Kuching | Jan-15 | Solar Social Enterprise and Sustainable Living and Learning Center for Youth Thailand-Burma Border

Solar Social Enterprise

and

Sustainable Living and

Learning Center for

Youth

Thailand-Burma Border

Where We Are

300,000 houses w/o access to grid power

US$ 250M Government project in 2004 to install 200,000 Solar Home Systems (SHS)

80% failure (2010 UNDP report)

• No maintenance plan / training

• Installed and left

9 Refugee camps along the border: 130,000 refugees from Burma/Myanmar

48%

22%

10%

20%

Tak

Challenges

No Access to Grid

History of Border Green Energy

Team (BGET) Solar Cooking Small Hydro Power

Solar Electric System

Biogas for Cooking Hydraulic Ram Pump

Renewable Energy

Accomplishments

2005 - 2010

• 8 Micro-hydro systems

• > 200 Solar electric systems for medical clinics, schools, households

• 5 Bio-digesters for cooking gas

• 8 Water filters/purifiers

• 2 Water pumping systems

• 1 Solar water heater

• > 500 trainings on solar cooking, biogas, water pumping, micro hydro, solar electric, water filter

No. of working systems in 2011

• 2 Micro-hydro

• 100 Solar electric systems ??

• 1 Bio-digesters

• 8 Water filters/purifiers??

• 1 Water pumping systems

• 1 Solar water heater

• No. of people still know or use the knowledge from the training ???

Project Sustainability

Strong community

Long-term financial support

Reliable Technology/trained locals

Impact assessment/evaluation

Check list for Sustainability

• The Grace Garden:

“Sustainable Living and

Learning for Children

in Need”

• Solar social

enterprise provides

products &

maintenance services

“Bringing Cost Effective Solar Energy Services to

Rural Thailand”

Pilot Project Survey

: Previous Situation

After Using SHS

Impact Conclusions

98% better health due to 0% use kerosene

80% save on other lighting expenses

73% more social relationships

67% children more motivated to study

50% more time to weave

31% more time to work

25% earn more income

Sales 1

Sales 2

Rent 3

Rent 4

Revenue Stream

• Lantern & Cell Phone Charger • Full payment, no maintenance service • $65

• Solar Panel (130 Watts) • Full payment, no maintenance service • $425

• Restored Home System with governmental installed panels • 5-year contract with maintenance • $123/year

• Complete Home System with new solar panels • 5-year contract with maintenance • $231/year

A combination of 2 and 3 is most likely purchased by the customers

5-Year Impact

15,000 children have light to study

37,000 people reach

200 villages empowered

BGET’s Grace Garden

Education/Learning Center

• orphans, refugees, children at risk

• vocational skills

Permaculture/Sustainable Agriculture

• food forest

• natural resources

Renewable Energy/Appropriate

Technology

• water management

• demonstration & operation systems

• independent energy production

Visions of the Grace Garden

Theory & Hands-on

Training

Development of the swales & plants

Planting Food Forest

”Let us not become weary in doing good,

for at the proper time we will reap a

harvest if we do not give up.

Therefore, as we have opportunity,

let us do good to all people…”

Galatians 6: 9-10

Thank you very much!

www.bget.org

[email protected]