A rehabilitated solar-powered battery system lights up a poor and remote village in Palawan.
Palawan - For 2 hours every night, 12-year-old Ian Grace reads and does her homework under a 10-watt lightbulb, while her mother cooks and prepares her lessons for preschool and day care the next day. They have no television or radio, much less a computer. But the faint light from the lamp is enough to keep Ian Grace among the top 10 students in her class.
The light comes from a solar-powered battery system financed by ADB through the Danish Cooperation Fund for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency in Rural Areas. The Philippines' Department of Energy is implementing the project, which is rehabilitating old renewable energy systems in remote areas.
In Barangay Bunog, where Ian Grace lives, the Department of Energy used the funds to rehabilitate a non-operating solar battery system installed years earlier. The nearest electric pole is 30 kilometers away, and it will cost the Palawan Electric Cooperative P15 million (about $375,000) to electrify this off-grid barangay. Since demand for power is low in Barangay Bunog, connecting it to the grid would not be economically viable, hence the need for an alternative solution.
No More Candles
"The solar energy helps us a lot because it gives us light, especially at night. Our children are able to study their lessons and we are able to do our household chores even at night," said Ian Grace's mother, Stella, in Filipino.
"It really does us good because my mother is able to work at night and I am able to help her, too," added Ian Grace.
"Without electricity, the children only use candles for their light in the evening," said Evelyn Kamias, officer-in-charge of the elementary school where Ian Grace studies. "The children often don't do their homework because they find it too difficult to study under a dim-lit candle or kerosene wick lamp."
The solar-powered white light is brighter than the yellowish light from kerosene lamps, which can easily consume about a liter of fuel each week, eating up a big chunk of a poor farming family's meager income. With solar power, they save up to P600 (about $15) annually.
Extra Income
"We benefit a lot from solar power. It helps augment our income because we can sell even at night," said store owner Rosalia Dulig. Now, she is able to serve customers until 8 pm.
"We used kerosene before. It blackened our walls and the smoke was bad for our children's health," added Apolonia Cortaje. "Now, we get to save because solar power is cheaper."
Apolonia is a BEE-or "babaeng (female) energy entrepreneur"-who manages the solar battery-charging station in her sitio, of which Barangay Bunog has six. Each station caters to 10-15 households. About 70 households, each with its own solar battery, are benefiting from the project. These "energy managers," who are usually full-time housewives, accept batteries for charging the whole day. They can charge one battery a day or an average of six batteries a week, earning for them an extra income of P50 (about $1.25) a week. They can even earn more by charging mobile phones on the side.
The Bunog solar project is one of two formerly nonfunctioning renewable energy systems made operational again under the ADB project. The other is a twin micro-hydropower system in Balbalan, Kalinga Province.
Reliable, Cost-Effective
The Philippines promotes NRE systems-solar, wind, and small-scale hydroelectric power-for rural electrification. While most projects provide reliable and cost-effective electricity, about 20-25% fail due to substandard equipment, inadequate after-sales services, and poor monitoring and maintenance. After installation, residents were not trained to take care of them or perform minor repairs.
"When one component breaks down, the end-users sometimes feel like they have lost confidence in the system. And it puts the renewable energy system in a bad light," says Reynaldo Reynaldo, a new and renewable energy (NRE) expert. "We found out that the problems were kind of trivial. For example, some of the broken parts cost only P10 ($0.25) but render the whole system non-operational.
"When one component breaks down, the end-users sometimes feel like they have lost confidence in the system. And it puts the renewable energy system in a bad light," says Reynaldo Reynaldo, a new and renewable energy (NRE) expert. "We found out that the problems were kind of trivial. For example, some of the broken parts cost only P10 ($0.25) but render the whole system non-operational.
The Government approached ADB for a technical assistance to rehabilitate the failed projects, rectify them, and ensure the success of new ones. Thus, the $450,000 technical assistance project was conceived in 2003. The project was executed by India's The Energy and Resource Institute, in association with IDP Consultants, Inc. of the Philippines.
This time, communities were involved and trained on operating and maintaining the energy systems.
With the system now running smoothly for almost 2 years, Engineer Reynaldo considers the project successful and sustainable. Users are happy to pay the fees, and others are requesting their own solar battery-charging stations. The project can also easily be replicated in other remote parts of the country, to help achieve the national target of 100% rural electrification by 2008.
"When I grow up, I would like to live in a place where it is clean, peaceful, and bright," said 12-year-old Maureen Saylila. Bunog is already clean and peaceful and-for 2 hours each night-bright as well, courtesy of the community's solar energy.