Upesi Stove

Country:
Kenya
Why to choose this solution?
The Upesi Stove meets the needs of its users for a clean, efficient and fast-cooking stove, save firewood, produce much less smoke with improved kitchen health, safety and hygiene compared to the ordinary cookstoves.
Savings per day or production:
Savings of up to KShs. 7,200 (USD72) per year (rural wages average KShs. 600 (USD 6) per month), KSH 20 (USD 0.20) on firewood per day.
Cost in money and in own time to construct:
Costs KSH 1000-4000( USD 10-40)
Lifetime:
4 years.
Maintenance needed:
Occasional repair of ceramic liners.
Resources needed in use:
Dry firewood, can also burn crop waste, such as maize stalks and cobs, and animal dung.
Problems and limits:
Produces some smoke, a good ventilation is needed in the kitchen.
Where and how can you get it or make it?
Is available at Keyo Pottery Womens group storage facility in Kisumu County, Kenya.
Skills needed to produce, install. maintenance, use:
The production of Ceramic liners require pottery skills and training in stove installation. The ceramic liners are bought by marketing groups or installers. Maintenance and use need short introduction only.
How to use it:
https://youtu.be/TRXP8l4MKfc
How to maintain it:
Not relevant
Climate effect (if any):
Fuel savings of 90 kilogrammes per month for each household usingUpesi stoves, representing 40 percent savings in fuel use, which can have a positive environmental and climate effect in terms of less felling of trees.
Where it is used and how many users are there?
Used in some rural and urban households in Kenya, with over 1500 users.
Why is it successful?
Successful because is it efficient, low in smoke and affordable. They are also known to the local market for the quality of their products.
If you can make it, a short description, typical problems, materials needed.:
Materials needed include clay liner, water, flat or round stones, anthill soil, murram or a mixture of soft sub-soil, sand and ash. It needs a skilled potter to make.
How to make it (if possible):
To be added
How is it delivered and by whom?
A number of organisations involved in renewable energy purchase the products from them directly for onward selling. In total, the group has 42 stable customers who purchase from them on a regular basis. Global Village Energy Partnership (GVEP) also facilitates networking for all players in the value chain, in order to ensure effective reach of energy products to the market. They have links with artisans in Kisumu town who buy their stoves in bulk. Different actors or intermediaries involved in the marketing chain, include stove producers, distributors, retailers, promoters and installers.
Successful financial model
What policies and strategies helped the success?
The marketing strategy which was based on insights gained from a visit to an Intermediate Technology Development Group (ITDG) stove project in Sri Lanka, as well as a marketing study in the project area eased the transition from a controlled market to a relatively free market, where the prices reflected the full costs of production, marketing and provided a reasonable profit margin.
More info:
http://www.bioenergylists.org/stovesdoc/Kenya/05_Kenya.pdf
Sources:
Name of the association uploading the case:
SusWatch Kenya
When was the case uploaded? (YYYY-MM-DD):
2020-08-18