Our research focuses on a resource efficient use of raw material, and the development of innovative processes for exploitation and recycling of left over biomass as an easy manageable energy source. In Burkina Faso, similar to other countries, up to 90% of the energy supply is taken from non-regenerative resources such as forest wood or carbon. With dramatic consequences for natural resources and local eco systems, in form of deforestation, salinization and erosion of fertile soils, and a growing urban population demanding sustainable solutions with regard to their energy needs. ClimateSol analyses the access to raw material and optimizes their recycling as a biological fuel, including by developing new instruments and evaluation methods for supply chains to reduce transport costs and invent smart service ordering systems. Examples are the development of pellets from leftover biomass and storage systems independent from atmospheric humidity, the optimisation of a pellet production technology with extreme low energy requirements (40Kwh per ton).
The Climate stove has replaced traditional wood stoves and fireplaces. The pre-fabricated assembling concept allows for industrial scale pre-fabrication and a welding free mounting by local tinners and stove distributors. Local energy suppliers distribute climate stoves and pellets to the households.
The pyrolysis gasifier uses pellets as a fuel for cooking and produces bio char during the cooking process. By an oxygen low devolatilization the pellets are transformed into gas, producing a flame similar to butan or propan gas. The climate stove is low in green gas emission, has an adjustable smokeless flame, and provides high user comfort.
Bio char from the climate stoves is re-collected from the households and can be used in different applications, here in agriculture; Farmers use bio char in Terra Preta – Amazonian Dark Earth, which leads to a carbon-rich soil fertilisation and improved harvest results. Agriculture again provides rest biomass for the pellets production. The cycle economy is complete.
“The “left over” biomass from plant oil production is transformed into pellets as an energy resource. Pellets may also be produced from reed, rice husk or any rest biomass.
Implementation of an empirical model to create indicators of improved decision-making performance, which is the ultimate, but usually unmeasurable, goal of system implementation. User involvement can be viewed as a special case of participative decision making PDM; involvement may lead to improved system quality as well as increased user acceptance, reflected in increased use of and satisfaction with the system. Involvement is seen as a necessary condition for decreasing resistance and increasing acceptance of planned changes. CEC investigates the empirical conclusion that user involvement in system development leads to increased user information satisfaction and increased system usage.