Harnessing renewable energy resources has substantially speeded up the process of rural energy planning in India, where about 80% of the total energy is supplied by noncommercial sources, the share of which is declining. In rural energy planning, with backward agriculture and high poverty...

A new mathematical model shows that a direct subsidy for an improved wood stove is not the best way to promote its use in rural India. The possibility of multiple uses of woodfuel and its sustainability are also discussed.