Challenge
Three billion people cook their meals over open biomass fires. Toxic smoke from these fires leads to over four million respiratory-related deaths every year and release significant amounts of CO2 and produce a staggering 25% of global black carbon emissions. Most households lack reliable access to electricity; 1.2 billion people have no access to electricity at all, forcing them to use dirty, expensive kerosene lamps for lighting.
Description
The HomeStove mitigates 2.5 tons of CO2 annually and produces 2W of on-demand electricity from the heat of the cooking flame. A single session of cooking can fully charge a mobile phone or provide an evening's worth of light. It is suitable for households using locally available fuels and unfamiliar with top-fed operation.
Outcomes
BioLite HomeStove has mitigated over 2.5 tons of CO2 annually per stove and produced 2W of on-demand electricity from the heat of the cooking flame. This innovation has retailed over 25,000 units in East Africa and India, significantly decreasing household fuel use and improving electricity access.
