[Stoves] $1.50 Charcoal Stove

[cornelio torrijos]

Dear Crispin,

First of all, I wish to express my thanks to you and to all those who post
comments in this forum.
I have expanded my knowledge greatly about biomass combustion and heat
transfer from your current and past sharing.Your suggestion to Kobus Venter
to place holes to allow entry of secondary air above the burning charcoal.
This was later reinforced by Kevin Chisholm and so I did as you and Kevin
suggested.

The primary reason for the low US $ 1.50 price is mainly because available
clay stoves sell for less about $1.00 while metal clad cement ones sell for
about 1.50 depending on the size. These are sold retail at these retail
prices in public markets in Metro Manila. Stoves that double as
charcoal/wood burning stoves made of metal are also available at about
$1.50.

The intended primary beneficiaries of the "improved charcoal stove" are the
30% of families who are in the lowest income groups, therefore the target
price is so low to ensure increased penetration of this segment of the
population.

By setting such a low price target for myself I am also forcing myself to
find ways to bring costs down. One of the things I am exploring is the use
of a clay/sawdust rocket charcoal burner as shown by Aprovecho. Clay is
abundant here in the Philippines. I may also try a clay/carbonized rice hull
mix. The problem is the metal cladding to ensure that the tall rocket
charcoal stove endures daily use without being easily damaged.

You are also right in saying that poor can be spending irrationally. This is
also very true in this country where the poor, mostly men, can spend in one
drinking spree, their week"s wages on gin, beer or tuba, local alcoholic
beverage from coconut trees.

I realize that the "right" price should be above $1.50 to allow for
promotions costs and profits for artisans who will be making the improved
stoves in each of the 75 provincial capitals.

A stainless sheet, 12" wide and 6" tall that is rolled into a 7.4" x 6""
tube burner costs me $1.00; a screen wire with 0.45 inch mesh used as grate
costs me $1.00 per square yard. A meter long 1" angle iron from  which can
be cut three pieces 2" long to serve as the three legs to raise the burner
above the ground can  purchased at junk shops for $0.50 per kilo. All in
all, the expected material costs would be under $1.50. No provision for
labor or marketing costs.

I do not intend myself to undertake production or marketing of improved
charcoal or wood stoves. My purpose is to make reasonable prototypes and
then to demonstrate these in some (a few) public markets and provincial
trade fairs and let the artisans in these places take over.

Thank you for your interest in my non-technical comments. I am an avid
student of all the suggestions and demonstrated (photos and videos)
developments you and other stovers are providing so freely.

I have read and admire your philosophy of excellence explained in your
website.I once worked in the marketing department  a company which had a
corporate slogan: "Profit with honor."

Thank you. All the best.

Cornelio

On 5/2/07, Crispin Pemberton-Pigott <crispinpigott at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Dear Cornelio
>
> Your last comment was:
>
> >...Or alternatively, to produce a charcoal
> >stove that retails for US $ 1.50.
>
> I am very interested to know why you think that the stove should cost so
> little.  I received the same info from a consultant for an African city in
> which people cook with charcoal.
>
> I am usually told that people cannot afford a stove costing more, or that
> they are so used to paying $1.50 that they will not spend more on a more
> expensive stove.
>
> Yet the same people pay $12 for a bag of charcoal that is wasted on the
> $1.50 stove, when a $4.00 stove would use only 1/2 as much charcoal.  This
> is a very interesting time to be promoting charcoal stoves and the devices
> used as so badly designed (if indeed they are designed at all) that there
> is
> nowhere to go but up.
>
> It seems obvious to me that offering 1/2 a bag of charcoal for $6.00 and a
> $5.00 stove that uses 1/2 as much fuel, lowers emissions and looks nice
> and
> last a long time is an attractive "value proposition".
>
> So...why is the $1.50 retail a target price for an improved stove in
> Manilla?
>
> Many thanks
> Crispin in Johannesburg
> (where poor people do not cook with charcoal!)
>
>
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