Sustainable energy development strategies in the rural Thailand: The case of the improved cooking stove and the small biogas digester

This paper presents the strategies to overcome barriers to the adoption of improved cooking stove (ICS) and small biogas digester (SBD) technologies in Thailand. Firstly, to obtain the appropriate strategies to implement the ICS and the SBD, a pattern of energy consumption in the residential sector is investigated. Then the potential of reduction of energy consumption and corresponding emissions by the ICS and the SBD is assessed. The identification and ranking of barriers to the adoption of the ICS and the SBD technologies are also investigated. In this study the Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning System (LEAP) model is used to assess the energy consumption and the corresponding emissions reduction. Then, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) model is used to identify and rank the barriers. Results from the LEAP model show that the cumulative total energy consumption and corresponding emissions reductions during the period 2002–2030 by the ICS are 27,887.7 ktoe and 10,041.0 thousand tonnes of CO2 equivalent, respectively. An average emissions reduction cost per tonne of CO2 equivalent per year is US$ 0.95 for a fuel wood cooking stove and US$ 0.35 for a charcoal cooking stove. Regarding the SBD, the cumulative total liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) consumption reduction and CO2 mitigation are 5780.9 ktoe and 1548.8 thousand tonnes of CO2 equivalent during the period 2002–2030, respectively. Results from AHP analysis of ranking of barriers show that the three most important barriers in the adoption of the ICS are (i) high investment cost, (ii) lack of information, and (iii) lack of financial sources. For the SBD, the three most important barriers are (i) high investment cost, (ii) lack of financial sources, and (iii) lack of experts and skilled manpower. The sustainable energy triangle strategy (SETS) is implemented to overcome barriers in the adoption of the ICS. Results show that the traditional cooking stoves are successfully replaced (more than 20% per year). Regarding the SBD, the biogas pool project (BPP) is implemented to resolve the over supply of biogas. Results also show that the BPP is a proper strategy.