It's good to see another group is working in Haiti. We have been working in Haiti for 3 years now (actually the group has been doing it longer) and have seen some fantastic changes. http://www.green-trust.org/cobench
Steve Spence Subscribe to the Renewable Energy Newsletter & Discussion Boards. Read about Sustainable Technology: http://www.green-trust.org [EMAIL PROTECTED] ----- Original Message ----- From: "Neoteric Biofuels Inc" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Cc: <biofuels-biz@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Thursday, April 03, 2003 3:39 PM Subject: [biofuels-biz] DIY PV > Do-It-Yourself Solar Introduces Affordable Power to Developing Countries > by Dave Bell , Special Correspondent > > Even the simplest electrical devices that we take for granted - such as > radios and lights - elude many of the rural poor of Haiti and > equatorial Africa. Electrification has yet to reach them, and dry cell > batteries are just too expensive to use on a daily basis. What these > countries do have is an abundance of sunlight. Enter BioDesign, a > British company that supplies non-profit organizations in developing > countries with the materials and know-how to assemble low-cost solar > panels that eliminate the need for costly batteries. > > BioDesign partners with non-governmental agencies in Africa, Haiti, and > Nepal to provide DIY (do-it-yourself) Solar panel kits that can power > devices such as radios and lamps. Local organizations interested in > generating revenue, including an orphanage for AIDS victims in Kenya, > for example, assemble the panels and sell them to help fund their > operations. > > DIY Solar client-countries include Ethiopia, Gambia, Nigeria, Rwanda, > and Sierra Leone. In Uganda, one entrepreneur is assembling panels and > selling them to individuals. > > "Anyone can have a sample panel if they seem genuinely interested," > BioDesign founder Graham Knight told ChipCenter. "One of the beauties > of this is the low cost of the sample." Knight also offers a low-cost, > commercially-made solar panel that can work with converted > radio/cassette players, although he is not out to compete with > commercial products. > > 'Simple and Affordable' > > "My concerns are about helping the poor and sharing information about > our solar technique," said Knight. "Our aim is to make [our panels] > simple and affordable." The kits come with instructions and BioDesign > will send volunteers to provide training, "if really necessary." > > "If ordered, we can supply low-cost Nicad/MH cells, but some people use > the photovoltaic panels to charge 12-volt car batteries," said Knight. > "In many cases, the people are too poor to buy even cheap NiCads and > have to use dry cells or wick lamps at night." > > BioDesign's silicon photovoltaic cells allow for thinner and cheaper > panels than the more common crystalline solar panels. A single panel > capable of powering a six-volt radio can cost as little as $2. Exact > dimensions vary, but most of the panels are roughly book-size. Each one > is tuned to the device it powers. > > Some of the advantages of DIY Solar kits are: > large savings in cost of dry cells, > growth of small enterprises to convert appliances to solar, > low-cost solar arrays can be used to charge lead-acid batteries for > lighting, > replacing candles and kerosene lamps lessens the chance of fire, > decreased landfill disposal of dry cells means less pollution, > new jobs created, > new revenue source for non-profits. > > BioDesign currently is developing LED lights for use with its solar > panels and has plans to adapt its system for low-cost, low-flow pumping > from shallow wells. To learn more, log on to > http://www.biodesign.org.uk . > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > > Biofuels at Journey to Forever > http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html > Biofuel at WebConX > http://webconx.green-trust.org/2000/biofuel/biofuel.htm > List messages are archived at the Info-Archive at NNYTech: > http://archive.nnytech.net/ > To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ > > > ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~--> Save Smiley. Help put Messenger back in the office. http://us.click.yahoo.com/4PqtEC/anyFAA/i5gGAA/9bTolB/TM ---------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Biofuels at Journey to Forever http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuel at WebConX http://webconx.green-trust.org/2000/biofuel/biofuel.htm List messages are archived at the Info-Archive at NNYTech: http://archive.nnytech.net/ To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
