NGO "ANOTHER WAY" (STICHTING BAKENS VERZET), NETHERLANDS, SUSTAINABLE INTEGRATED SELF-FINANCING DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS AND ADVANCED DEVELOPMENT TECHNOLOGIES

300 lumens for a minimum of 4 hours per night at household level can be considered an acceptable minimum level of supply. This is the equivalent of a 25 W incandescent bulb that can allow sufficient lighting for reading and study, and task lighting in the home. Kerosene wick lamps and candles are not strong enough to provide this level of light, while kerosene pressure lamps are notoriously dangerous. (Practical Action : Poor People’s Energy Outlook 2012 : Energy for Earning a Living, Practical Action, Rugby, 2012 ISBN 978-1-85339-731-8, p. 49)

The project provides for PV powered lighting for study purposes in each of the 200 or so tank localities included in each project area. Few of the areas will have a suitable study room so suitable rooms will have to be built to qualify for the PV lighting. Study rooms will be built under the LETS local currency system, and each of the LETS members in that tank area would be debited for his/her share of the building cost. As an incentive to build study rooms, the costs of the PV lighting have been included in the general project costs. Over time, all 200 tank area groups may see fit to provide study areas for their students. The tank commissions will be responsible for PV lighting in their area

PV lighting and/or PV refrigeration facilities for clinics within the project area would also be the responsibility of the tank commissions where the clinics are located. The situation concerning schools or clinics outside the project area serving in part users living within the project area presents practical problems which will need to be discussed case by case when the project is finalised.

PV lighting or power sources needed for productive purposes will be financed on a case by case basis using micro-credit loans.

Financing PV lighting or power sources for (home) systems not used for production can be negotiated between individual users and the Local Bank when those users have enough income to meet the extra cost. The terms of the hire-purchase loan and lease agreements for Solar Home Systems will be agreed with the local bank before the project starts. For details see 7. The cooperative purchasing groups - introduction and 8. The cooperative purchasing groups – more details in section 3 financial structures of this block 4.

Installation will be done under the 4. The local money systems – more details in section 3 financial structures of this block 4.

The project coordinator may instruct the groups who have installed the water pumping installations to carry out the PV lighting installations and maintenance in the clinics under the local money LETS system.

Installation of PV television sets (and/or computer sets) for study purposes.

Some may wish to install a PV powered television set for educational use as well. However, there are practical problems in managing TV sets, and these will need further discussion when the project is being finalised. Purchase of a set may, for instance depend on how much educational material is available in the local languages, whether the study room supplied offers a suitable weather-proof environment for the television set, whether the set is adequately protected against theft, and

This is listed pro-memorium for further discussion as there are some practical problems with the use of TV sets.

In principle the tank commission can approve the installation of a PV operated TV system (FOR STUDY PURPOSES) provided:

a) A study room has been built and correctly protected against weather, dust, and theft
b) Sufficient didactic material is available in the local language to justify the installation of a TV set.

c)Whether the project is able to supply maintenance back-up.

d)Warranty is given that the TV set not be "confiscated" for purposes of "comfort" for group vision of commercial TV programmes.

The funds necessary for the installation in good faith of TV equipment and/or computer sets for study purposes will be transferred from the project reserves, where funds are provided for them in the balance sheet. These formal money funds are paid back by the users into the Cooperative Local Development Fund over a reasonable period of time agreed between the Project Management and the tank commission in question. The rate of repayment may in some cases be the same for all tank commissions, or it may vary from one tank commission to another on the basis of the financial possibilities of the families served by each tank commission.

Installation of PV lighting and/or television and/or computer systems in schools.

This has been indicated pro-memorium. Whether PV lighting is needed in schools in addition to the PV lighting already included at tank commission level for study is unclear, but the possibility of beginning evening adult education classes should not be overlooked.

Installation of PV lighting and refrigeration (cooling) systems in clinics.

Clinics included within each project area, receive at lets one refrigerator for vaccines.

A budget amount is allowed for lighting and another for refrigeration in each clinic.

Total budget PV lighting and refrigeration in clinics: s typically Euro 30.000

Cases where clinics outside the project area serve users inside the project area are mentioned pro-memorium and will need to be discussed on a case by case basis.

Domestic home lighting.

Home lighting in the project area is usually fuelled by petroleum lamps and candles and the like the average cost constitutes a serious financial leakage from the project area, which should be stopped. Some families may be able to finance the purchase of solar home systems through savings effected on the costs of petroleum and, for instance, batteries consumed for radios.

The central project management may set up a separate cooperative interest-free fund under which solar home systems can be installed and more efficient radios purchased. An amount may be reserved for this purpose under section 6.15, item 61501 of the budget for this purpose. This is a seed fund, to get the purchasing groups off the ground. It is enough to cover a first lot of pilot installations to set an example in each tank commission or well commission area and launch the system. The rest of the money must come from the cooperative contributions made by the users participating. (The purchasing cooperatives will repay the funds included in budget item 61501 into the Cooperative Local Development Fund once every family in the group has a photovoltaic lighting system installed. When this repayment is made, the activities of the purchasing group will be automatically terminated.

For full details see 7. The cooperative purchasing groups - introduction and 8. The cooperative purchasing groups – more details in section 3 financial structures of this block 4.

Financial leakage through the use of inefficient battery-driven radios could also be limited or stopped by the use of high efficiency radios and/or mechanical

Typical budget provisions for photovoltaic installations for lighting purposes are :

€ 134.300, being:

Item Amount

61202 Euro 300

70210 Euro 50.000

70211 Euro 60.000

70212 Euro 12.000

70213 Euro 12.000

In most cases the purpose is to create precedents to demonstrate the advantages decentralised alternative energy systems can have for the populations. This is about sowing the seeds of cultural influences which will give their fruits over medium- and long terms.

1. Research.

Make a study of solar irradiation measured at ground level in your project area (if applicable, in your country). Make a on-page report of your conclusions.

2. Research.

Make a one-page analysis of the photovoltaic applications already installed in your project area. How many of them are foreseen in integrated development projects ?

3. Research.

The interest-free micro-credit systems discussed in section 3: the financial structures of the fourth block: the structures to be created offer women the possibility of continuing productive activities after night fall. Give a one-page review of how the micro-credits might be used to finance initiatives covered under this section on photovoltaic lighting facilities.

One of the problems associated with photovoltaic applications in developing countries is the risk of theft. For water supply systems under 1. Water supply structures of this section 5: service structures guards are used at well or bore-hole sites where photovoltaic systems are concentrated. It is not practical to do this for individual applications.

4. Opinion.

Describe on one page how you would face this problem in your chosen area. You might refer to the social control mentioned in 01. First level :hunter-gatherers in the three-level anthropological analysis of the third block of the course ; to technical protection means ; to cooperative insurance.

The solar pumps in section 1. Drinking water structures of this section 5: the service structures work just a few hours a day, usually without any battery support. The energy produced by the pumps is stored in the tanks they serve in the form of pumped water.

Energy storage is one the inherent problems connected with wide-spread use of renewable energy sources, including photovoltaics. For a review of the present situation refer to Energy Storage Systems – Current Status and Outlook, Office of Technology Assessment at the German Parliament, Working Paper 123 (summary), Berlin, 2008. Improved battery systems are still expensive. Traditional ones have a limited duration and are not «ecological ». Slow discharging capacitors still have to be developed. For the time being all we can do is used the highest efficiency lights to reduce the amount of energy to be stored.

◄ ►

◄ Fourth block : Section 5: Services structures.

◄ Fourth block : The structures to be created.

◄ Main index for the Diploma in Integrated Development (Dip. Int. Dev.)

◄ List of key words.

◄ List of references.

◄ Course chart.

◄ Technical aspects.

◄ Courses available.

◄ Homepage Bakens Verzet

"Money is not the key that opens the gates of the market but the bolt that bars them."

Gesell, Silvio, The Natural Economic Order, revised English edition, Peter Owen, London 1958, page 228.

“Poverty is created scarcity”

Wahu Kaara, point 8 of the Global Call to Action Against Poverty, 58^th annual NGO Conference, United Nations, New York 7^th September 2005.

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