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Energy News from Practical Action BP53
[top] [end]ITDG - East AfricaAs ITDG bids farewell to Stephen Gitonga, we wish him every success in his new role with the GEF/SGP in New York. Stephen Gitonga joined ITDG-EA in November 1994 and has been one of the most committed, hard working and trusted members of staff – we will all miss him as both a colleague and a friend.[top] [end]Community micro-hydro and pico-hydroThe first micro-hydro scheme run by ITDG in Kenya is nearing completion and has taken significant steps towards sustainability. Capacities for local turbine manufacture have been built, including the electronic component fabrication. The project is being developed in partnership with the Renewable Energy Department (Ministry of Energy) which is reviewing the standards and regulations for distribution and transmission for micro power systems. This is a key issue which may have a significant impact on the costs of micro-hydro power schemes.The pico-hydro power project is seeking to establish a sustainable infrastructure for the development of micro-hydro power for rural communities. It is researching the potential for pico-hydro (up to 5kW per unit) to be a sustainable and affordable technology for community electrification projects in rural Sub-Saharan Africa. The project is a collaborative activity between Nottingham Trent University and ITDG-EA Energy Programme. [top] [end]Low cost hurricane lampThis project is focused on manufacturing a low-cost kerosene hurricane lamp aimed at rural communities in Kenya. The lamp has to fulfil the following specification:
Contact: Energy team, ITDG Kenya, PO Box 39493, Nairobi, Kenya. Tel: 00 254 2710083 E-mail: itkenya@... [top] [end]ITDG-UKSPARKNET: Sustainable-energy Policy And Research Knowledge network: SPARKNET is an interdisciplinary interactive Knowledge Network in Southern and East Africa involved in energy for low-income households in rural areas. The focus of SPARKNET is on increasing knowledge resources for local, national, regional and EU policy making and research through the creation of knowledge and the acceleration of the application of that knowledge to economic and social development.SPARKNET is striving to reduce boundaries between sectors and stakeholders and make a valuable contribution to sustainable development. SPARKNET is bringing together policy makers, research centres, universities, manufacturers and NGOs (and through them communities and endusers) around the issues of household energy, and thus contributing to the development of effective policy. It is thus knowledge-oriented, meets basic needs (i.e. poverty) and aims at identifying sustainable development strategies (optimizing the use of resources) for countries to formulate their own priorities. SPARKNET is helping to maximize the impact of Community policies and Community research (through the increased availability of reliable data), stimulating dialogue and innovation, and enhancing the impact of national/donor funding by identifying priority areas for research, exchanging experiences and disseminating best practices. Website: www.sparknet.info Contact: Smail Khennas: ITDG, Schumacher Centre for Technology & Development, Bourton on Dunsmore, Rugby CV23 9QZ, UK. Telephone: ++44 (0)1926 634400 Fax:++44 (0) 1926 634401. Email: smailk@... and grant@... [top] [end]SRI LANKA[top] [end]Village hydro projectWithin its first six years, from 1991, the project implemented 27 microhydro schemes in the Southern and Sabaragamuwa provinces. Thereafter, in 1998, the project was extended to the plantation sector. ITDG is now acting as a facilitator rather than implementor. Over the last year, 17 microhydro projects were completed, 7 are in progress and several new sites were identified. One water-wheel electricity generation project was completed and another one is in progress. A community grid-connected scheme is an interesting and complex issue as it involves several partners and a longterm commercial relationship.Manufacturers have won contracts with substantial amounts of work: wiring and maintenance; gridconnected schemes; manufacturing workshops, etc. The impact on livelihoods derived from micro-activities is significant. Two manufacturers purchased a lorry and a van from their income. Six manufacturers worked in 12 micro-hydro schemes and earned a total income of Rs.8.5 million. Another 40 to 50 people employed by the manufacturers benefited from these orders. Although the plantation sector remains a key component of Sri Lanka’s national economy, it often lacks basic social and economic infrastructure. The micro-hydro scheme set up in two estates is aimed at improving the livelihood of this population. The projects will be monitored to assess their impact. Thanks to access to electricity, people now have access to a wide range of information through radio and TV. This is attested by the number of TV and radio sets purchased after some villages were electrified. For example 116 TVs and radios were purchased by the beneficiaries. The level of the financial contribution by the owners is a good indicator of the sustainability of the microhydro programme. A trend to finance micro-hydro schemes by prospective beneficiaries has developed over the years. The State has also started contributing to the financing of microhydro schemes, although at a modest level. These developments indicate that there is a real process towards scaling-up and sustainability of the micro-hydro business in Sri Lanka. Contact: Energy team, ITDG Sri Lanka, 5 Lionel Edirisinghe Mawatha, Kirulapone, Colombo 5, Sri Lanka. Tel: 00 94 1 829412; Fax: 00 94 1 856188; E-mail: itdg@... [top] [end]Download the original article Energy News from Practical Action BP48 (136 KB) [top] [end]Contents: Boiling Point 48: Promoting household energy for poverty reduction
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03 July 2007; Last edited:
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