India: Breathing Space Programme

Berkeley Air partnered with the Shell Foundation to assess the real-word impact of its Breathing Space Programme (BSP), which is promoting a range of improved biomass stoves through its implementing partner Envirofit International. BSP aims to achieve a material, verifiable, long-term reduction in indoor air pollution at the global level by deploying approaches that are market oriented and commercially viable.

From February through September 2008, Berkeley Air collaborated with the Environmental Health Engineering Department at Sri Ramachandra University in Chennai, India, to conduct a series of field tests of improved household biomass for the Shell Foundation. The study’s primary objective was to measure the potential of these stoves to reduce health-damaging air pollution in rural homes. Secondary objectives included estimating fuel savings from the use of these stoves as well as assessing household members’ attitudes towards and acceptance of the new stoves.

Berkeley Air conducted monitoring and evaluations of advanced rocket stoves through Controlled Cooking Tests (CCTs) in Southern India in 2010. The CCTs measured fuel use, direct stove emissions, and indoor air pollution concentrations (IAP) through the cooking of a standard meal (rice). A before-and-after study was also conducted on of the advanced rocket stoves in 2011. The study explored the nature and extent of the advanced stove’s impacts on cooking patterns, stove perceptions, and socioeonomic factors such as time and monetary savings. relative to the traditional chulha. Temperature sensors were also used to measure traditional chulha and advanced stove usage.

2010 Shell India CCT
Chennai, India

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