Energy for all : A sustainable energy site

USP GCPV system officially commissioned

2012-02-11T12:25:00.001+12:00

IRENA general assembly in Abu Dhabi

2012-01-25T16:27:00.014+12:00

More than 800 people from 155 countries , 86 ratifying members, European Union and 57 organizations attended the second IRENA assembly. A high level Pacific leaders meeting was held a day prior to the assembly and was attended by 2 prime Ministers, one President and a number of energy ministers /officials from the PICs.I was invited to these meetings as an observer along with other colleagues from PPA, SPC and SEIAPI.It was interesting to observe the countries negotiate their point of views and have a say in the final resolutions. The main agenda of this assembly was to formalize IRENA's 2012 work programme and budget. Being a newly established organization, IRENA is going through some teething problems but is fast emerging as a major player in promoting worldwide adoption and deployment of renewable energy.

The closing of the two day assembly was done by the UN secretary General Ban Ki-moon who said "“Renewable energy is a central element in meeting the Millennium Development Goals related to poverty alleviation, environmental sustainable development and health". He added that IRENA will play a critical role in UN's initiative’s objective of doubling the share of renewables in the world’s energy mix by 2030.

This meeting preceded the launch of UN's Year of Sustainable Energy and opening of the World Future Energy Forum Summit 2012. I Managed to squeeze a visit to the exhibition on my last day at Abu Dhabi.

Final touches

2011-12-05T14:42:00.001+13:00

2012 -International Year for Sustainable Energy for All

2011-11-04T10:40:00.001+13:00

Sustainable Energy for All

IRENA meeting

2011-11-02T10:15:00.003+13:00

Last week IRENA ( International Renewable Energy Agency) held it first meeting in the Pacific on the theme " Accelerated Renewable Energy Deployment in Islands with Emphasis on the Pacific Islands". Particiapnts included country representatives, development partners,industry etc. There were interesting presentations on the status , needs and way forward for RE development in the region.

I presented a talk on training needs for RE designers and installers and explained how we are collaborating with industry to develop competancy standards and RE installers/designers certification in the region. The Sustainable Energy Industry Association of Pacific islands(SEIAPI) and USP are spearheading this initiative.

IRENA event report

USP PV system -Update

2011-10-31T09:07:00.006+13:00

Photo-atul

Photo: Aman Singh

Our KOICA funded 45kW GCPV system is now in the final stages of completion- nearby tress need bit of pruning and the system should be up and running by midddle of next month.

Photo:Aman

REN 21 GSR11 launch at USP

2011-10-08T13:31:00.000+12:00

Story - The University of the South Pacific News

Solar World Congress 2011

2011-09-11T11:51:00.025+12:00

The Kongress Palais ( Conference Venue)

Last week I was in Kassel, Germany for the Solar World Congress ( SWC 2011). This biannual event brought together more than 600 renewable energy researchers from 70 countries. There were interesting papers on Grid connect PV, Standalone systems, Solar resource assesment, Meteorological effects (cloud movement) on large PV systems - PV production ' Nowcasting', solar thermal electricity generation, built environment, solar heating and cooling etc. Germany has clearly emerged as the leader in RE technology adaptation and has wind/solar capacity to generate enough electricity to fulfill it's summer demand- quite an achievement considering the low solar radiation levels in that part of the world. Richard Perez ( of the famous Perez solar radiation model) showed that it was possible to fulfill US electrcity demand by using Solar technologies. Another interesting paper was entitled "Solar to gas" where it was proposed that the solar energy can be used to produce methane to generate electrcity on demand.

I presented a paper entitled" Techno-economic study of a grid connected PV system" and also gave a talk in the International Energy Review session

The conference dinner was held in the magnificient Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe with especially organized water feature.

French Funds for projects

2011-06-24T14:45:00.002+12:00

Two of my RE projects will be funded by a French government grant. The first project will help expand our solar PV electricity system at USP and the second project will look at strategies for replacing fuel lamps used by most of the rural population in Fiji, with solar LED lighting. We will be providing LED lamps to villagers and they will repay the lamp cost in installments. We'll also be testing the various models available in the market in terms of thier efficacy and payback time.

This photo was taken when I took the French ambassador (centre) and others on a tour of our RE sites ( photo credit-French embassy).

You can read the French embassy's report on this here.

Google PowerMeter

2011-06-19T14:04:00.000+12:00

Our 1.2 kW PV system is performing OK ( considering Suva weather) with about 6-7 kWh /day production. Students seem to appreciate the importance of green power for their laptops and lighting. The Google Power meter is great but somehow shows smaller values than the ones shown at the Current-Cost dashboard.Still trying to find out why.
Google PowerMeter

Pacific Regional Ministers' Meeting

2011-04-24T13:30:00.004+12:00

The inaugural Regional Meeting of Ministers for Energy, Transport and ICT was recently ( 4-8th April 2011)held at the SPC headquarter in Noumea, New Caledonia.The regional energy officials,development partners and other delegates met as part of this meeting and discussed the Implementation Plan for Energy Security in the Pacific (IPESP).I participated in this event as one of the USP delegates and presented a talk on the renewable energy capacity building activities at USP.
The Energy Ministers endorsed the Framework for Action on Energy Security in the Pacific (FAESP) and its associated implementation plan.

In the final communique USP was recognized as as a "lead training institution, to build technical and institutional capacity in the region". Together with newly formed Sustainable Energy Association of the Pacific Islands (SEIAPI), we plan to develop and run a series of training and certification courses in RE technologies.

I also had an opportunity to visit a grid-connected 2.15 MW PV project located near the airport.This project is a component of TEP VERTES a regional RE programme in the three French Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) and partially (50%) funded through EDF9.

EU-ACP CDM Capacity Building Workshop

2011-02-06T15:28:00.003+13:00

The UNEP Risoe centre in collaboration with IUCN organised a 5-day workshop for CDM awareness, project identification and DNA review processes. As a consultant, I presented five lectures on different aspects of CDM. The workshop was attended by representatives from government and private sector from six countries in the region. Here are two reports from Fiji TV on this workshop.

USP Solar PV System

2010-12-22T12:52:00.005+13:00

Our green Fale project was commissioned on Friday. The USP VC , Prof . Chandra and Dr. Norman Barth, Regional Environment Officer, US Embassy in Fiji, did the honours.

Read Story - The University of the South Pacific News

Watch a Fiji TV report on this event here .

IUCN Energy Projects Mid-Term Review Report 2010

2010-12-16T12:02:00.002+13:00

I was involved in a mid-term review of energy projects being undertaken by IUCN Oceania. Our report looks at the status and impacts of RE and EE projects in six PICs under IUCN's Energy, Ecosystems and Sustainaable Livelihoods Initiative (EESLI).You can read the full report here.

Renewable Energy and Climate Change Conference

2010-12-09T15:22:00.004+13:00

An international Renewable Energy and Climate Change conference was held here at the USP this week.There were some interesting presentations on energy situation in the Pacific Island Countries, CC adaptation and mitigation , resource assessment and data collection. I gave two talks during this meeting - first, on a proposed 54 kW grid connected system at the USP ( being funded by KOICA) and the second, on possibilities for programmatic CDM projects in PICs. Below is a group photograph of the conference participants :

Barefoot College-Capacity building for renewable energy in rural areas

2010-10-31T11:02:00.002+13:00

Capacity building for renewable energy in rural areas | reegle Blog

Butoni Wind Farm

2010-10-11T14:16:00.000+12:00

Climate Parliament in Fiji

2010-10-07T12:17:00.002+12:00

Legislators and experts in Fiji (photo: Thomas Jensen/UNDP)

Climate Parliament hearing in Fiji

2010-09-28T15:40:00.000+12:00

Climate Parliament Legislators working worldwide to combat climate change

A PV system for the USP

2010-09-09T13:42:00.009+12:00

The 'Green' Falles

Thanks to a small US embassy grant , my student Rajneel and I have been able to set-up a 1.2 kW PV system at the USP. It provides lighting and laptop/mobile charging points at a students study area (designed as traditional Samoan Falles). the system was switched on on Monday and will be contiuously monitored. We plan to make the electrcity generation and other data available on the web for anyone interested in the project performance. The average electricty generation in the last 3 days was ~ 5 kWh/day..The system will be offically commissioned soon. Will keep you updated. These photos were taken by Rajneel:

The Sun powers my laptop

A great Smile lit by Sustainable Energy

Book :Sustainable Energy - without the hot air

2010-06-24T09:50:00.001+12:00

A great educational tool- recommended to everyone.You can download it for free:

David MacKay FRS: Sustainable Energy - without the hot air: Download

Field Trip (2010)- Butoni Wind Farm

2010-06-06T13:06:00.001+12:00

Tuvalu Solar Project

2010-05-31T14:22:00.001+12:00

A report on the handing over of a 40 kW grid connected PV system to the Tuvalu government by IUCN Oceania,the project coordinator.

Powering the Pacific - launch of Tuvalu solar project

Wind Farm in New Caledonia

2010-05-18T13:17:00.001+12:00

Last week, I was in Noumea , New Caledonia to attend the Pacific Regional Energy Policy Consultative Meeting . After the meeting, had an opportunity ( thanks Pascal) to visit one of the many wind farms in NC.

PV lights up FSM

2010-04-06T17:46:00.005+12:00

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Cyclone damage in Lau, Fiji

2010-03-23T09:16:00.000+13:00

Photo: RAAF

Category 4 Hurricane pounds Fiji Islands

2010-03-17T10:06:00.003+13:00

For the last 3 days, Fiji residents have been in a lockdown mode when a category 4 hurricane named Tomas passed by. The northeastern islands faced the full brunt -damage reports are still coming in. Suva and the larger island of Viti Levu were spared the wrath as the hurricane took an easterly path.

Sun shines on Ha'apai Islands

2010-02-11T14:56:00.021+13:00

Recently. I have had an opportunity to visit the Ha'apai group of Islands in Tonga. All these islands are far away from any electrical grid and small solar systems are the only way to provide modern lighting services to the islanders.

Haapai group of islands:

Below are some of the photos I took while on one of the islands

On way to Mo’unga’one:

Solar systems:

The Farewell Committee:

P.S.: On 15th Feb., the Ha'apai group of islands ( and the entire region) was hit by a catgory 4 cyclone- Rene. Communications channels are still down.Let's hope that the systems survived this calamity.

India targets 1,000mw solar power in 2013

2009-11-18T10:58:00.002+12:00

India targets 1,000mw solar power in 2013

OpenPV Visualization from NREL

2009-10-31T10:51:00.001+12:00

A very interesting project from NREL that maps all existing PV installations within US and includes a host of other data. It will be great to have this map expanded to include the gloabl PV status.

OpenPV Visualization

A small solar-wind hybrid street lighting system at USP

2009-10-27T14:11:00.006+12:00

On Friday we commissioned a small solar-wind lighting system on USP campus. This project was funded by the Embassy of France in Fiji. The main idea behind this initiative was to create RE awareness among campus residents & visitors while providing hands-on training to 60-70 annual intake of our RE courses. Our students come from 12 Pacific Island Countries and we hope that they will help build RE based community systems on their return to their island homes.

The project was formally commissioned by Prof. Chandra, the Vice Chancellor of USP and Mr. Maizret , the Cooperation Counsellor from French Embassy.

I appeared on Radio Australia's 'In the Loop' programme to talk about RE developments at the USP.Click here to listen.

Sun Powers IT lab in South Africa

2009-10-15T10:12:00.002+12:00

The Solar Electric Light Fund (SELF) bridges the digital divide for rural students in the remote Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, using a solar-powered computer lab and wireless Internet access ( Renewable Energy Weekly 14 Oct 2009)

Watch a related video here

PV in the PICs

2009-09-21T14:31:00.009+12:00

Five PICs( Nauru, Niue, FSM, Palau and RMI) have recently set-up a number of grid-connected and stand alone PV sytems thanks to the REP-5 under EU's EDF-9 initiative. Some of the main projects are
i) a grid-connected 100kWp for Palau's Capitol complex

ii)20kWp grid-connected system in Niue

iii)Grid-connected 40kWp at Nauru college in Nauru

iv)2 mini-grid and 5 grid connected systems in FSM

It will be interesting to monitor the performance of these systems in the coming years but it is defenitely a great step in the right direction.

All photos and details: http://www.rep5.eu/

Carbon Trading Ceremony in Papua New Guinea Highlands

2009-09-11T14:55:00.008+12:00

Apenda Village Sing Sing 2nd. August, 2009 from Jeremy Dawes on Vimeo.

Check the following sites to get an insight into REDD activities in PNG:

carbonwontok

and

Overmatter

and check the comments section below

the Masalai Blog

I am sure there is much more to come.

Rotary Trip to Monasavu and beyond

2009-09-09T15:45:00.014+12:00

Last weekend we joined the Rotary Club of Peninsula on a 4-wheel road trip . The trip took us up to Monasavu dam which provides most of hydroelectric power ( ~80MW) available in Viti Levu. We climbed down to Raki Raki for a night stop before returning to Suva next day via King's road.

On our way to the dam, we stopped in a village (Lasi Levu) to distribute some books and other goodies from our clubs. There was a traditional Kava welcome - you can watch Champak-President of RCP enjoying his cuppa.

The kids in the village had had a good time too. Ankita managed to capture their mood.

Renewable Energy Symposium at the USP

2009-08-26T09:33:00.002+12:00

The Environmental engineering and Renewable Energy research group hosted a two day International Renewable Energy Symposium here at the USP. A number of papers were presented with a main focus on ocean and wind energy. My talk was on the general status of energy scene in the PICs and stressed the need to develop/apply appropriate technology according to the variable requirements of individual Island countries- from PNG ( population ~ 7 million) to Niue (population ~2,000).

Fiji TV covered part of the action in their evening news. You can watch it here:

Public lecture

2009-08-12T12:21:00.003+12:00

Last week I presented a public lecture on RE and CDM prospects in the Pacific Island Countries. Check it out here.

Solar mirrors to line border in Rann of Kutch - India

2009-08-05T11:06:00.001+12:00

Solar mirrors to line border in Rann of Kutch - India - NEWS - The Times of India

At risk from rising seas, Tuvalu seeks clean power | Reuters

2009-07-21T10:10:00.000+12:00

At risk from rising seas, Tuvalu seeks clean power | Reuters

Science Plan on sustainable energy

2009-07-13T09:37:00.003+12:00

The International Council of Science (ICSU )Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific has brought out a report entitled " Science Plan on Sustainable Energy". This report was prepared by the Planning Group on Sustainable Energy of which I am a member.My main contribution was on efficient lighting and capacity building.

You can download the report from:

Here

Carbon conmen selling the sky

2009-06-16T11:58:00.000+12:00

Carbon conmen selling the sky

Solomon Islands Solar: A New Microfinance Concept Takes Root - Renewable Energy World

2009-05-13T10:24:00.000+12:00

Solomon Islands Solar: A New Microfinance Concept Takes Root - Renewable Energy World

Rotary Water for Life Website

2009-05-06T10:13:00.001+12:00

Rotary Water for Life

A Historic Moment for Rotary Club of Suva East

2009-02-10T14:11:00.003+12:00

Courtesy: The Suva East Bulletin

On Monday January 26th, our weekly luncheon fellowship was bursting at the seams, and with good reason. DG Jack Davies presided over the meeting which was also attended by members of the press, honored guests, and nearly all 34 of our members.

The special occasion: all Suva East members were honored with the Rotary Foundation’s highest commendation as Paul Harris Fellows. Named for the founder of Rotary, the Paul Harris Fellow Recognition is presented to Rotarians who have demonstrated commitment to outstanding service to their communities and who have contributed significantly to the Rotary Foundation. This was a truly unique occasion, as it is the first time in the history of our district that an entire club has been honored with Paul Harris Fellow recognition. The awards were made possible by Suva East’s significant fundraising and frequent donor points collected over many years. We have all played a part in the humanitarian work and fundraising that lead to this significant achievement.

Neglected RE systems

2008-12-02T11:07:00.006+12:00

A large number of renewable energy projects in the developing countries fail within a very short time after they were commissioned with much fanfare and publicity. The root cause of this failure is lack of training and maintenance- and at times sheer neglect as is evident form the photo above (courtesy Sandeep). Sadly, this is not an isolated case - you can find similar pictures all over the world.Most of the system parts are usable but need a renewed push from the governments and donors toward raining and capacity building in these remote areas.

KL meeting

2008-11-25T16:00:00.004+12:00

I am currently engaged in drafting a science plan for research and training in sustainable energy in the Asia pacific region. Last week attended a meeting at the Regional Office of ICSU in Kuala lumpur to finalize the draft.Photo shows the members of this group -Richard could not attend this time.

Fiji Sugar Corporation seals ethanol deal - Fiji Times Online

2008-09-20T09:17:00.002+12:00

FSC seals ethanol deal - Fiji Times Online

Article-Sustainable development recipe

2008-07-02T10:57:00.000+12:00

Sustainable development recipe - Fiji Times Online

Article on RE training and jobs opportunities

2008-06-05T09:02:00.001+12:00

Fiji Times Online - Fiji News, Sport and Weather from the pages of The Fiji Times

RIL (India) to spend 25 Billion$ on PV power

2008-05-28T14:20:00.001+12:00

R-Energy to draw power from sun,

Workshop on MFIs and Village Level Energy

2008-05-09T12:47:00.017+12:00

Last month I attended an International Workshop on
Financing Village-Level Energy for Development in Asia Pacific. the workshop was organized by FDC , ADB and GVEP and was held at ADB headquarters ,Manila.The main agenda of the workshop was to look at the existing microfinance framework in the region and develop innovative strategies to make energy accessible to millions of people living in villages.The workshop coincided with the launching of "Energy for all"initiative by the ADB.
Opening remarks by Craig Wilson, FDC
ADB press release
One of the most interesting part of the workshop was a field visit to an LPG distribution center including a nearby community in need of a better cooking fuel. We also visited APPROTECH Asia Philippines' pilot project site for improved institutional cooking stove for food enterprises.

Light Up Papua New Guinea Project

2008-05-06T13:19:00.004+12:00

Almost 90% people in PNG have no access to electricity and they spend more than 100 Million dollars annually on kerosene and batteries . There are about 1900 medical aid-posts spread over the rugged terrain and Islands that make PNG .These life-saving stations are also in dire need of suitable lighting. Now, a Canadian couple has decided to come to the rescue and will help light up all 1820 medical stations within the next 3 years. Dr. Tim and Sally Goddard have started this initiative in memory of their daughter Captain Nichola Goddard, the first Canadian female soldier to die in combat in Afghanistan. Nichola was born in Madang (PNG) where her parents were working as teachers. This work is being undertaken with the support of Light Up the World Foundation and will begin in July.
You can find more about this project here.

Lighting up the villages in Fiji

2008-05-05T13:18:00.009+12:00

According to some estimates, people worldwide spend about 40 Billion dollars on highly inefficient kerosene lamps for their basic lighting needs. Solar based technologies are readily available to allow these communities switch to more efficient ,clean and sustainable lighting sources. The main hurdle is of course the initial capital payment for solar panels, batteries etc.
One community in the northern province of Macuata on the second largest island of Fiji Vanua Levu , has just moved into the era of efficient lighting. A women's group in Visoqo village ,Macuata Soqosoqo ni Marama (Macuata Women’s Association) with the help of GEF,Canada Fund and International Women's organization(IWA-Shikha is a member ),Suva raised funds to install several Solar Home Systems within the community.A local company CBSpowersolutions did the installation of SHS systems.

Small portable solar lanterns are a great substitute for hurricane lamps and ordinary torches.Photo below shows such a lantern ( Solar Navigator) recently introduced here in Fiji. It is a compact lantern with a 9W CFL, a built-in solar panel and a 6V battery. The battery can be charged by solar energy or any electrical outlet.This is a very well designed product and comes with a radio or a motion sensor.My students are currently running some tests on these lanterns as part of their mini project- the lanterns were presented to our RE lab by Ajay Prasad ,director of CBSPS, .

Photos:CBSPS

Cogeneration plant commissioned in Fiji

2008-05-02T11:55:00.003+12:00

On 30th April 2008, Tropikwood Industries Fiji commissioned its 12 MW cogeneration plant. The plant cost 23 Million $ and will supply 72 GWh of electricity to the national grid. This is a major boost to the Fiji electricity authority's ambitious plans to be 100% renewable based by 2011. The plant uses bark, sawdust and wood residues from the mill at Lautoka. The company expects a revenue of 9 million dollars annually from this expanded version of their previous smaller plant.The equipment for this set-up was supplied by RCR Tomlinson and uses a Babcock & Wilcox Towerpak superheated steam boiler plant.
photo:rcrtom.com.au

Suva joins Earth hour campaign

2008-03-07T12:46:00.003+12:00

On 29th March Suva will be among 20 cities around the world celebrating Earth Hour by switching off its lights. This is an initiative by WWF to create awareness about Climate Change and energy Efficiency .
I recently wrote an article on this topic which was published in a local newspaper. You can read it here

Hail-The return of the Sun movie

2008-02-19T12:03:00.002+12:00

Watch an interesting short film produced by German solar-power company Solon AG.It graphically illustrates the enormous amount of energy available from the Sun.

Hail: The Return of the Sun

Tata Nano- Volkswagen Beetle reincarneted (smarter and greener)

2008-01-12T18:26:00.000+12:00

The cheapest car in the world can actually help reduce the number of traffic accidents and also mitigate pollution (it conforms to Euro IV standards) by cutting the number of two and three wheelers on Indian roads.

Tata motors is also going to produce a zero-emission (at the 'tail-pipe) car which runs on compressed air.Watch a BBC newsclip:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=oSwlTqaM1oA

"Papua New Guinea helps save Bali climate talk": CNN Video

2007-12-20T13:56:00.000+12:00

For those who missed the emotionally charged finale of Bali climate meeting:

Rotary Water Foundation hands over first project

2007-12-14T13:53:00.000+12:00

Tuesday (12th December)was a day to remember for 400 odd residents of Solevu village on Malolo Island, 25 km off Nadi .For the last 20 years the villagers had ferried their drinking water from the mainland on barges. Water from the local wells is not fit for drinking and the rainy season lasts only for 3 months.

Rotary foundation funded drilling of 4 boreholes while the villagers themselves provided the pipe system.Approximately 100,000 L/ day water will be supplied to the 7 communities , one school and the health center.
Google Map:Resina, Photo : Fijitimes
Read a newspaper report here.

Fake Climate Change Conference Scam

2007-12-11T13:48:00.000+12:00

A friend of mine recently received an invitation to attend a conference on Climate Change (GWCC)being organized by "International Development Organization". The letter says in part:
"This is just to invite you that the registration for the 3rd
International Development Organization (IDO) Conference is now open.
The 3rd International Conference on Global Warming and Climate Change (GWCC 2008) will take place in London on February 22-25,2008.....
IDO has set up an Access Fund to support the travel costs and all-round air fare cost for participants who are unable to raise sufficient funds on their own.
All participants,however will be expected to fund raise for their hotel bills in the UK, which will not be waived. "

This is to let everyone know that this is a scam - there is no conference by this name .This is a typical so called 419 Scam mail. For more details check
http://www.joewein.net/419/419-fake-conferences.htm

Cyclone Daman update

2007-12-09T21:46:00.000+12:00

Cyclone Daman has finally left the shores of Fiji Islands. Miraculously ,there was minimal damage as this Cat 4 cyclone steered clear of populated islands of Fiji group.One of the smaller islands, Cikobia of Lau group did get a hit and there was some structural damage. The cyclone is now weakning and headed towards Tonga

Solar power and Hollywood

2007-12-08T20:03:00.000+12:00

In a 1938 film "You can't take it with you" Jimmy Stewart tells Jean Arthur about his vision of replicating photosynthesis to produce energy.

They'd be pleased to know that its no more a dream- Dye-sensitized solar cells do just that.

Daman Update

2007-12-07T21:53:00.000+12:00

According to Fiji Met forecast Daman would pass over Vanua Levu leaving Viti Levu (the main island) alone. Life in Labasa and other centers on Vanua Levu is at standstill with people taking refuge in shelters. Hopefully there won't be much loss of life and property.

Bracing for Cyclone Daman

2007-12-06T21:37:00.000+12:00

Fiji is gearing up to face Tropical Cyclone Daman which is expected to hit Fiji group in next 24 hours.Its very quiet here in Suva but things could change by tomorrow morning. The North Western parts of Viti Levu and Rotuma are likely to be more affected. This would be a big test for the newly commissioned wind farm at Sigatoka.However, the turbines can be lowered quickly if situation arises.Will keep you posted.

CFL promotion ad

2007-12-06T13:51:00.000+12:00

Watch some ads promoting compact fluorescent lamps:

Ratatouille and Department of Energy TV Spot

Don't be an a..-Greenpeace ad

Havells India ad

GFSE-7 presentation

2007-11-30T16:00:00.000+12:00

Reurned back to Suva on Monday 26th after a 31 hours flight from Vienna via London,Bangkok and Sydney. The conference was educative and informative as usual . I was very happy to meet Vladimir Stehlik, an old friend who had had a horrible road accident two years back and was in coma for many days. He is perfectly normal now and in fact chaired one of the sessions.
I presented a talk on RE and EE strategies in th Pacific Island Countries. You can view my presentation here

All presentations are available at the GFSE 7 site .I particularly liked talks by Josh Carmody of ADB and Albrecht Kaupp of GTZ.

GFSE-7

2007-11-13T11:37:00.000+12:00

The Global Forum on Sustainable Energy will be holding its 7th meeting from 21st to 23rd November in Vienna.The topic this year is "Energy Efficiency for Developing Countries".I'll be presenting a talk on the EE and RE efforts in the Pacific Island Countries. For details of the conference and the programme click here

Rotary Pacific Water for Life Foundation

2007-11-08T13:32:00.001+12:00

My Rotary Club (Rotary Club of of Suva East)has taken a lead role in the Rotary Water for Life project here in Fiji. The aim is to provide access to safe drinking water and sanitation to communities living all over Fiji.The foundation is being supported by 4 major sponsors; Vodafone Fiji,Fiji Water, Wetpac bank and Golden Manufacturers. We have a technical commiteee consisting of water/energy/finance professionals which vets the proposals submitted by communities/schools through their local Rotary clubs. It is expected that this venture wil get support from RI. The foundation was launched in September this year and projects have already started in a few places.

Fiji's first wind farm commissioned

2007-10-27T13:57:00.000+12:00

The Wind farm at Butoni Hills Sigatoka, was commissioned yesterday. Read a newspaper report here

Carteret Islanders:" First Climate Change Refugees"

2007-09-13T14:08:00.000+12:00

The Carteret Islands - a group of 6 (now 7- one of them has been bissected by the sea) tiny islands-total land area ~ 0.6 sq km are located about 86 km NE of Bougainville Island (PNG). These islands are expected to be totally submerged by 2015.Sea water has entered food gardens destroying the crops .The most plausible cause for this is the sea level rise due to the climate change (the other probable causes being the movement of tectonic plates) . The PNG government is moving all the inhabitants ( about 1500) to other nearby islands. This gives the Islanders the unfortunate distinction of being the first climate change refugees.

For some old picures of these islands click here

You can watch a recent Green peace video on this topic below.

President Lula - speech at the EU's International Conference on Biofuels

2007-09-06T09:42:00.001+12:00

Brazil's President Lula addresses the landmark International Conference on Biofuels, organised by the EU in Brussels, 5 to 6 July, 2007.
The day before the conference, Lula signed the Strategic Partnership between Brazil and the EU, in which biofuels play a key role.

Coconut oil fuel in Vanuatu

2007-09-06T09:31:00.000+12:00

Tony Deamer has pioneered the use of coconut oil as a Diesel fuel in Vanuatu. Here is a short video on his activities.

A wind farm takes shape in Fiji

2007-08-30T09:22:00.000+12:00

A 10 MW wind farm comprising of 37 Vergnet wind turbines is almost ready to be commissioned. The farm is situated on Butoni hills near Sigatoka town about 200km from Suva.The two blades turbines can be lowered to horizontal position quickly by two persons in case of a cyclone .The wind farm is connected to the main grid via a 33kV line.These photos were taken by Ankita.

Luner eclipse - as seen from Fiji

2007-08-29T14:21:00.000+12:00

We waited for almost 6 hours last night without any luck. The dense cloud cover did't let us have a look at the great spectacle. However, some people were lucky - a friend of a friend clicked these photos last night (thanks Sitaram)

International Conference on Biofuels

2007-07-17T09:58:00.001+12:00

Last week I travelled to Brussels (thanks to CTA) to attend an international conference on Biofuels organized and hosted by EU (5-6 July).The conference brought together more than 300 particpants which included Presidents, Prime ministers, ministers , NGO representatives , biofuel researchers and producers from around the world.The highlight of the meeting was a keynote address by President Lula of Brazil.He talked about the potential of biofuels in making most of the countries in the world energy independent. Brazil is aworld leader in Biofuel ( ethanol) production & its usage and President Lula highlighted Brazils achievements in the past few years. Other keynote addresses were presented by Mr. Barosso, president of EC and Mr. Socrates, the Prime Minister of Portugal.
On the European front, EU considers biofuel to be a major player in their future energy matrix. By 2020, EU will have 20% of its energy needs met by renewable energy sources and half of this will be from biofuels. The role of biofuels in climate change and GHG mitigation was mentioned by many speakers.The rapid growth of countries like India and China will be partially fuelled by biofuels while many other countries are interested in the emerging international markets for biofuel trade.

The sustainable development of biofuels ,competition for land & water between the food & energy crops and the importance of second generation of biofuels were the main topics of discussion during the conference.The effect of biofuel trade on the food prices was another hot topic on the agenda.

You can read my report on this coference here (login as a guest)

Full details of the conference including all the speeches can be found below:
http://ec.europa.eu/external_relations/energy/biofuels/index.htm

Move to Fiji

2007-06-13T10:46:00.000+12:00

I have recntly taken up a position at the University of the South Pacific , Laucala Campus , Suva. We spent 9 years at UNITECH, PNG and thought it was time for a change. USP has a very beautiful campus and Suva promises to be an interesting place.I expect to be heavily involved in Renewable Energy teaching and research here. It will take couple of weeks before we are fully settled here. Still organizing the house and all.

Coconut oil reports

2007-03-05T11:58:00.001+12:00

Two of my reports on the use of coconut oil as fuel in the Pacific Island Countires can be downloaded below:

Status of CNO in power generation and industrial use:
http://www.sopac.org/tiki-download_file.php?fileId=979

CNO use in PNG : A travel report
http://www.sopac.org/tiki-download_file.php?fileId=974

Donation and practicality

2006-11-17T15:39:00.001+12:00

Photo:SMH

Following article appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald (SMH)

Commuters out, squatters in as Timor gift fails road test

Buses donated to East Timor by the NSW Government in 2002 have never been used and sit in an empty parking lot, makeshift homes to a handful of Timor's poor.
Five of the 20-year-old Mercedes-Benz Mark Two buses, worth about $10,000 each, were shipped to East Timor, at an added cost of $70,000, by the Transport Department in January 2002.The buses were intended to help establish much-needed transport services across the ravaged country.The department failed to conduct proper feasibility studies, however, overlooking the fact that the buses are too large for East Timor's roads and cannot be used."Even in [the capital] Dili, the roads are old and too narrow," East Timorese Consul-General to Australia Abel Guterres said."These buses are just too big. They would run everything else off the road."...............

The lesson : Donors should always first ensure the practicality and usefulness of any piece of equipment donated to a needy community. In developing countries, its common to see RE facilities like PV panels , microhydro equipment lying in disuse. Most of these equipments were donated without any feasilbility studies or the study of real needs of the people concerned.It is also imperative to train people in operation and maitenance of the donated gear.

Students' Party

2006-11-17T11:37:00.000+12:00

Our students organized a party to bid farewell to their final year friends(photo above). We were invited and I was asked to cut the cake. Photo below shows me with other 4th year students -Gabriel is helping me cut the enormous cake.

Tony at the cultural fest

2006-09-27T10:39:00.000+12:00

Tony Powell ( red T) is an AVI and teaches at the department of Business studies here at UNITECH.He donned the face mask and joined students and their wantoks during the recent cultural fest.He has put together all the photos he took during the fest in a coffee-table book form which has turned out real nice.

Unitech cultural show

2006-09-18T13:13:00.000+12:00

Last weekend, Unitech students staged their bi-annual cultural show which celebrates the diversity of culture among students.This year it also had stalls set-up by students from various departments of the university showcasing their projects/reserach.
Photo shows Shikha and I with one of our students from Enga province dressed in his traditional costume.

WCPSD, Durban 2005

2006-08-29T14:06:00.001+12:00

In November 2005 , a conference was held in Durban as the finale to the celebrations marking 100 years of Einstein's famous equation and the International year of physics. There were 4 themes : Physics and economic development, Physics and health, Physics education and Energy & environment. I took part in the energy session and presented a poster on the RE training and education in PNG.There were more than 200 participants from all over the world. Photo on the left was taken at Prof. Bharut Ram 's house in Durban .Prof. Ram ( second from left) is a South African Prof of Physics and current Director of their Nuclear Research Center.Also in the photo: Prof. Srinivasan, director of ICTP ,Treiste (5th from right), some colleagues from India & Argentina and Bharut's family members ( his wife Chinta is on front left). Photo below was taken during the poster session.I also caught up with some former colleagues and students from Nairobi.

The Soroptimist International club of Lae

2006-08-26T13:40:00.000+12:00

Shikha is a member and immediate past president of Soroptimist International (SI) of Lae. This is an international organization of professional women working for the betterment of status of women in society-especially in the developing countries. Here in Lae, they are involved in a multitude of projects including a Women and children's support center at the local hospital. Photo above shows Shikha presenting books to a school when we visited Mutzing a couple of months back.

Rotary donation at UNITECH

2006-08-23T10:05:00.000+12:00

On thursday my Rotary club ( The Rotary Club of Lae) presented some goodies to various sections at UNITECH. These goods were received from Australian clubs under Donation in Kind (DIK) programme.We donated an Autoclave to Applid Science Dept.( My wife Shikha works there), a music system to Physics students association, books and toys to local play school and medical supplies including a ventilator to the clinic. Photo : kneeling -Shikha ( on extreme left) sister Torres (Unitech clinic) and Karol Kutan (Student's rep) , standing - Play School teacher (on left), Dr. Samson Akoitai (Applied Science), Goeff ( middle), myself and Tony (extreme right).

Linibis of Mutzing

2006-08-11T17:44:00.000+12:00

Peter Linibi and his wife Maria live in Mutzing, about one hour's drive from Lae.Peter is a retired policeman and is now involved in a variety of community projects.He has been experimenting with various applications of coconut and other plant oils .He has a PSS coconut press and has trained many grassroot people in oil extraction, soap making etc.He has also planted jatropha around his house and plans to run his diesel engine on jatropha oil.Maria is also very active and is a member of the council of National Agrriculture Research Institute (NARI) .
Photo below: Joshua ,our PTO and Sidnie ,a 4th year student with jatropha plant.

ACP-EU meeting

2006-07-28T16:10:00.000+12:00

In the last week of May, PNG hosted the ACP-EU (Africa Caribbean Pacific – European Union) ministerial meeting at Port Moresby. A CDE (Centre for the development of enterprise ) / CTA (Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural cooperation) and Energy workshop was held on 2nd June as part of the meeting. I was invited by the ACP secretariat to present a plenary lecture on “Fuel Switching for Rural Development”. There were about 200 participants from all walks of life and the lecture was very well received with a number of queries. There was a short report in the local newspaper Post Courier. Click here to read the article.

Professor David Goodstein talks about "Out of Gas: The End of the Age of Oil"(Google Video)

2006-07-24T17:57:00.000+12:00


a June 27, 2006, video interview with California Institute of Technology (Caltech) Vice Provost and Professor of Physics David Goodstein, in which he discusses his 2004 book, "Out of Gas: The End of the Age of Oil," and other subjects dealing with global energy sustainability, including ethanol/bio-fuels, solar electricity, Stirling engines, hydrogen, and wind power.

PNG Photos

2006-07-23T21:28:00.000+12:00

Nissan Island Airport ( on way to buka)

Buka Airport

Sunset at Longis

Photos from PNG

2006-07-22T16:45:00.000+12:00

Rabaul volcano( as seen from the airport road)

Treehouse bedroom

Kavieng sunset

Treehouse beach

CNO electricity

2006-07-16T17:36:00.000+12:00

Matthias has set-up a CNO based decentralised electricity system at Longis. Two Duetz generators ( 30 kVA and 50 kVA) operate on a dual fuel mode- start and stop with diesel, run with coconut oil. The electricity produced is supplied to the CNO factory and few nearby houses including Horn's own house ( top 2 photos). There is a small open air theater( bottom photo) where Rugby and othet sports telecasts ( received through a satellite dish) are shown on big screen. The villagers love the service and pay a small fee for the privilage.

The Kavieng Treehouse

2006-07-12T18:50:00.000+12:00

Last month I was in Kavieng-Headquarter of New Ireland province and stayed at the Treehouse Resort.This resort boasts of the largest "living treehouse " in the world and is about 30 km from the Kaveing airport.Alun Beck, a longtime resident of PNG ( he sailed from New Zealand almost 30 years agao) owns and runs this delightful and tranquil resort. Besides the treehouse, there are 9 one-bedroom bungalows all built around fig-trees and beach-views .Alun is very active in eco-tourism in PNG and was recently awarded an MBE for his efforts. He plans to produce electricty for his resort using RE. At the moment he uses a diesel generator and is trying to run it on CNO. He also deals with WLED lights and is the local supplier for these systems. For more info check their website: www.treehouse.com.pg

On Way to Longis

2006-07-11T18:07:00.000+12:00

Longis , Carol's ( Matthias's wife) village is about 60 km from Buka. This photo was taken in Matthias's car and shows Carol & some of their workmen - who come from the same village.As one can see, we were having a good time.

Matthias and his CNO powered car

2006-07-09T14:16:00.000+12:00

I recently traveled to Buka ( Autonomous Region of Bougainville, PNG) to meet Matthias Horn who is a pioneer in the use of coconut oil as fuel in CI engines. He runs 3 cars/trucks, a forklift, a cement mixer and 2 generators on pure CNO. He has set-up a coconut oil production facility in his wife Carol's village. He buys whole coconuts from nearby villagers and uses an Indian made Tiny Tech mill to produce CNO.

RE projects in PNG

2006-05-16T14:00:00.000+12:00

There are a few renewable energy projects (mainly PV) in operation in the remote areas of PNG. The departments of health and education have, in recent years invested through donor support in PV lighting in schools, community centers and installed vaccination fridges in aid posts & rural clinics. In 1996-98, 320 schools from all over PNG received PV power supplies .This project was funded by JICA and implemented by the department of education. Last year a pilot project supplying solar kits to 2500 primary school teachers in the rural areas was initiated by the department and is supported by GEF .The project provides interest -free loans (through Teachers Savings and Loan Society) repayable in 5-years.All the buyers would be provide some basic training in maintenance & operation of these kits. It is envisaged that the project will create a revolving fund making other teachers/ government servants working in rural areas to buy these kits. At the moment, there is very little commercial financing available for this kind of projects. Details of this project can be found here

Photo on the left shows the installation of a micro hydroelectric generator in a remote village in Papua New Guinea. The installation was done by engineers from Appropriate Technology and Community Development Institute (ATCDI), PNG University of Technology. (Photo courtesy: ATCDI)

Energy & rural communities in PNG

2006-05-15T15:11:00.000+12:00

Recently carried a mini-survey among my students regarding the current status of energy access in their villages. The common thread in all the responses is the absence of any energy services. Some of the responses are as follows:

Sidnie: Sidnie comes from the south coast of Manus Island. His village has about 500-600 people and the nearest town/trading post is about 20 miles away. There is no grid electricity. There are some PV systems but due to wrong sizing (many rainy days) and maintenance problems, are not reliable. The main fuels used are kerosene, firewood and petrol ( for boats).The place is very windy

Possible solution: Wind energy, CNO driven generators

Gladice: Gladice hails from Musavu village, New Ireland province. There are about 5-600 people in the village which is one day's boat trip away from the nearest town Kevieng. There is no grid electricity but some households have PV systems .People use firewood and kerosene for cooking and lighting. The provincial government has expressed great interest in solar energy utilization.

Possible solution: PV systems, CNO driven generators

Cardie: Cardie comes from Guruf village in Morobe province. It’s about 7 km away from Lae, the second largest town in PNG (UNITECH is situated here). The population is between 1000 and 1500 people. Again, there is no electricity .Firewood and kerosene are the main fuels used. The location has good solar resource and solar-wind hybrid systems can be installed here. The area ia also blessed with many sites suitable for micro-hydro systems.

Possible solutions: PV systems, microhydro, CNO generators

Eddie: Eddie’s village is Yenchimangua ( population ~ 500) in East Sepik province.
It’s about 60 km from the nearest town and has no electricity. Again, firewood and kerosene are the main household fuels.

Possible solutions: CNO generators, PV systems

Maxwell: Maxwell is a resident of Katon village on Karkar Island, Madang province. There are 600+ people in the village and no electricity.

Possible solutions: CNO generators

Sandy: Sandy comes from Western Highland province. His mountainous village Tabibuga has no access to electricity. The terrain is very rugged and the houses are spread over a large area. Decentralized RE based power supply would be the best hope for supplying electricity in this area.

Possible solutions : PV systems

Deanne: Deanne’s village is situated in the south on the North Hanover Island, New Ireland province. There are about 500 people in the village who live in unelectrified houses. The main fuels used are firewood/ kerosene for cooking/lighting and petrol for transporting ( by boats) cocoa to nearby towns .They also use firewood for cocoa drying in the fermentries.

Possible solutions: CNO generators, PV systems

Ken: comes from Koupuana village in the central province. There are about 800 people in thevillage and nearest town is about 49 miles away. There is no grid electricity but some PV installations exist.Firewood and kerosene are the basic fuels used.

Possible solution: PV systems, CNO based generators

RE business activities in PNG (contd.)

2006-05-06T13:36:00.000+12:00

Project Support Services Ltd

PSS Ltd. are manufacturers and suppliers of low-cost appropriate technology equipments. Our main interest was in their coconut oil presses .The company maufactures a "Coconut work station " (photo on left)comprising of a maual oil press with a husker and scraper, all attached to a work bench. This system is capable of producing about 3-4 liters of oil every hour. They also manufacture a table top press which can produce 1-2 liters of oil per hour. Another product is a simple oil filtration system capable of filtering upto 5 microns and has a capacity of 20 liters per 20 minutes.
According to Gregory Dean, the Manager PSS Ltd., there is tremendous interest in these presses in PNG and other PICs. It is envisaged that availability of these presses will revitalize the declining coconut industry. It is much more economical and convenient to transport ccocnut oil than ferrying large amounts of copra/coconuts from remote communities to the oil mills.

As we have discussed earlier, the coconut oil (filtered and refined) can be used to run diesel engines. Therefore, small generators running on CNO can provide electricity to these communities.

Other interesting equipment on display was a white LED based lighting system ( picture on left).LED's are low wattage solid state lighting devices which have recently emerged as an alternative to conventional incandescent lamps and fluorescent lights. The system consists of LED lamps connected to a sealed rechargeble battery and costs around 200 Kina ( ~ 70 USD). PSS Ltd is promoting this system with technical help from Barefoot Power, a Tasmania based compnay.

To learn more about the LED based llighting for rural development visit Light up the world foundation

RE business activities in PNG

2006-05-05T13:03:00.000+12:00

As a part of the Renewable Energy course I teach here, I took a group of my students on a visit to some of the

Photo by Mimi Murray

dealers/manufacturers of Renewable energy euipment in Lae. The idea was to familiarize them with the immense applications of RETs. Below are the details of some of the places visited

TE(PNG) : The communications division of TE(PNG) deals with a variety of communication solutions for the remote and rugged locations in PNG: HF/UHF/VHF radios, satellite phones etc. Most of this eqiupment is powered by solar energy. TE(PNG) supplies and installs BP Solar products.They have two basic configurations of Solar house lighting kits, one with 40 watt panel and 4 eight watt lights and the other with 80 watt panel and two 18 watt lights. The batteries supplied ensure 3 days autonomy.TE is a mjaor supplier of PV systems to mining indusry,Health services and other aid organizations.

Some of the systems installed/supplied by TE are listed below and they exhibit the varied use of of PV technology in PNG ( source : TE)

Installed over 750 solar powered HF radio systems throughout PNG.
Installed vaccine fridge systems in Madang, Milne Bay, NCD & Western Provinces.
Supplied 20 complete vaccine fridges to Department of Energy.
Supplied 8 complete vaccine fridge systems to Ausaid for use on Bougainville.
Supplied 8 solar powered water pumping systems to WHO.
Supplied solar powered water pumping systems to EU Aid projects.
Supplied solar powered floating water pumping systems to Central province.
Supplied and installed 32 lighting systems for Forestry Department accommodation units.
Supplied lighting kits to New Zealand High Commission for aid projects.
Supplied 29 Solar vaccine fridge systems to Red Cross Bougainville.
Supplied and installed a mountain top Solar powered VHF Radio Repeater equipment for Highlands Pacific in Madang province and NZHC in Arawa.
Supplied a Solar powered TV transmitter to Ok-Tedi Mining company.
Supplied Solar powered navigation lights for use in Port Moresby harbour.
Awarded the tender for supply and installation of 18 Solar powered vaccine fridge systems for Women's and Children's Health Project in 18 provinces in PNG for training purposes.
Supplied and installed an additional 25 Solar powered vaccine fridge systems to the Womens and Childrens Health Project for remote Health Centres and Aid Posts around PNG.
Supplied in excess of 45 Solar powered lighting kits to the Department of Health in Manus.
Supplied domestic refrigerator systems utilizing Solar power to the Diocese of Aitape.
Designed and supplied a Solar powered system to provide lights and mains power for a remote school in the Sepik province.
Designed and market an affordable modular solar lighting kit.
2001 Designed and supplied lighting systems for Chevron Tax Credit schemes consisting of 15 house lighting kits, Health Centre Lighting and Aid Post Lighting.
2001 / 2002 Supplied four Solar vaccine fridge systems to Chevron.
2001 TE (PNG) was appointed the supplier of lighting kits for Health centres throulh out PNG.
2001 Supplied two Solar vaccine fridge systems to Salvation army.
2001 / 2002 Supplied & installed over 100 Solar powered HF radios in Central and Milne Bay Province, with other provinces to follow, this is part of the National Health Radion Network.
Supplied and installed solar powered FM broadcast radio linking in PNG highlands
2002 installed solar power upgrade for Chevron Niugini on all repeatrer sites, this included more than 100 panels and almost 300 battery cells and a remote computer control / status system

There are a number of other dealers selling/installing PV equipments in PNG. The major ones are : Rural Power Supplies , ESCO, DATEC(Enertec), RDS and TOLEC.

Coconut in PNG: The tree of life

2006-05-02T17:12:00.001+12:00

Photo:Ankita Raturi

Coconut is the most important crop in the pacific. It plays a very significant role in the islands' life as each and every part of this tree is used - hence the name " the tree of life"

About 6% of the total land area of PNG ( ~ 250,000 ha) is covered with coconut trees The plantations are usually intercropped with cocoa. Fig. on the left shows the copra ( dried coconut meat) production in PNG for the last 25 years. There are several factors that affect the production viz. world copra price fluctuations, tranportaion difficulties and lack of plantation rehabilitation efforts. There are two coconut oil mills in PNG. One in Rabaul ( Coconut products ltd.) with a crushing capacity of about 50-60000 tonnes of copra produces about 30-35,000 tonnes of coconut oil every year. The other, a smaller one, is in Madang (COPM ltd.)

The total coconut products export from PNG is shown in the second figure above.

Plant oils and diesel engine

2006-04-28T17:29:00.000+12:00

When Dr. Diesel designed his combustion ignition engine, he had hoped it to be run on vegetable oils:

“The diesel engine can be fed with vegetable oils and would help considerably in the development of agriculture of the countries that use it."

Rudolph Diesel, World exhibition Paris, 1900

However, cheaper diesel in that period and other factors did not let this concept to be fully tested until recently. There are several plant oils that can be tried as fuel. The main properties that influence the performance are calorific value, viscosity, cetane number and saponification value. The iodine value gives the polymerization activity of a fuel while the cetane value is an indication of the willingness of a fuel to ignite (similar to the octane number for petrol).

A numnber of plant oils eg. sunflower, soya, rapeseed , palm and coconut oil have the potential to replace diesel in CI engines. Coconut is grown in abundance in the PICs and coconut oil (CNO) have some of the best fuel properties- lower iodine value, higher cetane number. However, its viscosity is 10 times higher than that of diesel. The viscosity can be decreased by heating the oil prior to its use in a CI engine.

Click below to view my presentation on biofuels

http://gfse.at/publ/ppt/20050512/wg1_raturi.ppt

Green fuels

2006-04-27T11:37:00.000+12:00

Ankita Raturi