With 2011 already a month old, we thought it wise to post a quick update on our plans for the year. At the moment, Restio Energy consulting is busy with 2 projects in Africa:

1. Monitoring the off-grid Solar Home System concession utility in the Eastern Cape (we form part of the monitoring team headed up by BURGEAP and the Energy & Development Group). Client: KfW and the South African Department of Energy.

2. Creating a market for solar PV in the Kigoma region (Eastern Tanzania). Client: Millennium Challenge Account.

There are a number of very exciting consulting opportunities in the pipeline, so watch this space.

StoveTec Stoves, Barefoot Solar Lighting products and Wonderbag efficient cookers are all available from a number of retailers, including AgriMark (KaapAgri).

For most people, Arbor week has always been about planting trees: it is something very visible, tangible and allows one to leave a legacy that will more than likely last several generations. However, when planting, we also need to think about saving trees. Most forests in the world are concentrated in the developing world. This situation is quickly changing as agriculture and especially cooking is driving deforestation in some of the world’s poorest countries. South Africa is no exception, where rising electricity and fossil-fuel prices are driving increasing numbers of people (more than 2 million households already) to use wood and charcoal to meet their daily energy needs. Worldwide, more than 3 billion people (half of the world’s population) rely on wood, charcoal or dung to cook their meals, heat their houses and boil water.

Not only does the use of open fires constitute a serious health risk (Indoor Air Pollution kills one person every 20 seconds) and contribute significantly to climate change, but it is also one of the key drivers behind deforestation. Open fires are notoriously inefficient, with the vast majority of energy being lost, forcing households to use much more wood or charcoal than necessary.

Arbor week is therefore not only a time to plant trees, but also to save them: a simple yet effective way of doing this is through using highly-efficient rocket stoves. These stoves use at least 50% less wood and emit up to 70% less smoke and greenhouse gasses. They also keep their heat for hours, serving a dual purpose as both stove and heater. The stoves are developed by the Aprovecho Research Centre in the USA, specifically for low-income households who frequently use wood or charcoal. They consist of a sheet metal outer cover, cast-iron stovetop and (most importantly) aerated ceramic clay inner. About 100 000 of these stoves are in use in India and China and they last at least 2 years if used daily.

For more information on the StoveTec rocket stoves, please contact Restio Energy on (021) 850 0771 or stoves@restio.co.za. The stoves are retailing for between R300 and R400 (depending on the model) and wholesale prices are also available for those interested retailing the stoves in their area.

It seems that ever more people are catching the StoveTec fire, with Popular Mechanics and Tuis/Home magazines featuring the stove in their September 2010 editions. You can also win a stove in competitions hosted by these magazines, so be sure to get your hands on them as soon as possible.

We now have over 40 agents in South Africa (as well as Namibia and Swaziland). However, there are still important areas not yet covered (e.g. Durban, Kimberley, Lesotho and large areas of the Eastern Cape). If you’re interested in retailing the stove in these areas, please let us know.

We are also retailing an exciting new companion product called a Hot Box. The Hot Box is a simple, fantastic energy saver that works brilliantly as a companion product to the StoveTec stove, as it allows 2 dishes to be cooked at the same time, eliminating the need for a second plate.

So how does it work? Well, you simply bring your food to the boil, put it in the Hot Box and leave it for the next hour or two. The Hot Box is so efficient that, if you put your food into it in the morning just before leaving for work, you’ll have a hot, tasty dinner ready and waiting for you when you return home in the evening. The golden rule with the hot box is: the longer, the better. It is therefore ideal for curries, stews and soups. It also works brilliantly when preparing rice, potatoes and sources of starch. The Hot Boxes are made by HIV-positive single mothers from Khayelithsa, for who this is an important source of income. Call us on (021) 850 0771 or email us for more info.

The Voice,  one of Botswana’s biggest newspapers, published an article on the StoveTec stove on Friday, the 16th of April. The article states that “…there is huge market potential for these stoves in Botswana…” and does a great job of expounding the virtues of the product. Read all about it here.

The Ashden Awards has also published a report on efficient biomass stoves, calling them “the secret weapon against poverty and climate change”. The report goes into relatively great detail on the problem/reasons for the stoves, the products themselves and users’ experiences. It’s a great read that you can download here.

…It’s the sound of 2010 rushing by. And we’re only NOW getting time to post an update on our blog. Our silence is due to a number of factors – no reliable internet for 2 months, consecutive trips to Tanzania, deadlines…

To try and remedy the situation, a quick update on our activities:

1. We are very busy with a project for UNIDO on the reduction of Tanzania’s Agro-processing carbon footprint. We are working with Paul Harris of Integrated Energy Solutions and it is proving to be a very insightful project with enormous potential and a lot of exciting opportunities.

2. Setting up a market for efficient biomass stoves in Southern Africa is hard work – Francois is either glued to his computer screen, juggling 2 or 3 phones, running to the post office with a new batch of delivery orders or training entrepreneurs on the stove use. We will be marketing more aggressively in the coming months, so keep your eyes peeled – and come visit us at the Hearth Fair in Stellenbosch on Easter Weekend!

The Upcoming Heart Fair

3. … I wish I could say more, but just know that there are some very exciting opportunities in the making, which is bound to revolutionize the South African household energy landscape.

We are still looking for retailers of the StoveTec Stoves in South Africa and the whole SADC region, so please let us know if you are interested. Oh, and be sure to check out the fantastic feedback we are getting from StoveTec users on our website (www.restio.co.za) in the “Testimonials” section.

For more regular updates, remember to follow us on twitter: www.twitter.com/restioenergy

Restio Energy will be moving at the end of this week to a new office in Somerset West. Our new address will be:

Shop 12, Orange House, 63 Caledon House, Somerset West, South Africa.

The new office will also have a retail space attached to it, where we will be selling StoveTec Stoves and other innovative renewable energy and energy efficiency products. Please come drop by and check out our new space. Here’s a map for your viewing pleasure:

View Larger Map

Restio Energy has hit the ground running, with an interview on Radio Sonder Grense, an article in the January edition of Weg/Go Magazine, UNIDO project in Tanzania and an office move. 2010 will see us building on the foundation laid for efficient biomass stove market development, with the aim of serving the entire Southern African market. Organisations looking to partner with us in this endeavour are more than welcome to contact us. 2010 is the year of Africa and we will play our role in assuring that the momentum created moves the continent towards sustainability.

Watch this space for exciting developments (and remember to connect with us on twitter/facebook).

Aprovecho Research centre recently posted quite a number of pictures of the StoveTec stove in action. One particular set of photos shows a stove that has been used for over 2700 hours, or 3-4 hours per day for the last 2 years, in China. What is great to see is that the stove is still going strong, with the only real signs of “wear and tear” being superficial.

Another set of pictures explores the entire stove manufacturing process at the Shengzou Stove Factory, detailing the entire process quite magnificently.

A third set of pictures by Gaby Gonzalez of the Earth Institute at Columbia University, working with the Millenium Villages project, shows the stoves in action in Uganda.

It is very encouraging for us to not only see what impact the stoves are having in other countries besides South Africa, but also to be part of such a global initiative that has enormous potential to truly help both people and the planet.

As the year draws to an end, we want to thank you for your support of and interest in Restio Energy.

The Year in Review

2009 has been a strengthening year which saw the company venturing into new areas of innovation and sustainability. With the introduction of StoveTec Wood- and Charcoal Stoves, Restio established itself as one of the main role-players in the South African biomass (improved stove) market. Both in rural and outdoor markets, the stoves gained considerable traction and are set to have a considerable impact on the South African energy landscape, especially at the Bottom of the Pyramid. We are excited to see what 2010 has in store.

2009 also saw the completion of the Productive Use of Renewable Energy project (together with Nano Energy), which had as its purpose the creation of a framework where the link between renewable energy and income generation/poverty alleviation is strengthened.

The Oxfam Energy Poverty paper, written in conjunction with CURES, was released ahead of the Climate Change summit in March 2009.

The Integrated Rural Energy Utility (IREU) project (involving Restio, EDG and Alix Clark) is drawing to an end with REEEP currently evaluating the final report. The IREU encourages a broader ‘energy service delivery approach as opposed to a more single technology approach that currently prevails amongst rural energy utilities in the developing world. With the prospect of a stronger business case for rural energy utilities, Restio is maintaining discussion with REEEP and REA (Uganda) about implementing an IREU in Uganda.

2009 was also the year in which Restio and others in the Renewable Energy Industry sought to honour the memory of former Restio Director, Dr. Douglas Banks by setting up the Doug Banks Renewable Energy Vision initiative.

Congratulations to Gaby Coppez, the first recipient of the DBREV scholarship.

Restio in the News

Restio Energy has seen quite a bit of media coverage this year, with the StoveTec stoves being featured in the Afrikaans daily newspaper, Die Burger as well as Creamer Media’s Engineering News. A review of the Restio StoveTec stove will also be published in an upcoming edition of Weg/Go magazine. In addition, an interview with Wikus Kruger of Restio concerning the company will be broadcast on Radio Sonder Grense’s Eko-Forum on Sunday, the 13^th of December at 16:00. Tim Neary, a well known environmental journalist and radio presenter, requested an opportunity to test the stove and is currently cooking on it as we write.

Restio on the Web

2009 has also seen Restio Energy entering the world of Online Social Media. Those interested can now follow us on Twitter or become a fan of the company on Facebook. These social media platforms allow us to regularly and effectively communicate with clients, collaborators and friends.

If you have any queries, comments or feedback, please do not hesitate to contact us.

www.restio.co.za