GACC Technical Manager, Dr. Ranyee Chiang Visits RTKC Nepal

Dr. Ranyee Chiang (right corner) with RTKC team in front of  the lab 
(RTKC team Basudev, Shovana, Nisha, Kausila, Cheeza)

Dr. Chiang from Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves (GACC) on her mission to south Asian region visited CRT/N on 14 and 15 August 2013. During her visit several fruitful discussions took place. RTKC activities and GACCs views were clarified during the meetings.  

Dr. Ranyee Chiang in interaction session with CRT/N collegues; 
Mr Lumin Kumar Shrestha, Officiating ED; Mr Subarna Kapali; 
Mr. Basudev Upadhyay, Coordinator RTKC

Taking advantage of Ranyee's expertise Idea Shearing on Improving Testing Protocols – was organized jointly by RTKC CRT/N and AEPC at AEPC Conference hall in the afternoon of 14 August 2013 in the special presence of Dr Ranyee Chiang. The outcome of National Workshop on Standards and testing of Cookstoves were shared and discussion took place on improving testing protocols among the number stakeholders of GoN, individual testing centres including NGOs, INGO etc. in the context of GoN’s mission of “Clean Cooking Solutions for all by 2017”  and biomass experts. Over 35 participants participated in the programme.

At Idea sharing workshop on testing protocols - at AEPC. Mr. Upadhyay 
Sharing on the out comes of  National Workshop on Standards
 and Testing of Stoves held on 25 July 2013
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Prof. Dr. Rajendra Prasad from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) visits RTKC Nepal

CRT/N team with Prof. Dr. Rajendra Prasad at CRT/N meeting room

 – Prof. Dr. Rajendra Prasad from IIT India visited CRT/N RTKC on 11 July 2013. RTKC Nepal’s activities and vision/mission were shared. Prof. Prasad did share on the National Standards of Cookstoves Testing in India and envisioned us on the latest developments on the stoves testing tools in the global arena. His presence also as a RTKC coordinator at IIT, India helped RTKC Nepal built up the smooth relation among the RTKCs supported by GACC. His willingness to support and move ahead in a collaborative manner had been an encouraging factor for RTKC Nepal.

Prof. is looking after RTKC in India.

Prof. Dr. Govinda Raj Pokhrel and Dr. Mrigendra Raj Pandey Jointly Inaugurates RTKC Nepal

-The formal inauguration of

Prof. Dr. Govinda Raj Pokhrel and Dr. Mrigendra Raj Pandey
cutting ribbon to declare the opening of RTKC Lab

RTKC took place on 6 June 2013 in the special presence of Prof. Dr. Govinda Raj Pokharel, Executive Director Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC), Government of Nepal (GoN) and Renowned Cardiologist Dr. Mrigendra Raj Pandey. Representatives from various organisations - government bodies, INGOS, NGOs were invited.

In the programme RTKC vision and mission with activities were shared and various delegates spoke on the necessity of a wel equipped biomass laboratory in Nepal. They also congratulated CRT/N for such initiation.

Delegates at Inauguration ceremony

The main speakers were Mr Bim Prasad Shrestha, HOD, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Kathmandu University; Prof. Dr. Govinda Raj Pandey, Executive Director of Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC); Dr. Mrigendra Raj Pandey, Chairman of Mrigendra Memorial Trust and renowned cardiologist; Mr. Hari Gopal Gorkhali, RTKC Lab supervisor; Mr. Ganesh Ram Shrestha, Executive Director, Centre for Rural Technology (CRT/N)

Laboratory Emissions Monitoring System (LEMS) Setup and Water Boiling Test (WBT) Training

Setting up hood for LEMS (Roshan with hood tube, Homnath on the ladder)

Trainees Learning on Laboratory Procedures

Laboratory Emissions Monitoring System (LEMS)  Setup and WBT Training – a ten days training on LEMS setup and Introductory WBT Training was conducted at its renovated laboratory at CRT/N under the guidance of Mr. Alex Seidel, Emission Engineer at ARC lab during 8-18 April 2013. LEMS was setup and CRT/N RTKC along with Renewable Energy Testing Station (RETS) participants under Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) also benefited form the training. RTKC lab came into operation from May 2013 with makeup tests for sharpening the testing ability of RTKC staffs.

Alex explains the   LEMS sensor box components

RTKC Nepal Advisory Group Forms

RTKC CRT/N team with CEE-N colleagues discussing on advisory
group formation and collaborative approaches among RTKC and CEE-N

- A loose form of RTKC advisory group have been formed in the month of February 2013. It comprised of Biomass energy experts from different sectors.

1.  Dr. Krishna Raj Shrestha, former Chair, Research Centre for Applied Science and Technology (RECAST), Tribhuvan University
2.  Dr. Bim Prasad Shrestha, HOD Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Kathmandu University
3.  Dr. Ramesh Man Singh, Vice Chair, Centre for Energy and Environment Nepal

Prof. Kirk R. Smith from Berkeley Air visits CRT/N

Prof. Dr. Kirk R. Smith shares on the bio-lite stoves at CRT/N premises. It can charge mobile phones.

Professor Smith from University of California Berkeley visited CRT/N on 15 January 2013 on his visit to Nepal. Professor Smith was invited to CRT/N as a resource person to update its staffs on the Global perspectives on Indoor Air Pollution (IAP) and Cookstoves related developments. In the mean time RTKC benefited with hands on knowledge of wide range of IAP instruments developed by Berkeley Air Monitoring Group and helped us identify the instruments needed for RTKC. 

RTKC Nepal Materialized - The Initiation

RTKC entrance

RTKC - an initiative to improve technology, communicate performance and promote sales and adoption of clean cooking devices promoting research and development of cookstoves in Nepal and the region is funded by Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves (GACC) and hosted by Centre for Rural Technology, Nepal (CRT/N). The RTKC is developing into an independent and internationally recognized stove testing service provider moving ahead with the mission of establishing itself into a cen

tre of excellence in biomass knowledge and stoves testing sector using globally accepted testing procedures for Nepal and the South Asian region.

The project started in November 2013 and a number of activities have been accomplished with in the period. The initial activities such as identifying/locating the laboratory equipments, staffs recruitments and reconstruction of RTKC laboratory took place during the early inception period of the project.

Knowledge Centre

With necessary supports from Associate Professor Dr. Tami Bond, University of Illinois an International Consultant for RTKC Nepal and Aprovecho Research Centre (ARC), Oregon the equipments were identified and processed for procurement during the first few months of inception. Laboratory Emission Measurement System (LEMS) a product of ARC was ordered.

Mr. Hari Gopal Gorkhali, RTKC Supervisor attended the EPA Intensive Training for Cookstoves Testing at Triangle Park North Carolina during 28 January to 1  February 2013 on GACC’s invitation along with 40 stove testers, researchers, developers and implementers from sixteen different countries. The training was focused on extensive formal and informal discussions on laboratory set‐up, maintenance, calibration and management; laboratory safety; quality assurance project plans; fuel measurements; field equipment set‐up; strengthening collaboration and knowledge sharing between testing centers; data processing and analyses. This had really been fruitful to start up the project at CRT/N.

RTKC Nepal aims to be a centre of excellence in the field of cookstoves testing and a knowledge centre promoting research and development of cookstoves in Nepal and the region. The future plans include the wider networking and up scaling collaboration with global partners to establish itself as a sustaining entity. The baseline activities to obtain this have been to have well trained staffs and well equipped laboratory to provide service to clients and develop/share knowledge products and projects to support research and development.