1. Towards 2M Cookstoves: The SunFire way!

3. Presentation Outline Who are we Where do we work How do we work
Our “Other” perspectives
Our Other roles

4. Who are we a Malawian owned start-up renewable energy enterprise
Set up in 2016
is aimed at partnering with willing rural communities in Malawi in order to reduce the impact of energy poverty in their households and communities.
operates as a social enterprise that employs impact investment principles in order to
achieve sustained social-economic change,
cleaner climate, and
better environment.
Mixed Financing: Private
Since inception, Sunfire has been operating mainly in parts of Chiradzulu and Balaka 

5. Who are we (Cont’d) Team Leader Operations Driver ON Need Driver
Marketing
Data services

6. Where do we work Can be anywhere in Malawi.
Currently operating only in Southern region
Chiradzulu
Balaka
Machinga
Zomba
Mangochi
And other minor sales

7. How do we work Small, focused, effective team
Marketing focuses on:
Mobilise the community – kuodika
Identify promoters
Operations
Sources the stoves
Looks into quality control
Arranges deliveries
Both make follow ups on sales and resupplies
Work with “village appointed” promoters at GVH level
Incentivise - performance based, whatever works for a locality
Prioritised women
Empowerment
Aligned to women’s productive roles
Networking with like minded entities – UP, MBAULA

8. Our Operation Environment
Ecosystem Stressors:
Poor Land management practices
Climate change, global greenhouse gas emissions
Fuelwood accounts for 84% of total wood use
Deforestation rates approx. 2.3% per year; similar pace to population growth
Charcoal for cooking: 1.7% rural; 43.4% urban
Other wood uses: tobacco curing, lumber extraction, brick burning
5.3% urban growth rate, rising charcoal demand
Rapid population growth
Increased cultivation

10. Our Other perspectives: ICS as a behaviour change intervention
Don’t try to change both Technology and Fuel simultaneously UNLESS communities are already “efficiency conscious”.
A sort of Stoves ladder?
By the human nature and complex needs, Accept that Stove stacking will always be there. Simplify attribution/proportioning impact measurement instead
BLEENS are for the better off. Unless the poor progress to the better off too. Or “Bleenise” fuel that is accessible to the BoP: Fuel prep or Tech refinement.
NGO approach is good for introduction of the technology. But MUST build in progression toward market based “cost recovery” approached.
Identify (and ride on) seasonality. Reasons vary with societal groups. Know yours.
Keep pricing of technology within the affordability of the “Primary Cook”

11. Our Other roles – Carbon monitoring services
Sunfire does for itself KPTs, WBTs, Usage surveys for itself as well as acting as a service provider to other players.
Has equipment (Scales, Thermometers and Moisture Meters, certified and calibrated by Malawi Bureau of Standards)
Pool of constantly re-trained personnel.
Monitoring burden could be eased, especially as stove users become more and more.
A simplistic tool still needs to be fashioned and agreed upon out there!
Cutting cost can mean better outreach, and more players in the sector.
The ICS R&D landscape is not growing in our local Universities. refining/simplification of ICS monitoring system.

12. Our Other roles - Solar Involved in picco products
Aims to graduate into SHS

13. Challenges
Low adoption due to poor knowledge on technologies and need for Cleaner cooking
Stove breakages – production quality control
Difference in market prices
Beliefs and traditions