Course
An Introduction to geospatial clean cooking planning with OnStove
Courses
This publication was produced as part of CCG's FlatPack initiative and provides learning materials for an introductory course on using the OnStove tool to understand its role in energy access planning and apply it to assess clean cooking adoption pathways using a spatial cost-benefit analysis in lower- middle-income countries. It includes editable lecture slides, hands-on exercises, sample learning objectives, and a suggested course timetable.
FlatPack aims to integrate open source energy and financial modelling tools into higher education courses (BSc, MSc, PhD) in universities across the world. This material is adaptable to various contexts and proficiency levels.
This introductory course provides a foundation in clean cooking access planning using OnStove. OnStove is an open-source spatial modelling tool designed to evaluate the most sustainable clean cooking options across geographies using a cost-benefit analysis. It applies geospatial data and techno-economic analysis to assess technology choices, based on costs such as capital, fuel and operation and maintenance, and benefits such as health, environment and time saved across various clean cooking solutions, including LPG, electric cooking, improved biomass stoves, and biogas.
Authors
- Camilo RamirezAffiliation: KTH Royal Institute of TechnologyORCID: 0000000272173838
- Babak KhavariAffiliation: SEforALLORCID: 0000000205387887
Acknowledgement
This material has been produced under the Climate Compatible Growth (CCG) programme which brings together leading research organizations and is led out of the STEER centre, Loughborough University. CCG is funded by UK aid from the UK government. However, the views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the UK government's official policiesCite as
Ramirez, C. Khavari, B. (2025) An Introduction to geospatial clean cooking planning with OnStove. Climate Compatible Growth Teaching Kit Website. Climate Compatible Growth.Courses
OnStove Week 2
In the second week, students learn the principles of cost-benefit analysis in the context of clean cooking modelling. They then gain hands-on experience using the BAR-HAP tool, applying cost-benefit analysis techniques to assess different household clean cooking adoption scenarios. This practical session ensures students can connect theory to applied decision-making.
Lecture files
OnStove Week 3
The third week provides students with the GIS foundations necessary for spatial analysis in OnStove. A lecture introduces key GIS concepts, after which students install and set up the QGIS software. Through a sequence of hands-on sessions, students work with vector and raster datasets, learning how to prepare and analyse spatial data that will later feed into OnStove modelling.
Lecture files
OnStove Week 4
Week four introduces the theoretical background of OnStove, with a focus on baseline calibration and how to represent current clean cooking conditions in the model. Students then complete practical exercises including the installation of Anaconda and OnStove, followed by a hands-on session in GIS processing with OnStove. By the end of the week, students are able to prepare their environment and process data in preparation for modelling.
Lecture files
OnStove Week 5
The fifth week focuses on how OnStove calculates net benefits, teaching how the different GIS datasets are used to calculate capital and fuel costs and benefits related to health, time and the environment. The hands-on session centres on data collection, with students gathering, cleaning, and structuring relevant datasets to ensure that their models are robust and evidence based.
Lecture files
OnStove Week 6
In week six, students explore how to interpret results generated by OnStove, learning to identify patterns, trade-offs, and policy-relevant insights. The hands-on session introduces scenario development within OnStove, where students run different clean cooking adoption scenarios to explore outcomes across multiple pathways.