054 Sustainable Modern Energy Training Material
Posted on | April 27, 2010 | No Comments
Partner
TaTEDO Tanzania
Status
on-going
Project description
TaTEDO has developed numerous materials for training different skills on sustainable energy technologies, business development and environmental conservation. Most of these materials have already been produced in form of handouts and already used in field.
However, feedback from use of these materials indicates that they have not been developed to a good quality standard for publication and wide dissemination. The main reason for this is that they have not been thoroughly reviewed. Besides, the corresponding training and dissemination strategy has not been explicitly described and thought through.
Furthermore, printing these manuals as handouts in A4 sheets is not suitable for field use. Users find it difficulty in handling, storing and using them. The materials in the form of loose papers are prone to destructions by water, mutilation by children or insects.
The main objective of the project is to improve the training strategy of TaTEDO, which comprise as its main tool the training manuals. An objective is therefore to improve the structure, presentation and where possible the contents of TaTEDO’s training materials and publish them in forms of booklets.
Eight sample materials have been chosen for review and publication, representing at least one skill/knowledge from all technical departments in TaTEDO. These sample materials have been identified by the Information and Knowledge Management Department in cooperation with respective departments.
The materials which have been included in this project are results of TaTEDO’s own work from trainings, technology adaptations, research and skills derived from actual work in field and interaction with technicians, artisans, entrepreneurs and other stakeholders.
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Contact us for more information at: energy-access@etcnl.nl
053 Group Access to Solar Lighting
Posted on | April 27, 2010 | No Comments
Project partner
Send a cow Uganda
Status
On-going
Project description
Send a Cow Uganda (SACU) is a Christian non-governmental development organisation. It has been in existence for over 21 years and is involved in fighting malnutrition and poverty among vulnerable people in Uganda through the development of animal production, sustainable agriculture and local self sustaining groups. SACU currently works with over 5326 households in central, eastern and northern Uganda. It provides vulnerable people with training and on-going support, improved seeds and cuttings, animals, extension and animal breeding services.
In order to mitigate the rising cost and unreliable supply of wood and oil-based fuel needed for lighting and cooking farmers are using lorena stoves and biogas. The farmers were linked by SACU to private biogas service providers but the technology is diffusing very slowly due to the high cost of setting up biogas plants.
Some few households have been linked to dealers in solar PV and these have managed to sell a few systems to these households. Some of the farmers SACU is working with in Masaka have acquired solar power technology and are happy with it. Rapid needs assessment in the over 22 groups (about 1000 families) revealed that the farmers are experiencing difficulty in affording/accessing paraffin for domestic lighting.
Solar PV will be presented to the target groups as an energy source that can be used for basic household energy needs for example lighting, phone charging and entertainment. It is planned that a solar vendor will present solar products they have in stock and make a single purchase as a group. It is planned that after this pilot, several SACU groups will be inducted into the project to encourage sustainability of the approach in enabling groups access solar lighting.
SACU will pilot the project with two groups whose members have sustainable incomes and can afford to meet basic needs. Participatory Rural Appraisal techniques shall be used to review benefits of accessing solar lighting systems and to compare them with current means of accessing energy for lighting. SACU will facilitate this review with support from Project Officers that are attached to these groups.
The discussions will consider the priorities of the potential end users on lighting and how best this need can be met. A supplier will then be introduced to these groups and will be given an opportunity to promote their products. It is hoped that the solar vendor will offer the groups a bundled offer which should benefit both the groups and the vendor.
Direct monitoring of project progress shall be achieved through the project officers that will file monthly reports. Participatory evaluation sessions within the groups will be encouraged so that input and feedback of the group members can be acted upon.
Lessons learned shall be documented and shared with the actors and EASE partners in shared reports, meetings and regional workshops.
The implementation plan shall include the following activities:
- Identify the SACU groups and solar vendors interested in participating in the pilot.
- Signing of memorandum of understanding with the selected solar vendor(s)
- Election of project management committees/teams within the 2 pilot groups
- Introducing/linking the solar vendor(s) to the SACU groups
- Organise group workshops/meetings and invite the solar vendor to promote the technology and try to make sales to the group
- Periodically carry out monitoring/evaluation visits to assess progress of the project
- Monitoring of growth of demand and users of solar will be regular. Reports shall be written on a quarterly basis to document lessons learnt, challenges faced and bottlenecks identified and strategies used to overcome the bottlenecks and challenges.
- The project will be evaluated and a final report will be shared with EASE partners.
Learning questions
- To what extent does meeting basic energy needs in a group setting contribute to improving the livelihoods of individual members of the group and the wider community?
- What is an effective intervention strategy in overcoming bottlenecks in satisfying demand for basic energy solutions to SACU groups?
- What changes have occurred in the supply chain for energy solutions that can be attributed to the project activities?
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Contact us for more information at: energy-access@etcnl.nl
052 Increasing access with agro-processing
Posted on | April 27, 2010 | No Comments
Partner
VEDCO, Uganda
Status
on-going
Project description
Diesel engines powering agro-processing machinery enhance human nutrition, save productive time and add value to marketable produce thus presenting a good potential for boosting rural development. However, the use of these engines to generate energy to support other income generating activities and services is greatly limited by knowledge of the possibilities, inadequate technical and entrepreneurial skills. The knowledge gap regarding the potential inherent in the diesel engines and the potential contribution of the specialised large importers and dealers concentrated in Kampala city and to support rural based entrepreneurs in the countryside, who are not connected to the national grid to exploit the potential in diesel engines needs a bridging intervention.
Energy demand for productive services like phone and battery charging, saloons and lighting is largely unsatisfied and could be fulfilled through expanding the services of current investment in agro-processing to make the diesel engines multi-functional.
Using PRA approaches VEDCO will present the current diesel engine powered mills as latent multi-functional energy solutions with the potential to generate extra income for the groups through the expansion of current services and challenge the farmers groups to expand current services. These services could include the following: fruit processing and preservation, honey processing, blending and sealing beverages from soya beans, coffee and vegetables, barbershops/saloons, phone charging, video halls, lighting mini-bakeries, kiosks, restaurants and business/social service institutions like health centres and schools.
In order to up scale the project to other groups and individual entrepreneurs that may want to buy diesel powered MFPs, an awareness campaign shall me made both on radio and in print media, using posters in strategic positions, distribution of information leaflets and the documentary shot during project implementation shall be broadcast on the most outreaching television station.
VEDCO will pilot with current farmers’ groups that already are in possession of a milling facility powered by a diesel generator. Under the ‘Value Addition Program’ currently being undertaken by VEDCO more groups will be mobilised and facilitated to acquire milling facilities.
The program is aimed at improving competitiveness of agro-based products on the market, through processing the raw agro-produce into high quality products, with longer shelf life, better packaging (in some cases branded), wider market outreach and acceptability, therefore higher value. In the program farmer groups raise 50-75% of the value of the required machinery and installation, and the project supports them to get technicians to train them on maintenance and management, and to top up on acquisition costs. There are groups that run the establishments as business.
VEDCO will initially work with the farmers groups that are already in possession of diesel generators and milling facilities to facilitate the recognition and appreciation of the possibility of increasing utility from their diesel engines. Participatory Rural Appraisal techniques shall be used to review current benefits and to compare them with potential benefits in cases where multiple functions are explored.
VEDCO will facilitate this review with support from technicians attached to suppliers/ dealers of mills and diesel engines. The experimentation will consider the priorities of the potential service users and the business entrepreneurs, and identify supply and demand side bottlenecks.
On the demand side the project will catalyse growth of demand by encouraging other farmers’ groups to invest in and utilise the services made available by the diesel engine (both for agro-processing and productive uses). This could be made possible by linking with other NGOs and CBOs in the area to create awareness about the product and services and to support potential female and male users to access information on products, prices, services and sources through promotional materials developed in appropriate languages.
Farmers’ groups shall be equipped with financial and business development skills and encouraged to learn by sharing knowledge with each other and with service users.
On the supply side, importers and dealers will be engaged to contribute to production of promotional materials, to train technicians so that they provide technical and managerial expertise relevant for entrepreneurs to provide end-users with satisfactory services and to develop confidence and trust in the products. Micro-financing service providers (SACCOs, MFIs, and Banks) shall be encouraged to develop financial products suitable for energy entrepreneurs at different levels, and for end users.
Direct monitoring of project achievements shall be done, coupled with participatory evaluation sessions so that input and feedback of the actors can be addressed, and an electronic documentation of the processes and procedures made. Lessons learned shall be documented and shared with the actors and EASE partners in shared reports, meetings and regional workshops.
Learning questions
- To what extent does generation of energy for productive services in addition to the primary function of the mills contribute to improving incomes of female and male farmers?
- What is the effective intervention strategy in overcoming the bottlenecks in growth of demand for utilisation of diesel engines as multifunctional energy solutions?
- What changes have occurred in the supply chain for energy solutions that can be attributed to the project activities?
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Contact us for more information at: energy-access@etcnl.nl
051 Identificacion de Usos Productivos en Cochabamba
Posted on | April 27, 2010 | No Comments
Partner
Energetica Bolivia
ELFEC – Empresa de Luz y Fuerza Eléctrica Cochabamba
Status
on-going
Project description
En diferentes acciones de cooperación, artículos, seminarios, etc. se habla y escribe mucho sobre usos productivos, pero existen muy pocas experiencias sobre este tema.
Las experiencias existentes, adicionalmente son estrictamente puntuales sobre una u otra experiencia, o algún sector en especial. Además que solamente se reportan algunos casos exitosos, y no se sabe nada sobre los fracasos, situación que seguramente ayudaría a mejorar las estrategias actuales para desarrollar estas aplicaciones.
Se establece una desconexión entre la potencial demanda (que no tiene información) y la oferta (que no conoce el mercado potencial), las barreras al parecer son la falta de información sobre aplicaciones, recursos para inversión y mecanismos de micro crédito especializados.
El papel de empresas o instituciones que desarrollen estos temas aún también es limitado y el solo tocar el tema, constituye un desafío complejo y desconocido.
Finalmente, en el caso de Bolivia no hay experiencias de promoción de usos productivos de manera generalizada, y menos de la sistematización de experiencias en estos campos.
Tradicionalmente la atención de los sistemas rurales de energía representa un déficit para los operadores, debido a los bajo consumos de energía existentes en el campo, y la gran dispersión de los clientes. ELFEC, la distribuidora de electricidad de Cochabamba, ha establecido que la existencia de usos productivos de electricidad, podrían subir los niveles de consumo de energía y eventualmente convertirse en un elemento que permita revertir los déficits de operación
ENERGETICA promueve el uso de la energía para aspectos productivos, toda vez que solamente la generación de ingresos podrá permitir revertir los niveles de pobreza existentes en el área rural y, en el caso de las redes rurales, existe una inversión realizada, una infraestructura existente y con bajo nivel de utilización y, finalmente una empresa operadora activa en el área rural.
En este marco, el uso de la energía para uso productivo, aunque todavía en pequeñas escalas permitiría de manera puntual, optimizar las inversiones existentes, disminuir los déficits de operación de la empresa y, generar nuevos ingresos para las familias.
En el pasado, en Cochabamba, han existido iniciativas en este sentido que no prosperaron como se esperaba. En otras zonas como Santa Cruz por ejemplo el proyecto ELECTROAGRO de la CRE fue muy dinámico para promover los usos productivos, llegando a abrir oficinas propias para ofrecer el equipamiento eléctrico (maquinas, herramientas, equipos) y para otorgar crédito.
Luego de un varios años de funcionamiento, y en la medida que se desarrollo el mercado en esas zonas, gradualmente la CRE fue cerrando sus oficinas al establecerse relaciones más directas entre ofertantes y demandantes de maquinas y herramientas eléctricas.
El proyecto quiere ayudar a clientes rurales de ELFEC a:
- Identificar potenciales usos productivos y proporcionar información “referencial” para una adecuada selección de su equipamiento
- Interesar a distribuidores de maquinaria, herramientas y electrodomésticos a tener presencia en campo
- Establecer nexos con microfinancieras para proporcionar crédito a los interesados
- Supervisar inicialmente la instalación de equipos
El proyecto durara en total 12 meses durante los cuales se quiere:
- Identificar zonas y usos potenciales
- Preparar material técnico (toolkit: catálogo de usos productivos) y de promoción (folletos, jingles)
- Capacitar a personal de ELFEC para que actúen como asesores en sus oficinas
- Promover a través de talleres en zonas y comunidades seleccionadas
- Desarrollar campaña de difusión sobre usos productivos y los talleres para la asistencia de las comunidades
- Prestar asistencia técnica a los primeros grupos de interesados – seguimiento / apoyo / microcrédito
- Identificar instituciones interesadas en cada región, interesar a los municipios
- Establecer un acuerdo con empresas que venden equipo, maquinaria y electrodomésticos
- Diseñar un esquema de micro crédito y buscar alianzas con microfinancieras
- Documentar, sistematizar los resultados
- Realizar un taller de presentación de resultados de esta experiencia
- Publicación de un boletín que sirva para difundir la experiencia y movilizar recursos para siguientes fases.
Learning questions
- ¿Es posible caracterizar los usos productivos por regiones en Cochabamba?
- ¿Cuáles son los factores/barreras que aceleran/dificultan el acceso a usos productivos?
- ¿Cuánto influye un uso productivo en la venta de electricidad?
- ¿Cuál será el potencial de usos productivos en Cochabamba?
- ¿Es posible generar un busines plan para desarrollar usos productivos en el área rural?
Downloads
051 Productive Uses project proposal
More information
Contact us for more information at: energy-access@etcnl.nl
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