CMES's own contribution to this area of R&D is better exemplified by its development of the Fuel-less 'Um Chula' (the name coined by CMES meaning warmth) - a stove designed in hay-box principle- capable of saving almost 75% of the fuel. This has been published in IT Journal, London, and extended through the Basic School System.

CMES is starting a fuel saving improved stove program, this time based ona commercial scheme in which young people will be trained in making a low cost stove that they can sell to the households and repair & maintain for a fee.

CMES R&D have given emphasis on renewable energy sources in general. 'This includes solar cookers and solar water heaters for decontamination of water through pasteurization. CMES has developed transparent plastic bottle based solar water purifier and has made it popular in certain quarters such as with the boat flotilla of the water gypsies (bede). Currently, CMES is piloting a low cost chlorination of drinking water program using solar electricity, a method developed by a Swiss Company Antenna WATA.

CMES's involvement with the R&D and applications of solar electricity has been the most fruitful in real-life and at market level. CMES built up a Solar-Lab to take up adaptive research on accessories of solar PV system such as tube light ballasts, charge controllers, inverters, income-generating appliances such as sewing machines, drilling machines etc. The developed components and systems have been put into direct use in some of CMES's solarelectrification marketing projects in rural target areas. The latter includes the first solar micro-utility in the country in the shape of a village bazar being electrified by organizing a micro solar electric supply based on daily tarrifs. Now CMES is working as one of the few active NGOs who are installing solar home systems for the rural customers. 2923 solar home systems have already been installed – most of 50 pW power. Now CMES is trying to implement and popularize very low cost 5-W systems for the rural households based on new LED technology. It is also planning to pilot small scale solar pumps for irrigation.

CMES undertook adaptive R&D to install a 10 KW generator based on gasification of marginal wood-fuel, on behalf of Grameen Bank, the first of its kind in the country. While the machine is an imported one, a considerable amount of R&D work was involved in system designing, site selection, housing, installation, applications and market research for this innovative technology. The aim has been to assist in rural electrification using waste wood-fuel in a surplus area.