi, India.
Sharma, S.K., Sethi, B.P.S. and Chopra, S. : Thermal Performance of an Improved cookstove - Rohini, Energy Conver. and Mgmt. 30(4), 409 (1990)
Sharma, S.K., Sethi, B.P.S. and Tuli, R.K. : Performanmce of the Bafleless Cookstove - Rohini, in 'Renewable Energy and Environment', A.N. Mathur and N.S. Rathore, editors, Proceedings of the National Solar Energy Convention, 1989, Udaipur, Himanshu Publishers, 1990, pp 239-244.

Our Contribution to the Partnership

The Energy Research Centre can conduct training programmes in design, fabrication, and testing of household and industrial stoves. It can conduct training programmes in indoor air quality monitoring and design of improved kitchens. It can conduct training programmes in fabrication of improved pottery kilns and fabrication of pottery stoves. It can prepare manuals on these aspects. The Centre has already prepared a number of technical manuals for FAO, MNES and ARECOP.