ARPEDAC work and interest in household energy, indoor air pollution and health.

Aims:

ARPEDAC aims to demonstrate and advocate the sustainable use of technology to reduce poverty in Central Africa Sub-region general and in the Cameroon in particular. Our mission is to improve the quality of life of low income people in the Central Africa Sub-region through Energy Efficiency Technologies including improve stove, and through use of sustainable, safe and affordable energy small scale off-grid electricity technologies supply and services. Regarding indoor smoke alleviating technologies, ARPEDAC is doing research, capacity building and raising awareness on waste to energy (fuel briquette), improve stove, ventilation system to improve indoor air quality. ARPEDAC is also carrying on research and advocacy to create favourable policy to improve low cost homes, including waste management (briquette from waste, biogas from human manure and waste), waste water recycling systems.  

Initiatives/targets/scale:

 ARPEDAC is a non-profit association involved in research and promotion of services and technologies related to energy efficiency and renewable energy in the Economic Community of Central Africa.

In the three years (2012 – 2015) in Cameroon ARPEDAC is planning to support families and children in achieving access to low cost technologies to improve their living conditions including improved indoor air quality as the result of carrying on research on cooking/lighting energy needs (for poor family/ schools ) in the capital Yaoundé, organising awareness campaign, capacity building, promoting access to good lighting, safe drinking water, household good sanitation and low cost clean energy kits. In summary our projected energy poverty relief targets for the next three years period are as follow:  

- 20,000 Solar lighting Kit for poor family
- 10 water solar pumps for schools
- 1000 Bio-sands filters for clean water
- 1000 improve stoves for poor family/ schools

- 1000 tonnes briquettes for cooking on the improve stove
- 300 m3 Biogas plan for cooking/lighting for poor family/ schools
- 1000 low energy bulbs / poor families
- 1000 Alternative water boiler Tech (Low Cost Solar Thermal ) / poor families

Set up in Cameroon, by 2015 in partnership with private and government a briquette manufacturing company.   

Social/Cultural barriers

Lack of clear policy and politic related to energy efficiency and renewable energy. Awareness about energy efficiency and renewable energy technology including improved cooking technologies is non-existent in some areas of Cameroon. Some of the main social/cultural barriers to using energy efficiency and renewable energy in that the popular three-stones fireside also serve as a source of indoor heating and light in the kitchen, in addition some low income families believe that smoke keeps away mosquitoes. Also poverty is still very high and very few families especially in the rural areas can afford improved technologies.

Market development for improved cooking technologies:

  ARPEDAC is working to establish a market-based institutional delivery system of IAP alleviating technologies. To create demand, our focus is on awareness creation, credit facility, increase access to quality and smooth supply of products and income generation. To ensure supply, focus is on credit facility, training on manufacturing and business management, and support in marketing strategy.

ARPEDAC is working to developing through collaboration with governments, industry, universities, and research bodies, affordable products, practices, services and to establish a market-based institutional delivery system of improved indoor air quality technologies.  Our focus is on research and development, capacity building, awareness creation, increase access to quality and smooth supply of products and income generation.

Technology standardization for cooking, heating and ventilation:

ARPEDAC in order to ensure high quality of energy efficiency technologies in the Cameroonian in particular and Central Africa market in general we are trying to establish an independent testing and advisory services for low cost energy efficient cooking, heating and ventilation technologies including improve cooking.  We also trying to work and lobbying with governments, industry, universities, and research bodies to set up a standard for low income homes including related cooking, heating and ventilation technologies.

Indoor air pollution exposure and health monitoring:

ARPEDAC is currently monitoring the following (i) the first ten Biosand water filters, ( ii) five improve stove (3 clay stove and 2 wood gas stove), and 100kg briquettes (from waste paper and sawdust)  which have  been all manufacturing at ARPEDAC workshop. The boiling test has being used for the stoves. ARPEDAC is also using impact monitoring questionnaires. The monitoring is expected to be complete by the end 2011.

 Our Contribution to the Partnership

ARPEDAC in Cameroon in particular and the Central Africa sub-region in general can:

-          Share research findings, experiences and case studies.

-          Engage actively in lobbying and advocacy work to influence local, regional or national strategy and policy in relation to household energy, indoor air pollution and health.

-          Organise workshops, seminars, and International conferences, and promoting household energy, indoor air pollution and health energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies and eco-buildings in Central Africa

-          Provide to member of the network an independent testing and advisory services for low cost energy efficient cooking, heating and ventilation technologies including improve cooking.

 Relevant Publications or Studies

 (i)  Research on low income Household Energy Needs in Yaoundé 2, Cameroon

(ii)  Position paper on How Eco-house could contribute to reduce poverty and improve the quality of life of low income families in Cameroon