Independent Consultant

Mission

My biomass fuel, brand name Char-wood, burns like wood and when the fire is extinguished, it continues to emit heat like live charcoal. It is a substitute for expensive Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) and the eco-destructive wood fuel and charcoal. Its use worldwide could lessen the destruction of trees in the mountains for fuel purposes, hence it would have a positive impact on the climate and the environment. Not a single tree will be cut down for its production. Leftovers of crops and industral by-products like sawdust and waste paper materials will be used for its production. Its method of production is 100% a recycling process.

My project is the production of an eco-friendly biomass fuel. It needs efficient stoves that meet the standards of PCIA. My fuel and very efficient stoves could help address the global problem of climate change in the sense that the use of my fuel worldwide could lessen the demand for wood fuel and charcoal and so help conserve our environment while the efficient stoves protect the health of household users.

Organization Type Independent Consultant

Contact Information

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

Primary Initiatives, Target Populations, and Scope of Work:

The implementation of my project on a wide scale is beyond me, so I submitted a project proposal to our Department of Energy. My propsal is under evaluation by them. The head of our Department of Energy is Honorable Secretary Angelo T.Reyes. My contact persons are Mr. Mario C. Marasigan, Director, Energy Utilization Bureau, with e-mail: mmarasig@doe.gov.ph and Mr. Jorge Vincent R. Bitoon, Alternative Fuels & Energy, Technology Division, with e-mail address: jbitoon@doe.gov.ph

Hopefully, through PCIA organizations worldwide, private and government, would take cognizance of my fuel and promote its use in their respective countries, all for the common good which is the conservation of our environment.

Fuels/Technologies: Biomass
biomass
Sectors of Experience: Renewable Energy
Invention- with 2 patents: 1.Biomass fuel 2. Board Game
Countries of Operation: Philippines

Our Experience And Interest In The Four PCIA Central Focus Areas

Social/Cultural barriers to using traditional fuels and stoves:

In the Philippines, I can safely say that majority of Filipinos use LPG powered stoves because of their efficiency. However, due to the global economic crisis and LPG is getting more and more expensive, the trend is changing. Many Filipinos now use traditional fuels and stoves with LPG powered stove as reserve. And here lies the problem - more and more people use wood fuel and charcoal, so the cutting down of trees in the mountains for fuel purposes goes unabated. For this reason, I believe that the use of my renewable biomass fuel should be encouraged, not only in the Philippines but worldwide.


Market development for improved cooking technologies:

I believe that private organizations and governments should undertake a vigorous and continuing campaign to develop the market for improved cooking technologies. In the Philippines, there are many award-winning stoves during the annual Philippine Inventors Week. But due to lack of sufficient capital on the part of the inventors,their award-winning stoves gather dust. They have no chance against the hi-tech LPG powered stoves which are advertized on the national TV and backed up by well-financed marketing strategies.


Technology standardization for cooking, heating and ventilation:

I think technology standardization for cooking, heating and ventilation for modern cooking devices is in place. But maybe it is hard to implement this standardization on conventional or traditional cooking stoves which currently undergo improvements on their performance. However, such standardization should be encouraged but with clear-cut criteria for the guidance of creative persons who experiment on new and
improved stoves.


Indoor air pollution exposure and health monitoring:

Such monitoring is indeed ideal but in the Philippines, especially in typical Filipino households, it may not be feasible. Households in rural areas had been using traditional stoves since time immemorial and they had developed their own practical ways on how to avoid health hazards posed by wood fuel and charcoal, so they may find such monitoring unnecessary.

Relevant Publications or Studies

None noted

Our Contribution to the Partnership

My fuel could help boost the marketability of improved stoves. I think one barrier in
the acceptance of improved stoves is that they still use charcoal or wood fuel. Charcoal blackens the hand of the user and its kindling time is quite long; wood fuel is bulky. In other words, the use of wood fuel and charcoal is time consuming and cumbersome.

My fuel, on the other hand, is clean on hand and with a spoonful of kerosene and lighting it up, the fuel can be used in split second. Pieces of paper in lieu of kerosene could be used. My fuel production could also be a source of livelihood in the community as long as some organization or government take the initiative on helping them out, especially on information dissemination and teaching them on how to make the fuel.