Eco Factor: Biomass burning stove generates electricity from heat.
Systems that generate renewable energy are in high demand, especially in the underdeveloped nations of the world where people are in need of systems that perform more than one task. In places such as Nepal a vast majority of the population relies on wood for cooking, which not only is showing its mark on the forest reserves but also on the health of the people.
Researchers over at the University of Nottingham have developed a low-cost stove that doubles as a renewable electricity generator, which can answer the problems faced by millions in the world.
The stove, known as SCORE or Stove for Cooking, Refrigeration and Electricity, converts the heat generated by burning wood, dung or any other locally-available biomass, into acoustic energy which is then converted into electricity through a linear generator. These researchers are field testing the stove in Nepal, and hope that the final product could be made available for as less as $33, when it hits full production sometime after 2012.
Via: Treehugger
