As experienced cookstove designers for the past 30 years,

Aprovecho learned the importance of validating stove performance both in the field and the lab.  Traditional methods have evolved over millennia, and a carefully-built three-stone fire can be difficult to beat.  Beginning in 2003, the Aprovecho laboratory was the first in the world to begin extensive standardized stove testing for both fuel use and emissions.  Over the next 5 years, hundreds of stoves were evaluated and a benchmark for improved stove performance was created.  With this data, we are now able to better understand how stoves work and what constitutes a good stove.

We had learned so much from our testing on how to build better stoves, that we wanted to provide this ability to folks all around the world.  Our original emissions equipment cost as much as a luxury car, was stationary and difficult to use.  Thus, we spent 3 years designing the PEMS, or Portable Emissions Measurement System.  This unit is essentially a state-of-the art laboratory which fits in a suitcase and can be used anywhere from high-level university laboratories to village kitchens.  It is relatively low-cost, low-maintenance, and easy to use for a wide audience.

Because validating performance in the field is the next step in certifying that a stove is good, we also needed a way to easily measure Indoor Air Pollution in the field.  The IAP meter was created to be used for measuring the air in a kitchen or even to be worn by a woman for precise measurement her exposure levels near her mouth and nose.  The IAP meter combines data-logging for both CO and PM and can be left in place for up to 1 week.