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Using our unique InfraRed stove use monitor (EXACT sensor), we can measure the usage frequency and duration of any stove type easily. Studies have shown that trying to monitor usage with questionnaires is hard and often plagued by courtesy bias and recall error. With our sensors we can monitor any stoves present in the household to get either a snapshot of the often complex usage pattern or to look at the adoption dynamic on longer periods.

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Lab tests are useful as a first assessment of a stove performance but you really need to test a stove in the field to assess how it actually performs in real life. With a series of Uncontrolled Cooking Tests and a probe we can measure emissions during cooking tasks done by local cooks. We can measure CO2, CO, PM2.5, Black Carbon and Organic Carbon and derive emission factors (per kg of fuel) and emission rates (per minute of cooking). We can deliver studies compliant with the GS Black Carbon methodology.

The use of solid fuel exposes households to harmful levels of PM2.5. To assess the health impact of a clean cooking intervention, we measure the reduction of the cook’s PM2.5 exposure. The HAPIT online tool can then translate these measurements in Averted Disease Adjusted Life Years (ADALY).

We use our small and silent constant flow pump (uPump) and a Triplex cyclone to collect 1.5 LPM of air during 48h. We can also deploy a light scattering real time PM sensor (HAPEx) to get insight into the timing and duration of the PM events. When combined with Stove Use Monitors (like the EXACT), the HAPEx can help pinpoint which stove is emitting the Particulate Matter the cook is exposed to.

In addition to personal exposure measurement, we can also perform area concentration measurement of PM2.5 in different micro environments (like the kitchen, living room, bedroom, etc…) to help explain the exposure pattern of different members of the household. Our sampler may be deployed outdoor by using a specially designed housing.

We can also deploy up to eight high volume samplers to measure the outdoor ambient PM2.5 concentration in different locations of the study area. Ambient measurements are useful to understand what portion of the personal exposure can be attributed to sources outside of the household.

We typically use PTFE filters with PMP ring (MTL 37mm filter 3um pore size). They are weighed in our lab using a micro balance in a controlled environment (regulated temperature and relative humidity). Our filters are equilibrated for at least 48 hours before measurements. We also systematically use blanks to determine the limit of detection of our measurements.

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The climate impact of a clean cooking intervention can be tied directly to the fuel consumption reductions it achieves. However, measuring real life fuel consumption without influencing cooking behavior is challenging.

The Kitchen Performance Test (KPT), the current go-to method, does require household visits every 24h, it is labor intensive and has been shown to influence the cook’s behavior.

We use instead the FUEL sensor, a data logging scale developed in partnership with Oregon State University. The FUEL sensor measures and records the fuel mass every 4 seconds. Multiple sensors can be deployed to measure the concurrent use of different fuel types. Firewood, Agricultural Residues and charcoal are measured with a hanging scale while LPG is measured with a compressive scale.

This unique solution provides an unobtrusive way to gain very detailed insights in complex fuel usage patterns. It solves many of the KPT’s shortcomings while being both more cost effective and more accurate.

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Guidelines on Kitchen Performance Test using sensors are available here.