Advertisement
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081022/AQW072-a)
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081022/AQW072-b)
"Envirofit clean cookstoves have received an overwhelming reception inIndia," said Ron Bills, chairman and chief executive officer at Envirofit."Our cookstoves are not only meticulously engineered to reduce toxic emissionsand fuel use; they are also aesthetically designed and durable. Envirofittakes great pride in offering high-quality, affordable products to typicallyunderserved global markets."
Advertisement
According to the World Health Organization, nearly 3 billion people -- oralmost half the world's population -- cook their daily meals indoors overbiomass-fueled cooking fires. Because these traditional cooking methods cannotachieve clean combustion, the majority of the heat is wasted, and up to 20percent of the biomass is converted into toxic substances like carbonmonoxide, benzene and formaldehyde. The resulting indoor air pollution kills1.6 million people every year. Due to increased exposure in the home, over 85percent of these deaths are women and children under the age of five.
Envirofit clean cookstoves represent a solution to this silent killer.Compared to a traditional cooking fire, Envirofit cookstoves reduce toxicemissions by as much as 80 percent, use 50 percent less fuel and reducecooking cycle time by 40 percent. Built and engineered to address the uniquecooking habits of Indian families, Envirofit clean cookstoves are a result ofover five years of research and development, and emissions and durabilitytesting in coordination with Colorado State University's prestigious Enginesand Energy Conversion Laboratory.
Envirofit's commercial approach is an innovative enterprise-based model,with profits from stove sales reinvested towards making the business self-sustaining and allowing for business growth. Since unveiling its line of cleancookstoves in India in May 2008, Envirofit has sold nearly 15,000 cookstoves.
"Envirofit cookstoves have brought down the cooking time from nearly 100minutes to 40 minutes," said P. Chandrasekaran of the Tamil Nadu Foundation,which has purchased Envirofit cookstoves for 300 day care centers in TamilNadu, India and is aiming to equip all 50,000 day care centers in the state."Time savings aside, the kitchens have truly become smokeless and the wholeatmosphere has turned child and environment friendly. The consumption offirewood has also come down almost 50 percent compared to conventionalcooking."
Envirofit's five-year business plan, in partnership with the ShellFoundation and its Breathing Space Program, is to sell 10 million cleanburning cookstoves in five countries. Envirofit's ability to scale up andexpand into new markets like Africa, Asia and Latin America means the companyhas the potential to make a significant impact on the global indoor airpollution problem. The company is seeking additional investors to expand itswork into new markets.
About Envirofit International
Founded in 2003, Envirofit International is a US-based non-profitorganization that uses a sustainable, enterprise model to solve global healthand environmental problems. Envirofit develops and distributes technologiesthat improve the lives of people in developing countries while reducing indoorand outdoor air pollution. The company's signature products include adirect-injection retrofit kit for dirty, two-stroke engines and a line ofclean cookstoves. Visit http://www.envirofit.org orhttp://www.envirofitcookstoves.org for further information.
About Shell Foundation
Shell Foundation was established by Shell Group in 2000 as an independent,UK registered charity operating with a global mandate. It focuses onenterprise-based solutions to poverty and environmental challenges linked tothe impact of energy and globalization. It acts like an investor, identifyingfinancially sustainable solutions to these challenges that can be taken toscale and replicated to achieve global impact. By 2010 the Foundation willhave used $75 million to leverage $350 million from other organizations. Visithttp://www.shellfoundation.org for further information.
About the Engines and Energy Conversion Laboratory at Colorado StateUniversity
The Engines & Energy Conversion Laboratory (EECL) is a uniqueresearch/education program at Colorado State University with emphasis onengines, fuels, and energy conversion technology.
With a focus towards market-driven solutions, products developed at theEECL -- in partnership with industrial sponsors and multiple spin-offorganizations -- have saved more than 800,000 tons of nitrogen oxide pollutionand more than 14 billion cubic feet of natural gas.
Beginning in 2002, the EECL began a program of international technologydevelopment primarily aimed at increasing energy efficiency and reducing theenvironmental impact of transportation, electric power production, andcooking/household energy in developing countries. Visithttp://www.eecl.colostate.edu for further information.
SOURCE Envirofit International
