Thursday’s workshop was about sustainable energy sources. We were divided into 4 groups. Each group had a case to solve concerning the use of sustainable energy. Our group’s task was to design decentralized solution for a school in an urban slum in Ethiopia. The solution had to be decentralized because the local electricity supplier didn’t want to electrify the slum because it was afraid of excessive looting. We decided to plan the electrification using renewable energy sources, because in spite of large initial investment, they are cheap to use. We were thinking that we would need around 15 lamps in the school plus some extra for a computer on daytime. We counted that 5 solar panels would be enough and they would cost around 7500 euro together.
To store the extra energy, we planned that we needed batteries and a water boiler, so excess energy could be used to warm water. In addition to solar panels, we wanted to have some kind of a back up system. We came up with the idea of having a small biogas plant that used toilet waste to create biogas. To get electricity with biogas, we planned that the school would need two small generators. Biogas could also be converted to biofuel and sold to the community for cooking and heating. The material that doesn’t burn could be used as fertilizer in agriculture. According to our budget, the whole electrification of the school would pay 10 500 euro. To get the community to be involved in the project, we planned that there could be evening courses for the citizens of the slum.
Every group had to give feedback for one group. The group we had to give feedback designed a sustainable electrification for a small village in India located 2500 above sea level. They included micro hydropower, solar cells and biogas in their plan. We agreed that their plan was good, but they could also make biofuel to be used in old diesel generators the village already had.
I think the most interesting solution was a water tower which used potential energy to pump the water from a well. Our lecturer wasn’t sure about the practicality of the plan, but I think it was a great idea. It would be great if that kind of new solutions could gain space from old systems, like diesel generators or wood.
I think the workshop was really useful and fun. All our group members had to use their imagination to create a sustainable energy solution. Maybe some time from now, this kind of solutions can be reality.
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