Energy supply – a poverty related basic needs service
Access to electricity constitutes the basis for a minimum standard of living. It is fundamental to social and economic development and plays a vital role, e.g. to improve equal gender opportunities. It also enables the deprived to improve their quality of life. Basic electricity supply for household and handicraft is thus a key component of poverty oriented basic needs services.
Particularly in remote mountainous areas, e.g. in the Himalayas Region, the people mostly live under extreme conditions. The harsh climate in high-altitudes, limited available natural resources and the remote location of most villages make life challenging.
The subsistence agriculture is primarily aimed at surviving the long winter periods. The highly limited existing income sources hinder the poor population’s access to basic services like electricity supply, and restrict adequate participation in “normal” economic life.
Due to the remoteness of most villages, the majority of settlements are not connected to a central power grid. The lack of economic opportunities leads to large scale transmigration.
Even though the people developed strategies for survival, the long and cold winters are always extremely challenging. Energy for heating and light is scarce.
BORDA’s approach
Conventional local and governmental energy supply concepts most often fail to reach the population in remote areas. Therefore, BORDA seeks to bridge this deficiency by
generating electric power with utilization of nearby energy sources (mountain rivers and streams)
implementing demand-based service provider concepts to demonstrate decentralized energy supply
disseminating this approach in cooperation with various stakeholders
The aim of BORDA energy supply projects is to provide access to electricity for all households within a project village, e.g. for evening lighting. Additionally, local small scale home industries get the option to improve their production and income by co-financing necessary electrical machines. The willingness of the target group to actively participate in the project realisation is essential for the sustainability of these measures and is a precondition for project implementation.
Too remote for central power supply:
The most villages of the Himalayas Region are left to their fate.
The Challenge
Extreme limitations of centralized energy supply systems
Local and state governments in developing countries show little effort in supplying remote rural areas with electricity. This is mainly due to the difficulty in connecting these areas with a centralized power grid. Therefore, centrally operated and government-run generators are limited to the larger urban towns.
Diesel generators
Conventional diesel generators are not a real alternative solution, as they don’t meet the demand of the rural population and have other negative side effects:
high costs for operation and susceptibility to break down
maintenance servicing is poor and expensive
most private providers don’t guarantee energy supply to all the households of a village
not appropriate for specific preferences and needs of the poor target groups
not environmentally friendly
Thus, seeking to reach a large number of remote mountainous villages with conventional systems is prone to fail, as the supply to these locations incurs costs and risks that are too high for users to bear.
Percentage of population with access to electricity, estimated by World Bank 2001:
Often only footpaths connect the villages. Transport of materials must be done on horseback.
Traditional energy supply for heating and cooking.
Good Practice: Decentralized Energy Supply with the Micro Hydro Power Concept
The alternative
As centralized power supply systems mostly fail to reach the remote areas and diesel generators don’t meet the demand of the target groups, decentralized energy supply with Micro Hydro Turbines MHT (capacity 1kW to 20 kW) are the most attractive option for electrification in mountainous areas.
Successes in India , Vietnam and P.R. China
In 1988 BORDA started the dissemination of poverty oriented, decentralized energy supply systems in remote areas of Ladakh, ( Jammu & Kashmir , India ) and is now also active in Vietnam and P.R.China.
Continuous improvements of technical components and the development of an appropriate and demand based service provider concept make the Micro Hydro Power Concept (MHPC) a sustainable decentralized energy supply system. BORDA’s engagement in disseminating this concept is based on surveys and feasibility studies
Capacity building and training for partner organisations
In new dissemination areas services must be adapted to regional conditions and specific user demands. They also have to fulfil training requirements of partner organisations. Thus, ‘Good Practices’ are first introduced by pilot-, learn- or demonstration projects. Results are then integrated as options into the further dissemination.
Affordable
by communities
Minimum operation and
possible maintenance,
can
done by local operators
Utilizes renewable energy
Continuous operation
Demand oriented
O&M by user groups
All households from a project village have access to electricity - for light, hot water and optionally for handicraft production.
Demand oriented Approach
Informed choice
Feasibility studies provide first data on technical possibilities in new regions. Potential users and different stakeholders are then informed about the new power supply options to enable an informed choice over preferred solutions and technical options. This allows a comprehensive final selection of user groups and stakeholders – according to the criteria of a demand oriented approach.
Stakeholders
To facilitate sustainable operation and further dissemination, service provider concepts must be supported by the main stakeholders. The user group, relevant government institutions and the partner organisation (mostly NGOs) join together as a development cooperation and share the responsibilities of the project implementation from planning and construction up to operation and maintenance (O&M). This can only be realised if the entire process is based on the demands of all stakeholders. Therefore, BORDA’s engagement in the project is tied to specific conditions that have to be fulfilled.
Conditions:
1. Participation of user groups
Essential: Poverty, a real need for power supply and the participation of user groups
Users are willing to operate and maintain the system independently
Selecting appropriate technologies guarantees that expenses for O&M can be covered by user fees.
Village Electrification Committees organize the participation during construction, O&M and fee collection.
Operators and secretaries are paid with user fees.
Investment costs for power houses, power poles, wires and light bulbs are mostly covered by users.
This demand oriented selection and user participation guarantees high user acceptance.
2. Involvement of local, regional and national authorities
The involvement of policy-makers is necessary for the legal project basis.
Public authorities are integrated in the early stages of the dissemination process and are encouraged to take a stake in the project by providing services and/or co-finances.
Flow measurements and planning. Engineers from partner organisations are trained on the job by BORDA experts .
The MHT is installed with help of the villagers. They are organised in an electrification committee. The operator is responsible for the daily power management.
3. Willingness of implementing partner organizations to learn and grow
Demand oriented basic needs services can only be disseminated with regionally operating partner organizations.
To act as a provider for basic needs services they have to be able and willing to implement Micro Hydro Power Concepts, manage O&M and organize user committees.
They act as the locally responsible agency right from the start of the demonstration and pilot projects.
They are continuously trained within the BORDA partner network.
Technical Options for Community Development
System flexibility
BORDA developed a range of technical options that adapt the technology to user demands and topographic conditions:
Several turbine types with different capacities from 1 to 20 kW are available
Various levels of water power capacity can be utilized (depends on water availability and drop between intake and turbine)
Generated energy can be utilized for electric devices and for mechanically driven devices
Electricity can be used for small scale home industries and for household use (evening lighting, community/family sized water heater and other private devices)
Community development
For the socio-economic development BORDA provides various options of machines to improve production and income of small scale home industries: Multipurpose carpentry machines, electric saw, wood lathes, spinning machines, and flour grinding mills.
Efficient technology
The Micro Hydro Turbine is a device for electricity generation that is powered by the water forces of mountain rivers and streams. The water is usually taken from a lateral irrigation channel nearby. Only part of the water is needed for power generation, thereby not impairing irrigation systems.
The turbine itself is installed in small power houses. The energy which drives the turbine originates from a strong water flow in a penstock pipe. The turbine is connected to a generator and operated via a control board. A power grid connects the generator with the users. Components of MHT-unit are produced in Vietnam , China and India.
Dissemination Strategy
Informing key stakeholders
Early information to key stakeholders is vital to ensure continuous support for the program on a macro-level.
Informed choice
Users/communities are informed and choose technical options and service models.
Project planning
Project planning includes technical and socio-economic feasibility studies, construction design and legal aspects.
Training programs
BORDA experts facilitate training programs for qualified staff of partner organizations to strengthen capacities of the local service provider.
Project implementation
To ensure high quality standards, major tasks are carried out by qualified experts. User participation in construction work reduces costs and generates ownership identification among beneficiaries. User committees are trained by experts for sustainable O&M.
Quality control
Both, internal and external evaluations ensure the quality of the service provider system and help improve performance for further dissemination.
Cost efficiency
With the distribution of financial investment across stakeholders, cost efficiency is increased; furthermore, O&M can be financed by user fees.
BORDA network
The international BORDA network facilitates further dissemination (knowledge transfer, trainings, conferences, cooperation between experts from partner organisations).
Income generation
People are trained within the program in traditional textile and handicraft production like spinning, weaving, knitting, carpentry and carving.
The manufacture of various products is enhanced by electricity for machines and light. The provision of energy infrastructure is extremely relevant to improving basic living conditions and village economies.
Benefits of Micro Hydro Turbine
Effective, efficient and sustainable basic needs service solution for decentralized energy supply
Improvement of the livelihoods of marginalized people
Additional income generated by fostering small scale home industries e.g. agro processing, spinning and carpentry
O&M is covered by fees, managed by user committees and guaranteed by trained local operators
Capacity-building in technical, social and management competence e.g. training programs for handicraft production, facilitation of community workshops
Reinforcement of self-determination of user communities
Decrease of rural migration
Eco friendly through utilization of renewable energy
Impacts are gender neutral as male and female benefit equally
The supply with electricity encouraged women to establish a self-help group.
They produce traditional and modern clothes with mechanical and electric machines.
Micro Hydro Power
Partner Network
Micro Hydro Power
Donors & Sponsor
LEDeG, Ladakh Ecological Development Group, Leh/India
Vietnam Institute for Water Resources Research, Hanoi/Vietnam
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