The primary aim of this publication is to provide reference material for formulating and solving problems that arise in reviewing, verifying, collecting, compiling, analysing, interpreting and presenting information on biofuel supply and demand. Two basic levels of analysis are considered: rapid surveys and detailed surveys.
Another aim is to propose a uniform methodological basis to obtain data that are compatible, comparable and consistent at different levels and for diverse sectors of user, producer and supplier of woodfuels. This will permit analyses of the wood energy situation at sector, region or country level that meet the information needs of all interested groups and help identify effective and appropriate activities for: (a) optimal performance of wood energy systems; (b) development of sector planning; and (c) use as an aid when making woodfuel policy, strategy and programme decisions.
Chapter 1 introduces, explains and presents the main stages of the guide. Chapter 2 describes the principal variables that need to be analysed in surveys of woodfuel consumption, marketing and production, following the schematic outline used in the Unified Wood Energy Terminology. Each variable is defined and an idea given of its importance, usefulness and accessibility. There are remarks on the techniques employed to obtain the related data, including details of the equipment and materials needed, followed by a series of recommendations to help the reader put the guide to best possible use.
Chapter 3 describes the design of samples to acquire data on target variables from a small group selected at random, with subsequent inference of the behaviour of these variables within the larger universe under investigation, i.e. the geographical area concerned.
Chapter 4 presents the component stages of survey design, with special attention paid to field data collection, data processing and analysis, and the drafting of the final report.
Finally, Chapter 5 describes the different ways of presenting the data to reflect the main aspects of woodfuel demand, supply and provision, to describe the physical and economic flows involved, and to conduct the analyses of the wood energy situation envisaged at the beginning of the exercise.
This publication should prove to be of particular interest to persons who already have an understanding of the subject and experience in conducting wood energy surveys.