Renewable Energy Village Power Systems for Remote and Impoverished Himalayan Villages in Nepal

Submitted by : Awadesh Kumar

Abstract

1.6 - 2 billion individuals in creating nations live in dim homes, without access to power, and 2.4 billion

depend on customary biomass for their day by day vitality administrations, for example, cooking,

warming and lighting. Absence of power and overwhelming dependence on conventional biomass are

signs of neediness in creating nations, and ladies and youngsters specifically endure gigantic wellbeing

issues because of open chimneys. The high relocation and urbanization rates in creating nations will keep,

compelling governments to concentrate more on urban vitality administration procurement and

augmentation. That broadens the crevice in the middle of poor and rich, highlighting the relationship in

the middle of destitution and access to power further. Nepal, with the lion's share of its kin living in hard

to get to zones without any streets is a run of the mill illustration of that. Having a place with the poorest

and most undeveloped nations, the per capita power utilization is among the least on the planet. The

geological remoteness, the cruel climatic conditions, low populace thickness with negligible vitality

request and low development potential, are a portion of the reasons why rustic jolt costs in Nepal are

restrictive and the separated provincial mountain towns in Nepal won't be come to inside of the not so

distant through network augmentations alone.

Nepal is not rich in fossil fuel assets but rather it has a lot of renewable vitality assets, specifically dilute

that is running from the unfathomable Himalayan mountain ranges in more than 6,000 waterways. With

300 sunny days a year, the sun's openly accessible sun oriented vitality can likewise be changed over into

power.

In probably the most remote Himalayan valleys in Nepal, among the poorest and most underestimated

gatherings of individuals, some reassuring steps have been taken with respect to basic rustic town zap.

The nearby accessible, renewable vitality assets have been taken advantage of, and through Remote Area

Power Supply (RAPS) frameworks, miniscule measures of force, in the "watt" extend as opposed to "kilo-

watt", has been created for basic rustic town zap. Along these lines a few towns have been charged, for

lighting purposes just, through various sorts of town incorporated sun oriented photovoltaic frameworks

and the littlest sorts of hydro force plants, called pico hydro. The lights considered most proper and

economical are 1 watt vitality devouring white light discharging diodes (WLED), giving a base, however

simply adequate light yield.

This paper expects to highlight the criticalness for fitting and economical basic rustic town zap in Nepal,

keeping in mind the end goal to make chances to bring light into the dim, smoke filled homes of the

poorest of poor people. It talks about the conceivable, fitting innovations, for example, sun based PV

frameworks for single homes and entire towns, pico hydro power plants and little twist generators, for

little scale country town power era plans. It portrays and talks about a percentage of the actualized town

sun powered PV and pico hydro power plant ventures, including the encounters picked up and the lessons

learned.

Keywords: Rural Village Electrification, Renewable Energy Resources, Renewable Energy

Technologies, RAPS System, Holistic Development, Lighting, Sustainability,

Appropriate Technology

1. Introduction

Nepal is a landlocked nation, with India toward the south, east and west and the People's Republic of

China toward the north. It lies between 26° 22' to 30° 27' N scope and 80° 04' to 88° 12' E longitude, with

an altitudinal extent from 60 m in the south to 8,848 m in the north. With its verging on rectangular shape,

Nepal encases an aggregate region of 147,181 km2. The normal north-south width is around 193 km and

East-West length midpoints 885 km1. Extensively, Nepal exists in the subtropical storm climatic

framework, and has five unique sorts of climates2, from tropical in the south to elevated in the north

because of its huge land variety.

80% - 85% of Nepal's 27.6 million people3 live in rustic zones, with about half so remote that the closest

street, and without a doubt the national network, is inside of 2 - 16 days strolling separation. The Humla

area in the far north-west of Nepal, is the place the majority of the provincial town jolt ventures identified

with in this paper happen (see map beneath). The GDP/capita (Gross Domestic Product) is 1,100 - 1,370

US$4, and the HDI (Human Development Index) is 0.499 for Nepal and 0.244 for the Humla district5.

Around 40% of Nepal's kin are living beneath the neediness line6.

The normal future in Nepal is 60.1 years for men and 59.5 years for women7, however in country and

bankrupted mountain zones, for example, Humla, the future is between 36 – 50 years8, with the ladies on

a normal 2 years lower than men. That puts Nepal among the couple of nations where ladies have a lower

future than men, demonstrating the huge obligations, hardships and weights they convey inside of their

general public, particularly in the remote, undeveloped high elevation mountain districts. Nepal has a

yearly populace development of 2.27%, however in Kathmandu, Nepal's capital, it is 4.83%9,

demonstrating the solid urbanization pattern.

The national proficiency rate is given with 45.2%, (62.7% of men ready to peruse and compose and

27.6% of the women10). Again the photo in the poor mountain districts is somewhat distinctive. In

Humla just 4.8% of the ladies are proficient, and the normal years of educating is only 0.88 years11. The

national normal power utilization per capita in the 2003 - 2004 financial year was just shy of 70

kWh/year12, setting Nepal among the most reduced power purchasers on the planet.

Figure 1: Nepal map (with author’s adjustment). From the “End of the Road” one either has to walk 16 days to Simikot (Humla district), or take a one hour, adventurous airplane journey through the Himalayas from Nepalgunj (in the very south at the India boarder) to Simikot.

2. Nepal’s Energy Scenario

Nepal is poor in fossil fuel assets, and in this way needs to import all its non-renewable vitality assets, for

example, lamp oil, diesel, petrol, condensed petroleum gas (LPG) and coal, from its neighboring nation,

India. The costs for these fossil fills are emphatically subject to the worldwide monetary and political

conditions.

Yet, what Nepal is rich in are renewable vitality assets, for example, biomass, water, daylight furthermore

twist in some specific zones. The colossal advantages of these vitality assets are, that they are free and

renewable, and in this manner don't bring about continuous fuel costs. Further, an incredible favorable

position is that these renewable vitality assets are locally accessible, and consequently can be a piece of

the nearby group's economy and way of life.

2.1. Nepal’s Energy Resources and Their Use

2.1.1. Biomass

With still around 80% - 85% of the populace living in country territories, the essential vitality source used

to give the greater part of the vital day by day vitality administrations in Nepal since hundreds of years,

has been fuel wood, frequently supplemented by product deposits and creature compost, reliant on the

predominant nearby traditions, cast, height and geological zone.

By Nepal Water and Energy Commission Secretariat (WECS), around 30% (or 42,054 km2 ) is secured

with timberland. Around 11% is secured with bushes and brambles. Observing information demonstrates

that the backwoods regions are every year decreased by 1.7%13 . Further, backwoods and bush territories

are progressively changed over to developed area. In 1999 around 15 million metric (MT) huge amounts

of air-dry fuel wood were expended to give the yearly vitality administrations. 98% of that aggregate fuel

wood utilization is utilized as a part of private family units. In any case, the yearly practical fuel wood

creation from the greater part of Nepal's open backwoods adds up to just 7 MT14.

Families in the remote ranges of Nepal utilize valuable trees as kindling for cooking, room warming and

lighting. These exercises, particularly indoor cooking and lighting on open chimneys, expend day by day

20 kg – 40 kg kindling a day 15, with direct ceaseless effect on the strength of ladies and youngsters

specifically, because of the colossal indoor smoke contamination. It is nothing unexpected that they

experience the ill effects of high rates of respiratory sicknesses, asthma, visual impairment and heart

disease16, bringing about the low future for ladies and the high demise rate of kids < 5 years of age17.

The fuel wood utilization, through tree cutting, woodland clearing and fuel wood accumulation, for as far

back as a quarter century, been well over the rate of supportable timberland development. Ever more and

more risky adventures for the ladies and young ladies, of up to 7 hours a day18 are currently required to

gather the essential fuel wood. This has constrained the neighborhood individuals to progressively use

agrarian deposits to meet their developing vitality requests. This thus brings about diminished yield

profitability, expanded soil disintegration and arable area misfortune. Further, as Prof. Smith19

demonstrates, the smoldering of compost and horticultural deposits on open cooking fires, produces up to

three time more indoor contamination as blazing fuel wood. Deforestation is across the board and the

once beautiful, bio-differing woods and valleys are stripped of their assets in unsustainable ways.

2.1.2. Hydro Power

Nepal is the significant supporter to the Ganga Basin in the north of India. The yearly release of out

streaming waterways from Nepal to India is around 236 billion m3 20 from more than 6,000 waterways,

with numerous streams losing a potential tallness of around 4,000 meters inside of a north – south

separation of 100 km. This makes a hypothetical hydropower capability of 83,290 MW21. The

unforgiving landscape and troublesome access to numerous regions confines the hypothetically

exploitable hydro power potential to a more sensible actually and financially productive potential. In this

way, the practical feasible, financially and actually achievable, hydropower potential has been assessed to

be 42,130 MW22. With this figure, and an accepted limit component of 80% the yearly vitality capability

of Nepal's waterways can be assessed to be around 300 TWh.

Figure 2: Some of the significant streams of Nepal, with that colossal north – south drop, from the 6,000 – 8,000 meter elevation of the Himalayan reach toward the north, to the level southern part, which is simply above ocean level. Map from: http://www.mapsofworld.com/nepal/nepal-stream map.html

Following 2003 a sum of 576 MW23 evaluated power limit, from 23 introduced hydro power plants has

hitherto been figured it out. Subsequently, today an insignificant 1.37% of the in fact and financially

attainable hydro power capability of Nepal has been created. Amid the 2003 – 2004 financial year the

aggregate yearly vitality produced was 2,381 GWh24, which infers a limit element of a little more than

47%. With a national normal power utilization per capita in the 2003 - 2004 financial year of just shy of

70 kWh/year25, including the colossal vitality loss of ~ 24%, authorize essentially to the expansive

matrix transmission line misfortunes and influence burglary, contrasted with around 900 kWh/year26 for

the greater part of the creating nations, puts Nepal among the most reduced power customers on the

planet.

Subsequently one can say that the "extravagance" of having power accessible at the flick of a switch is

still a fantasy for around 80%, or ~ 22 million individuals in Nepal. In the Nepal Electricity Authority's

(NEA) long haul arranging, 29 hydro power plants, with a sum of 22,435 MW evaluated power yield

have been proposed for Nepal's future force advancement.

2.1.3. Solar Energy

Nepal lies in the perfect 30° North "sun powered belt"27 with around 300 sunny days a year28. Sun

oriented light estimations with pyranometers on following casings for sun powered PV modules in three

distinctive geological areas in Nepal through the span of two years (2004 – 2005), demonstrated that

1,950 – 2,100 kWh/year (with a normal of 5.342 – 6.027 kWh/m2 per day29) of sun powered illumination

had been blocked. The amazing qualities were 3.5 kWh/m2 every day on a blustery cloudy rainstorm day

in July in Kathmandu, and 9.9 kWh/m2 every day on a sunny late fall day in November, in Simikot in

Humla (at 3,000 m height) . By studies, the PM10 (Particulate Matter < 10 micrometers in width, and in

this manner ready to enter the respiratory framework) values for Kathmandu amid the day are as high as

495 µg/m3 in center city zones, with TSP (Total Suspended Particulate) values up to 572 µg/m3.

Additionally 24-hour normal qualities were as high as 225 µg/m3 for PM10, and 379 µg/m3 for TSP

respectively30. Interestingly, the WHO rules give greatest normal 24-hours estimations of 70 µg/m3 for

PM10, and 120 µg/m3 for TSP. These high values in Kathmandu are predominantly delivered by the

wasteful burning of fossil powers from vehicles and the neighborhood block oven industry. Days with

thick exhaust cloud layers over the Kathmandu valley, lessening the force of the sun based light by ~ 20%

are not at times. Considering this data31 sun powered PV modules introduced at a point of 30° south

(considered as the "Nepal standard"), can block 4.8 – 6.0 kWh/m2 sun based vitality on a day by day

normal in a large portion of the spots in Nepal32.

Subsequent to 2002 the SWERA33 (Solar and Wind Energy Resource Assessment) venture under the

administration of NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory) in Golden Colorado USA, creates with

the Tribhuvan University (Nepal's national college) and the Ministry of Science and Technology maps of

the accessible sun powered asset in Nepal. Joined NASA satellite information with some deliberate

ground information are displayed in nation maps with a 10 km matrix for yearly worldwide flat, and at

scope tilt worldwide sun powered illumination. The maps and the genuine ground estimation information

recorded by the creator at three better places concur inside 10% - 15%.

NEA has introduced as a feature of a French government improvement venture in 1989 three sun based

PV cluster frameworks in three remote territories (30 kWR in Kodari, 50 kWR in Gamghadi and 50 kWR

in Simikot), out of which the last two are still thought to be operational in the most recent NEA power

advancement diagrams and charts34. Since October 2003 the Gamghadi framework has completely

fizzled, leaving the general population, who have had straightforward low power lighting in their homes

for a long time, again oblivious. The Simikot framework (see picture underneath) gives following the late

90s just DC power (both the 5 kW and a 50 kW inverters fizzled because of absence of upkeep/repair

stores, save parts and gifted experts). For ~ 100 family units with every one to three 40 – 60 watt brilliant

globules not associated with an on-off switch, just 1–2 hours for every day indoor lighting is given.

While one needs to perceive that 16 years of operation in such a remote region, with such a great and

cruel atmosphere, with insignificant support, better introductory arranging and planning would have

empowered the framework to keep on giving its significant lighting vitality administrations for

presumably another 5-10 years. These focal sun powered PV frameworks however have arranged the path

for the sunlight based PV innovation to have a decent passage as a proper and feasible innovation,

utilizing the accessible nearby sun powered vitality asset to create vitality, for the most part to light

reason. NEA likewise introduced throughout the years littler sunlight based PV frameworks for remotely-

found mountain runways for the common flying, for national telecom stations and some drinking water

pumping frameworks in the lower level zones, adding up to an aggregate limit of around 200 kWR still

operational.

Picture 135: Simikot Humla 50 kWR Solar PV System, after 16 years of operation

In 2001 the administration of Nepal, chiefly through the monetary backing of the Danish government, set

up a sun based PV home framework (SHS) appropriation program36 . That empowers families living in

the remote and poorer mountain locales, to introduce a SHS for the most part to light (10 WR – 40 WR ).

Under that plan, till the end of November 2005, an aggregate of 61,892 SHS have been introduced in 73

out of the 75 locale of Nepal, with an aggregate crest force rating of 2,024.574 kW.

This developing interest for little scale SHS delivered a mushrooming of sun oriented vitality

organizations in Nepal. While this is empowering, not all organizations have sound infrastructural and

specialized bases to give quality items and after deals administrations. The last specifically are extremely

poor, as no sponsorships are accessible for them. In this way numerous frameworks once they are

introduced, are recorded in the books and insights, however are not caught up or appropriately kept up. In

this manner while the measurements look empowering, with a fitting renewable vitality innovation

beginning to have any kind of effect in the lives of the poorest, the real actualities might demonstrate an

altogether different picture37.

A sun powered vitality transformation innovation all the more broadly utilized and introduced as a part of

urban regions is the sun based water warmer (SWH). The thermo-siphon SWH innovation was exchanged

from Switzerland to Nepal in the mid 70s and has now around 220 neighborhood Kathmandu based SWH

producers.

The majority of the privately made SWHs are of the same old innovation and size, as the attention was

predominantly on financial intensity among the quickly developing number of makers. The normal

neighborhood made SWH comprises of a 2 x 2m2 safeguard with stirred steel pipes and steel safeguard

blades. Every unit has a 150-200 liter warm/boiling hot water stockpiling tank, protected with 50 mm

glass fleece. The general proficiency [energy picked up in the boiling point water (MJ)/approaching sun

oriented light (MJ)] is low (~25%). In spite of the fact that there are no point by point figures of

introduced sun powered water radiators accessible, it is trusted that between 50,000 – 80,000 units are

operational in Nepal.

Following 2001 the Kathmandu University, under the principle creator's supervision, has been occupied

with a connected exploration venture for an enhanced SWH model for more extensive use. The

examination venture centers specifically on a privately produced high elevation SWH innovation to keep

running under solidifying conditions, as a thermo-siphon framework. A first unit for a high elevation

town SWH showering focus, was introduced in November 2005 in Simikot Humla (see picture

underneath) and is at the snippet of composing experiencing its first field tests amid the icy winter

months at a height of precisely 3,000 meter above ocean level (9,843 feet). Once affirmed, it will be at

long last introduced as a component of a participatory comprehensive group advancement venture in the

town of Dhadhaphaya (see pictures 27 – 32, 39 – 46) in Humla, in Spring 2006.

2.1.4. Wind

Nepal is not extremely blustery, as it is landlocked, and because of its extraordinary

topographical conditions, it has not very many huge level zones of area. Be that as it may, there

are different zones where streams have cut profound north – south valleys into the monstrous

Himalayan mountain range, extending from the east toward the west. In this manner numerous

valleys do have solid normal winds blowing through them, and therefore could tremendously

profit by utilizing their neighborhood wind vitality asset (see Nepal help map).

The joint SWERA venture has not yet acquired adequate wind asset information to make any

national wind asset map. In this way the nation's potential wind asset can even now not be

surveyed adequately precisely, and along these lines neighborhood accessible wind assets would

should be initially assessed/measured (time requesting and costly) before a venture can occur.

Further, being straightforwardly identified with the sunlight based radiation and the

neighborhood geological, nearby twist conditions as to quality, coherence and bearing, change

quickly agreeing.

Figure 3: Relief Map of Nepal shows some of the major deep north-south valley, creating a natural Venturi effectWith the immense water asset, a developing hydro power industry, and expanding mindfulness and usage of sun based PV ventures under legislative appropriation programs, it does not shock anyone that barely any wind era ventures have been actualized in Nepal.

The few wind generator ventures (known not primary creator) can be outlined in the accompanying:

1. A initial 30 kW wind generator was subsidized by the Danish government and introduced by NEA in 2001 in Kagbeni, Mustang region, which is a wind rich town at the base of the Annapurna valley, the world's "most profound valley" (see map above). In any case, effectively following a couple of months a solid blast harmed the wind turbine's edges so severely that it was hopeless.

2. In 2001 a transported in Synergy S5000DD wind turbine was introduced as a major aspect of a little half breed (750 WR sun based PV exhibit and wind turbine) framework as force era for a high height salvage center for alpinists, in the Mt. Everest locale in the town of Pheriche. Aside from the establishment the nearby business and group had no part and profit by it.

3. ITDG introduced six little scale wind home frameworks with battery charging crosswise over Nepal. Accentuation was given to neighborhood producing, and to prepare some nearby individuals. While this is the right way to deal with add to a future nearby assembling industry, no criticism or news has been made accessible on the result or aftereffects of the undertaking.

4. The principle creator has himself introduced an independent little twist turbine with 180 WR yield power in 1998, and run it for a long time in the remote range of Jumla, north west Nepal (http://www.lichtinnepal.ch.vu/). While that wind turbine was running with no disappointment for a long time, creating little measures of vitality, sufficiently only to charge the batteries for one home, the real establishment spot was not perfect.

5. Since 2004, the KUPEG (at: http://ku.edu.np/~kupeg/reserch/reserch3.html), began a little scale wind turbine outline and assembling venture under the direction of Dr. Subside Freere.

Appling locally accessible innovations, gear and assets, nearby the preparation of neighborhood skilled workers, are a piece of the techniques.

These cases demonstrate that the use of little scale wind turbines for rustic town jolt in Nepal is still all that much in its earliest stages and that no task has up to this point stood out as truly newsworthy.2.2. Nepal’s Energy Consumption Pattern

2.3. Interesting trends can be seen in the following table (Figure 4), showing the energy consumption pattern and growth for Nepal’s non-renewable and renewable biogas and micro hydro energy resources over the years 1990 – 2002, presented in TJ (or 1012

watt).

Figure 4: National Energy Consumption data

While in 1990 the customary fills still made up 96% of the aggregate yearly vitality utilization,

in 2002 they are as yet giving 86% of all vitality administrations. In real mass the utilization

expanded by 27.5%, while Nepal's backwoods contracted over the checked time period by ~

22%. The per capita conventional fuel utilization diminished from 1,072 kg for each year in 1990

(with a populace of 18.1 million and an expected blended conventional fuel vitality estimation of

12 MJ/kg) to 987 kg (or – 8%). This, subsequent from the sharp expanded utilization of imported

petroleum fills in urban territories (the run of the mill ascending on the "vitality ladder"38 in

creating nations).

Contrasted with the normal overall per capita biomass utilization somewhere around 1994 and

2005 of 1.9 kg (normal populace of 6 billion individuals and an aggregate yearly biomass

utilization of ~ 50.7 EJ39, with an expected blended conventional fuel vitality estimation of 12

MJ/kg), Nepal still has a 42 % higher biomass for every capita utilization of 2.7 kg for each year

(25 million individuals and 12 MJ/kg).

Amid the same time period there has been a just about five fold development in the utilization of

non-renewable petroleum vitality assets, for the most part for the vehicle division. With 57%, or

183,402, of the greater part of Nepal's enlisted vehicles in 2001 being used in the Kathmandu

valley40, it is clear why Kathmandu experiences genuine air contamination issues. Additionally

the huge increment in coal utilization, specifically from 1999 to 2000, with a right around four

fold increment, demonstrates that the modern utilization of warmth vitality (particularly for the

block oven industry) is forcefully expanding.

Power utilization, however only produced with hydro power in Nepal, expanded just about 3

times over the observing period, with a normal yearly increment of ~ 10%. While that shows an

infrastructural test to take care of such a demand development, the measure of power devoured in

the entire vitality blend was still just 1.47 % of the aggregate in 2002.

The vitality administrations produced through renewables (excluding any sun based vitality

administrations), demonstrate a generally fluctuating picture year by year with development rates

between 10% - 30%, and more than a ten fold general increment amid the recording period. Be

that as it may, the genuine vitality created by renewables is still low, and contributes under 0.5 %

of the entire vitality era blend.

The high rate of development in vitality utilization demonstrates the requirement for obviously

characterized long haul vitality strategies, which take the novel and delicate Himalayan

environment into thought. These arrangements must be touchy to the sensitive environment,

permitting individuals to use the locally accessible renewable vitality assets on a focused premise

with the non-renewable vitality assets. That would permit Nepal to ensure what can at present be

secured, and might restore to some degree what has as of now been hurt through the uncontrolled

development in utilization of fossil fills and wasteful burning procedures.

3. Approaches for Improved Energy Services for the Poorest of the Poor in Nepal’s

Remote Himalayan Villages

As said above, 80% - 85% of Nepal's 27.6 million individuals live in provincial territories, and ~

80%, or 22 million, still have no entrance to power. In the accompanying sections different ways

to deal with enhancing the vitality administrations, generally to light purposes, for minimized

and hindered mountain groups, are highlighted and examined.

3.1. Grid Connection

Nepal's national matrix (absolute length is 4,346 km) is outlined, manufactured and kept up by

the legislature possessed NEA, giving around 1 million clients with framework power. These

customers are for the most part situated in the couple of urban zones and profoundly populated

level, subtropical southern piece of Nepal (see figure 5). The few existing lattice augmentations

into the more rustic ranges are portrayed by incessant over-burdening, poor dependability, high

line misfortunes and influence burglary. The absence of framework expansions is justifiable in

the connection of Nepal, as they are normally exorbitant, long haul speculations. Further, the

remote and rocky ranges are not just a test from the specialized and geographical perspective,

however are inadequately populated, with couple of buyers per square km, with low vitality

requests and low expected burden development. Purchasers are charged a level rate, if by any

means, which gives no motivating force to preserve power.

These conditions have set awesome weight on NEA, and the organization has as of late been rebuilt into

three specialty units, the era, transmission and appropriation and clients administrations (retail)41. These

units now expect to wind up benefit making organizations. Consequently there is currently even less seek

after future country zap ventures through NEA, which are non-beneficial however serve poor people and

remote mountain groups. Further, existing country power era plants are being sub-contracted either to

intrigued privately owned businesses or to the groups themselves, to run them as neighborhood

organizations. Be that as it may, a large portion of the smaller scale hydro power plants have been

initially planned and worked with the customary methodology "100 watts for every family unit" for

glowing globules, making them too enormous and too unreasonable for the neighborhood groups to keep

up and repair.

3.2. RAPS Systems

Nepal's one of a kind land and geographical conditions request new methodologies and advancements

keeping in mind the end goal to achieve the 22 million individuals living in troublesome and remote

mountain ranges without power. A reasonable alternative to framework expansion is the era of power

inside, or close to, a group, utilizing locally accessible renewable vitality assets. One arrangement that is

developing in notoriety is to create the required power locally through a Remote Area Power Supply

(RAPS) framework. A RAPS framework can be characterized as a force era framework, creating power

for country homes and groups. Such frameworks are little scale (normally <50kWp) independent units,

giving power autonomous of the principle power lattice or smaller than usual matrix system. RAPS

frameworks range from little petrol generators, ready to power apparatuses straightforwardly, to more

intricate establishments utilizing either renewable vitality just, or in mix with a diesel or petrol generators.

A RAPS framework that has a blend of vitality sources, for example, a wind generator, sun based boards,

petrol or diesel generator, battery charge control framework, battery stockpiling and inverter, is known as

a cross breed RAPS framework. For the remote mountain territories of Nepal a RAPS framework will

more often than not contain sun powered PV boards or wind generators. A petrol-controlled move down

generator is not a practical answer for the remote and bankrupted mountain groups, as the vehicle cost for

fossil fills (conveyed by watchmen for quite a long time or weeks) is improbable. At the point when the

renewable vitality asset is not accessible for delayed timeframes, the best approach to guarantee a fitting

back - up framework is to plan a battery bank, ready to give the obliged vitality to a practical range of

time.

RAPS frameworks are regularly outlined with 20 years future, and it is great designing practice to

incorporate into the life cycle cost all the vital operational, upkeep, repair and extra parts costs. This gives

a sensible vitality unit (kWh) value that every shopper needs to pay, with a specific end goal to keep the

RAPS framework operational. The locally accessible vitality assets, the group's normal day by day

vitality administration requests (counting a practical future burden request development) and their

moderate spending plan will decide the kind and size of the RAPS framework.

Nepal's rich assets in hydro influence and daylight can be used locally through proper renewable vitality

advancements, for example, miniaturized scale hydro (5 kW – 100 kW) and pico hydro (0.1 kW – 5 kW)

influence plants42, or sunlight based photovoltaic modules and exhibits, to create the wanted electrical

influence to meet fundamental vitality requests. RAPS frameworks can give a practical and fitting answer

for by far most of Nepal's populace still without access to power as indicated by a group's distinguished

needs and money related capacity inside of their predictable lifetime. Further, regularly the group

possesses a RAPS framework. In this way keeping in mind the end goal to have solid proprietorship for

the RAPS framework, the group needs to take an interest effectively in every venture step. That begins

with the beginning arranging (characterizing and setting every one of the parameters of a RAPS

framework) and planning organize, the building and establishment of the RAPS framework, and also

working and looking after it. Nearby individuals are prepared in the essential hypothesis and at work in

all pragmatic establishment and working work, guaranteeing a high level of proprietorship and along

these lines readiness to keep up and repair the RAPS framework. With such a methodology and usage, a

RAPS framework can give fundamental power requests, which are regularly constrained to basic lighting,

for even the most remote groups in proper and economical courses for quite a long time to come.

3.3. Elementary Rural Village Electrification

One of the principal things to ask for any town charge framework configuration is: "What is the most vital

vitality administration interest of a family in a remote mountain town?" And more often than not in

remote towns the answer is: Light. With a specific end goal to plan a proper jolt answer for lighting

purposes, it is critical to comprehend the techniques and innovation individuals have so far used to satisfy

their lighting needs.

For instance in the high height ranges in Humla, with a specific end goal to give light in the something

else dull homes (as most have just little unglazed windows which are generally shut because of the

chilly), every home makes light inside their home by smoldering the conventional "jharro", a stick of gum

drenched pine wood (Picture 5). They cook with kindling on an open flame, with either three stones, or a

three - legged metal piece, called an "odhan" (Picture 6). Obviously that the open chimney and the

"jharro", blazing all night, make exceptionally unfortunate living conditions.

In this setting, what alternatives are accessible other than the smoky "jharro" for giving light to every

home, light that is fundamental for cooking, evening get-togethers and youngsters' study times?

Behind a large portion of the remote miniaturized scale hydro power plant tasks is a monetarily solid and

committed patron, without which such ventures would not have the capacity to occur. The massive gear

for a 10 kW or bigger miniaturized scale hydro power plant measures a few thousand kilograms. Once

introduced, experience demonstrates that it is verging on difficult to destroy it, when it need repair

because of disappointment. The specialized ability is not accessible in the town and the high transport

cost for watchmen and airship cargo are restrictive for the vast majority of the poor mountain

communities45. These issues bring up major issues of suitability and manageability of this generally

broadly endorsed and recognized innovation.

Be that as it may, what sort of jolt innovation and framework is proper where the nearby individuals have

distinguished home lighting as their most pressing need? Considering the nearby group's needs, requests

and money related capacity (the greater part of them are beneath the destitution line), an essential lighting

framework, that is reasonable and solid, is the thing that they require. With a specific end goal to give a

conceivable answer for lighting in this connection, it is vital to begin upgrades at both finishes, the force

era and the light power utilization. In the event that less power is required for the lights, less power should

be created. Littler frameworks are a lower budgetary weight for the nearby group, and along these lines

more moderate without an outer supporter. Further, they are ordinarily less demanding to fabricate, work,

keep up and particularly to repair, in the event that they fall flat. They can likewise be outlined in closer

organization with the nearby group, making them the glad proprietor of the framework. Such a framework

is called a basic town zap framework.

3.4. Appropriate Lighting Technologies

In many homes, which are controlled by a smaller scale hydro power plant, and some of the time even by

a sun powered PV framework, in the provincial mountain territories of Nepal, 2 - 3 radiant globules,

every 25 - 60 Watt, are introduced. Along these lines a town with 50 homes needs a 10 kW small scale

hydro power plant. The neighborhood individuals don't have the foggiest idea about some other lighting

innovation, along these lines they never scrutinized its suitability. A brilliant knob has an existence range

of 750 - 1,000 hours. They are simple flimsy, and to get another knob in the remote mountain territories is

troublesome, tedious and costly. Each and every light must be flown in via plane, and after that conveyed

by watchmen to the principle bazaar, before one can buy one at an extreme cost. In the event that an

excellent CFL (reduced glaring light) globule, with a powerful Factor (PF) of > 0.9 is utilized (Picture 7),

which devours 7 – 11 watt (and is practically identical with a 35 – 55 watt glowing knob concerning its

light yield), the force era can be 5 times littler for the same measure of homes and lights. Further, CFL

lights have futures of 8,000 – 12,000 hours. In this way, a 2 kW pico hydro power plant would be

sufficient to give the same lighting administrations to the same town.

Indeed, even less power should be created if 1 watt white light discharging diode (WLED) lights, as

appeared in Picture 8, are utilized. Further, the normal life time of WLEDs is between 50,000 – 100,000

hours as indicated by the producers. Be that as it may, in contrast with great quality CFL lights, with

around 80 lumens/watt, WLEDs are still half - 100% lower in their lumens/watt rating.

While the future prospects for expanded light yield of WLEDs looks extremely promising46, a percentage

of the best WLEDs (as e.g. the Nichia NSPW 510BS with a 50° light point), deliver just 26 lumens/watt.

Be that as it may, we have officially a portion of the most recent WLEDs under testing (Nichia NSPW

500CS with a 20° light edge), which have been evaluated by the producer to create 56 lumens/watt. While

still more WLED lights must be introduced keeping in mind the end goal to coordinate a CFL's light

yield, the force era can however be lessened by an element five – ten for the same level of administration.

4. Technologies Appropriate for Improved Energy Services in Nepal’s Remote Himalayan

Villages

With the recognized and assessed renewable vitality assets in part 2.1. what's more, the methodology

expected to achieve remote and bankrupted mountain towns and groups with a basic provincial town zap

venture talked about in part 3.3. also, the most fitting and reasonable lighting innovation for the setting

assessed in 3.4., the base is laid to pick the privilege renewable vitality innovation.

Among the different accessible renewable vitality advancements, little hydro power plants, sun oriented

PV frameworks and little scale wind turbines, appear to be the most relevant advances. It is critical so as

to build the conceivable accomplishment of an undertaking, that the most suitable and manageable

innovation for a characterized connection is picked. This prompts starting inquiries, for example,

• Is the innovation picked taking into account: Least-Cost, Preferred by the Community,

Sustainable?

• Has supportability been considered before effectiveness?

• Can the force framework be in fact, monetarily, socially and ecologically manageable?

• Can the shopper bear the cost of the vitality administrations over the life process duration of the

framework?

• Can the end clients partake in all progressions of the tasks and would they be able to be prepared

to work and look after them?

• Is the innovation likewise socially fitting and satisfactory to the end clients?

• Can required extra parts made accessible from the neighborhood/national business sector in due

time and at a moderate cost?

• Can all partners' (end clients, venture implementer, giver) desires be met?

• Can new exercises and conceivable salary era ventures be a result?

• Can the general living states of the villagers be made strides?

These inquiries must be asked and addressed attractively by all partners of a task. This is tedious, with

frequently extra costs, which are difficult to legitimize.

In the accompanying we will investigate the three noteworthy material and locally accessible renewable

vitality innovations for Nepal's remote mountain towns, hydro power, sunlight based PV frameworks and

little scale wind turbines.

4.1. Hydro Power Plants

With Nepal's tremendous hydro power capability of 42,130 MW, it is evident that this innovation

is the one to consider first. The hydro power industry in Nepal recognizes vast scale (≥10 MW),

medium scale (≥1MW ≤10 MW), little scale (≥100 kW ≤1 MW), miniaturized scale hydro (≥5

kW ≤100 kW), and pico hydro (≤5 kW). As the connection of our study is little scale power era,

for fundamental lighting benefits just, this current paper's investigation is restricted to pico hydro

power plants.

4.1.1. Pico Hydro Power Plant and Case Studies

As the name demonstrates, pico hydro power plants mean to create miniscule measures of force

from a little stream or waterway. The genuine measure of force created is ≤5 kW, and they are

for the most part proposed as force era plants for remote towns which have recognized their

vitality administration requests as essential lighting, as a major aspect of their first introduction

to power.

Hence in Nepal in the mid 90's NHE (Nepal Hydro Electricity) created, with data and field test

results from the fundamental creator, the main pico hydro power plant, producing 200 watts. It

was obligatory that just material and hardware that is accessible, or could be produced, in Nepal

was utilized as a part of making this plant The guideline of utilizing an engine as a generator, as

indicated by the celebrated book "Engines as Generators for Micro-Hydro Power", by Nigel

Smith47, was the essential methodology, as little affectation engines are nowadays broadly and

economically accessible in Nepal. Utilizing an engine as a generator accomplishes not the most

noteworthy efficiencies, but rather it is a fitting specialized answer for the setting in which they

will be utilized. The innovation is straightforward, work and keep up, and sufficiently unpleasant

to survive the brutal and troublesome conditions under which they need to work for quite a long

time, with a low disappointment rate.

An initial 200 watt (however in the field just creating at first 165 watt) pico hydro power

propeller turbine, was introduced in the town of Thalpi, in the remote Jumla area of north-

western Nepal in 1997, trailed by the second in the neighboring town of Godhigaun in 1998. The

pico hydro power plant is composed with a low negative head, and uses 25 liters of water for

every second. The negative head implies, that the pico hydro plant has a cone shaped shaft of 8°

after the propeller turbine. That pole is 2.1 meters in length, and can be introduced in the middle

of the ranchers' terraced fields, which are much of the time watered. Along these lines no extra

water to run the pico hydro power plant should be occupied from the fields. As each pico power

plant is in itself a contained unit, it is anything but difficult to include further plants in

arrangement if the vitality interest of the end clients increments. For the Thalpi town a sum of 30

families (with a sum of 245 individuals) and three WLED lights (each devouring 1 watt) for

every family unit were introduced. There was no point by point life cycle cost investigation

completed (as a large portion of the neighborhood materials utilized have no exchange quality

and in this manner would should be assessed first). Be that as it may, each family unit pays 15

NRp (Nepali Rupees, which is 20 pennies US $ (spring 2006), towards the support, security and

repair expenses, to make the frameworks reasonable.

It has gotten to be standard that all the transmission links (reinforced links) are covered

underground, regardless of the generously expanded expense. This is legitimized due to the

tremendous measure of woodland debasement in Nepal's high height Himalayan territories, and

consequently no further trees for transmission posts must be cut all through the lifetime of the

force plant. Further, underground links are shielded from the frequently brutal climate

conditions, for example, snow, exuberant rains, tempests and lightning.

In both the accompanying contextual analyses from the initial two pico hydro power plant

establishments in the Jumla region (see pictures), no concrete has been utilized either for the

force houses or for the water trenches, which get their water from occupied little streams.

In every town a few individuals, picked by the town pico hydro power plant advisory group,

have been prepared to work and keep up the pico power plants, and to educate the task

implementer of issues they can not handle. One of them is additionally a guardian, in charge of

the security of the force plant. He is paid a little month to month pay from the charges gathered

every month from the clients. In this manner the pico hydro power plants are overseen

completely by the nearby town and the feeling of possession is high as they all have put a great

deal of diligent work into conveying of the gear, arranging all the neighborhood building

materials, and working of the force plant.

The initial 1.1 kW pico hydro power plant (with 80 liters of water a second, and 2.5 meter

negative head, which gives a normal effectiveness of ~ 56%) is in the establishment stage in a

remote town called Kholsi in Humla. As the lights are as a rule on just for a few hours in the

morning and night, the force plant has a low load component. As this town has a high height

atmosphere, they are dependably needing warm/boiling hot water. In this way a "water warming

dump" burden was intended for any overproduction (full power amid the evenings and days), to

a 500 liter boiling point water polyethylene stockpiling tank, all around protected with locally

accessible materials. Hence the group has admittance to warm water for washing and in the

morning when they begin cooking their rice. Thusly again more kindling for cooking can be

spared, extra to the investment funds as of now accomplished (on a normal ~ 40% if

appropriately utilized) through the enhanced smokeless metal stove (pictures 39 and 42).

What are a portion of the points of interest and burdens of a pico hydro power plant?

Preferences:

• It is a locally accessible and viable innovation, modest to run and simple to work.

• It keeps running under brutal and low support conditions.

• The generator is small to the point that it can be conveyed by one and only individual.

• Several pico hydro power plants can be introduced in arrangement once the force request

develops.

• No bond is required for the development of the force house and water waterways, as

conveying it via plane and afterward by watchman to the high height zone, builds the value ten

times.

• The neighborhood end clients can be included in every task step, particularly in the

building stage, as they need to compose all the nearby materials, for example, wood, stones and

mud.

• Through the escalated investment of the neighborhood group a solid feeling of possession

is made, which is essential for long haul maintainability.

Impediments:

• The innovation (the impelling engine and basic propeller cutting edges) is not extremely

effective.

• It is intended for a "first time" country town jolt, for the most part to light purposes.

• The pico generators are instigation engines, therefore beginning an engine could prompt

challenges as to extreme voltage drop or even loss of excitation (yet the pico power plants so far

introduced are all only just to light reason).

4.1 Solar PV Systems

With a normal sunlight based illumination of 4.8 – 6.0 kWh/m2 (see 2.1.3.) for Nepal as a

nation, in the high elevation regions the sun oriented radiation asset is in many spots at the

upper end of the scale, if the area is not to a great degree shaded from encompassing

mountain ranges or in a profound valley. That highlights the significance of having precise

and dependable information for the nearby winning conditions. Once more, one of the urgent

focuses for each sunlight based PV town undertaking is to utilize and introduce however

much as could be expected locally accessible or privately fabricated hardware. That expands

the fittingness of the undertaking, and offers the nearby business to develop in a more

autonomous manner, some assistance with creating new pay for the general public, and

additionally instructing new abilities to experts - exceedingly vital parts of an all

encompassing group improvement venture.

It is vital to underline, that any country town charge task is never actualized as an individual

undertaking, yet as a major aspect of a much more extensive long haul comprehensive group

advancement venture in that specific town and region. Along these lines e.g. the rudimentary

provincial town jolt contextual analyses depicted in the sections 4.2.2. furthermore, 4.2.3. are

every part of a comprehensive group improvement venture including a smokeless metal stove

and a pit restroom for every family, access to clean drinking water from different taps in the

town, a nursery and a non-formal instruction (NFE) venture for moms and out of school

youngsters. Thusly synergistic advantages happen and expand the general constructive

improvement result for every town, family and individual generously past those of a solitary

separately actualized venture.

Solar PV Home Systems (SHS) and Case Study

The most direct approach is to introduce a little scale sunlight based PV framework for every

single home, called a sun oriented home framework, or SHS. This was additionally in the

psyche of the strategy creators for the sun oriented PV home framework endowment program as

said in section 2.1.3. On every house one sun based PV module, generally between 20 – 40 watt

appraised power yield is introduced, with up to three 10 – 20 watt fluorescent tubes. Every

framework has a sun based profound cycle battery of 40 – 75 Ah limit and a straightforward

charge and release controller, to shield the battery from too high release and charging rates. The

cost for such a SHS is high, around NRp 20,000 – 25,000 (~ US$ 278 – 347), and in this way is

not moderate by anybody in the remote ranges without a sponsorship

There are currently numerous less expensive SHS accessible on the developing SHS market,

however their quality and execution is regularly faulty and along these lines they are not

thought to be fitting for remote territories (nor truth be told anyplace else), and in this way they

are not viewed as further in this study. The SHS sponsorship program made by the

administration's AEPC (Alternative Energy Promotion Center), began in 2001, and is

characterized as takes after (http://www.aepcnepal.org/sp/se.php)

1. Subsidy will be given to SHS of 10 WR, 20 WR and 30 WR or more.

2. The greatest sponsorship for SHS of 30WR limit or more will be NRp 8,000 for each

framework.

3. Additional half and 2.5% endowment for each SHS framework will be given to the

clients in remote town advancement advisory groups (VDC).

4. The level of endowment will be diminished every year at the rate of 10%.

5. The sponsorship for SHS utilized by open establishments, for example, the VDC

structures, school, Club, Health, post/Center and so on will be as high starting 75% of the

expense.

Poor families won't have the financial ability to buy a SHS once the appropriation has keep

running for a couple of years, as the buy expense is too high, and there is no generous cost

diminish within a reasonable time-frame for sunlight based PV hardware. Further there is no

reasonable subsequent project set up regardless of the prerequisite that the installers' are paid

the last 10% of the aggregate endowment strictly when the SHS has been running for one year.

That is insufficient of a motivation to furnish the end clients with suitable quality hardware

which will last far longer. Subsequently the greater part of the installers don't generally depend

on the last 10% and there is almost no thinking ahead to how the introduced SHS can be caught

up and kept up past that one year time period.

In this way it is prescribed that SHS ventures ought to be keep running as a major aspect of a

long haul all encompassing group improvement venture, with the end clients as dynamic

accomplices (taking an interest through their intentional work and some money related

commitment) together with the implementer (who chips away at a long haul premise around

there) and the giver office (who gives the principle venture financing as indicated by a

concurred venture proposition and spending plan). The accompanying pictures show SHS

actualized in Khaladig town in Jumla, as a major aspect of an all encompassing group

advancement venture.

Picture 19: The first step is always to raise Picture 20: Picture 21: Both

4.2.2 Village Cluster Solar PV System and case study

While SHS are an exceptionally fitting innovation to bring light into the homes of single homes in remote

towns, we discovered that a far superior methodology is to get the entire town spurred to apply as a group

for a basic country town zap venture. That brings the dynamic, abilities and work power of the entire

town group into the undertaking. Further, it makes a test and obligation regarding every individual of the

town to take an interest in the task, subsequently including the poorest, minimized and disabled. The basic

arranging, outlining and working of the town power framework makes a solid feeling of group

undertaking proprietorship.

Throughout the years, two methodologies, the town group sun based PV framework and the town focal

sun powered PV framework have been produced with a specific end goal to energize an entire town.

Which of the two methodologies is picked depends for the most part on the town's circumstance

concerning the situating of the houses and the town's geological position contrasted with the sun's way

throughout the year.

The town group sunlight based PV framework characterizes singular bunches of up to 15 houses in such

close closeness to one another, that every one of them can be effectively interconnected with one another

through defensively covered underground links. The house in the center is the bunch's energy house with

one BP 275F silicon monocrystalline sun oriented PV module with 75 WR on the level mud housetop.

Further, one charge-and release controller and a properly estimated and all around protected battery bank

are introduced inside the house. Every house has three WLED lights. Consequently up to a most extreme

of 15 homes, with 45 WLED lights are associated with one group, with 5-6 hours of light for each day.

Every group has a recently created electronic circuit to shield the framework from abuse and over-

burdens. The accompanying pictures appear and clarify the town group sun powered PV framework in

Dhadhaphaya town in Humla, introduced as a component of an all encompassing group improvement

venture from January 2005 on. Since September 2005, 18 groups (with an aggregate of 1,182 WR

introduced sun based PV modules)48 , for 170 homes (all out 1,067 individuals), with 510 WLED lights

are operational. Every day the prepared nearby administrators give power from the bunch power houses

to every group house for a sum of up to 6 hours, 2-3 hours in the morning and 3-4 hours at night.

4.2.3 Central Village Solar PV System and case study

In the event that the topographical conditions are ideal and the houses are fabricated firmly together, the

basic town sunlight based PV framework can be worked as a focal framework, with a focal town power

house containing the battery bank and the charge-and release controller for the entire town. On top of the

focal force house a 2-hub self following casing, created and worked in Nepal, holds four 75 WR sun

oriented PV modules, enough to control the entire town of Chauganphaya with 63 homes and each with 3

WLED lights. In January 2004 this focal town sun based PV framework was introduced and has worked

subsequent to without intrusion. Every one of the 63 homes are interconnected with the force house in the

most limited conceivable way by means of 50 – 80 cm profound covered underground defensively

covered links. Three sizes of heavily clad copper links are utilized. 4mm2 for separations more than 20 m

(most extreme 50 m), 2.5 mm2 for separations between 10 m – 20 m and 1.5 mm2 for separations 10 m.

The entire framework is ensured with a focal electronic wire, so any abuse or over-burdening of the

framework causes the quick close down of the framework. The electronic breaker was created on the

grounds that it is unrealistic, in such remote spots, to get any glass wires which are ordinarily utilized

generally as a part of sun oriented PV frameworks. Experience demonstrates that numerous SHS have

fizzled on the grounds that the charge controller glass wire broke and the clients either did not realize that

there was a circuit, as they were not prepared to keep up the framework, or they couldn't get an extra glass

wire in the neighborhood market. A few months after the fact, when the battery has not been energized it

falls flat as well and typically that is the end of the SHS and the fantasy of light inside the home.

4.3. Small Scale Wind Generator System and Case Study

The use of wind vitality through always expanding sizes of wind generators and wind ranches has turned

into the major new renewable vitality innovation available. The wind innovation and the assembling

business are adult and new advancement and imaginative plans are happening at a stunning rate. Through

wind ranches, created power has turned out to be exceedingly aggressive to the real fossil and atomic

force plants in numerous European nations. Nepal won't create its real vitality needs from substantial

wind generators or wind ranches within a reasonable time-frame. Maybe, the important neighborhood

wind asset of specific land spots can be used for little scale applications, be it for single homes or rustic

towns.

In the accompanying pictures an independent 2 bladed wind turbine is displayed, which was introduced in

Jumla in 1998, as a component of a first little scale wind test venture. It ran, and gave energy to one home

for a long time (picture 49). The wind turbine was introduced in a valley in close vicinity to the house.

Accordingly the anticipated force yield of 180 watt, was occasional come to. The point of this venture

was to put under serious scrutiny an independent wind turbine and to check whether it can survive the

brutal high height (2,500 meters above ocean level) Himalayan wind conditions and atmosphere.

Assuming this is the case, there is a future potential for such twist turbines to be made out of

neighborhood accessible wood for the sharp edges.

The 18 m steel tower (Picture 51) was screwed together with three six meter long bits of Ø 125 mm, Ø

100 mm, and Ø 75 mm from the base up. At statures of 9 meters and 16 meters, three steel links (Ø 8

mm) were settled to the post and secured to the ground, keeping in mind the end goal to balance out and

hold the tower solidly set up in any wind condition. The base of the steel tower was tied down in a major

stone heap, with no bond. Amid the four years of operation the wind turbine performed attractively. It

didn't should be brought down once for repairs.

While there is still far to go as to specialized issues, for example, an enhanced and proper configuration

for the cutting edges (keeping in mind the end goal to produce them by hand by nearby skilled workers);

and the right decision of the generator with an immediate drive, empowering results have been

accomplished. The test stage has demonstrated that there are adequate motivations to seek after the

innovative work for such little scale wind turbines, which can be fabricated and kept up by the

neighborhood business. They can give one more fitting and practical renewable vitality innovation to

address the issues of country towns and groups, furnishing them with enhanced vitality administrations

for the general improvement of their living conditions. The accompanying pictures demonstrate the

independent wind turbine with its distinctive principle parts, the establishment and operation in Jumla.

5. Towards a Theoretical Basis for a Holistic Community Development Projects

Subsequent to 1996, the fundamental creator has had the chance to live and work in the most

remote and devastated Himalayan towns in Nepal. After such quite a while it gets to be "self-

evident" that one acts, feels and thinks more like the neighborhood individuals. These encounters

were urgent to accomplishing a more profound comprehension of the "non-verbal" issues of a

general public and society. Their necessities and "needs" turn out to be more reasonable and

acknowledged once we understand that the day by day "solaces" the greater part of us

underestimate, for example, having admittance to spotless, quick and adequate electrical force

whenever by the flick of a switch, are not a typical product in the creating scene. However power

for lighting reason for existing is a critical and deliberately refreshing administration in these

remote towns.

One critical result through the span of the previous 10 years was the improvement of

progressively littler scale renewable vitality innovation ventures for basic rustic town charge for

lighting purposes, outlined and actualized in cozy association with the neighborhood groups.

Another vital result was the expanded interest, positive reaction and readiness of the villagers to

take an interest effectively through diligent work and some monetary commitments. This gave a

solid push to extend the outskirts of the "regular" way to deal with group improvement, which

can be condensed more or less as being for the most part the execution of single tasks, with

insignificant vicinity in the town for brief time ranges, with negligible past examinations and

insignificant or no subsequent project. Along these lines the concentrate no more stayed just on

single families having light inside their dull, smoke filled room, yet entire towns were tended to

with the recommendation to execute a joint town – venture group rudimentary lighting venture.

Further, any lighting undertaking was no more seen as an individual independent venture, yet as

one part of a more all encompassing task, tending to individuals' physical, social, mental and

otherworldly needs throughout their life. With this approach the advantages of every individual

venture increment, as it increases from the advantages of the other, at the same time executed

tasks. Synergetic advantages are made which can bring much a larger number of changes than

single executed ventures.

Therefore the idea of the comprehensive group advancement (HCD) venture approach came to

fruition. For instance, the HCD 2006 Humla venture, which began on the first January 2006 in

two little towns, incorporates the accompanying individual, just as vital, parts49:

1. Smokeless Metal Stove and Indoor Pollution Monitoring and Data Recording Project

2. Pit Latrine Project

3. Elementary Solar Cluster PV Village Electrification Projects with WLED lights in one

town for 35 family units

4. Elementary Solar Tracking PV Village Electrification Projects with WLED lights in one

town for 35 family units

5. One Village Drinking Water System Project

6. Greenhouse and Solar Drier Project for two towns (as under point 3 and 4 specified)

7. Nutrition Project for < 5 years old, malnourished youngsters

8. NFE (Non-Formal-Education) Children Project 9. NFE Mothers Project with

showing themes created about the HCD venture.

10. Slow Sand Water Filter Project for clean drinking water for individual families

11. Baseline Survey Data Collection Project in the towns of Tulin and Pamlatum (point 3 and

4)

12. Re-study Data Collection Project in the towns of Chauganphaya and Dhadhaphaya (these

are the towns HCD ventures have begun in 2004 and 2005 individually, and will proceed for the

following 10 years (political and subsidizing conditions permitting) to be banded together with

and caught up through periodical visits and yearly re-review polls extraordinarily created for a

HCD venture).

13. Humla Spring and Drinking Water Testing and Data Collection Project (with a specific

end goal to have the capacity to distinguish the occasional drinking water contamination and

conceivable contamination sources, so as to outline suitable drinking water activities and source

insurance).

14. Follow-Up Program Project for each of the 2002 - 2005 Projects (through periodical

visits to all introduced smokeless metal stoves, pit restrooms and lights, recording individuals'

experience and proposals of changes)

15. Humla Staff Training Project (so as to have a progressing and proceeding with venture

staff instruction, to keep them intrigued, ready to satisfy their occupation obligation and

redesigned with the vital and new specialized, authoritative, social and instructive aptitudes

required for the HCD venture execution).

16. Humla Simikot Office Project (to keep the principle office, the HARS (High Altitude

Research Station) in Simikot Humla (picture 52) up and running as the base for the usage of the

HCD ventures, and in addition the testing and checking of the different new innovations produced

for the HCD ventures before they are executed in the town, and to keep up the long haul sun

based radiation estimation and information recording).

As can be seen from the above rundown of tasks, a HCD venture, if considered important, is a

complex and interweaved undertaking, which requires clear auxiliary association and direction.

On account of the Humla ventures it is a nearby association between the RIDS Nepal (Rural

Integrated Development Services) NGO (Non Governmental Organization) some contributor

offices (essentially The ISIS Foundation and LiN (Light in Nepal)) and the neighborhood groups

and intrigue bunches, which assemble the base for a long haul inclusion in these towns.

Further, it can be seen that while the principle part of the HCD Humla 2006 undertaking is

plainly in the execution of ventures in the towns, the RIDS Nepal venture staff, who are all from

the neighborhood region, are additionally ceaselessly urged to be included in building their ability

through further instruction programs. These could be a PC preparing, so that their arranging and

reporting turns out to be more adjusted to global contributor offices, or it could be a more

specialized training through learning modules stacked on the PC (as there is no web access

accessible in Simikot Humla). Further, courses, for example, nourishment or NFE course

advancement and conveyance are wanted to be taken in other, more urban based, point related,

organizations. That permits a NGO, for example, RIDS Nepal to wind up more fit and ready to

convey the venture obligations without anyone else, with the thought that one day the HCD tasks

will be driven and keep running by the neighborhood individuals as it were. Furthermore, at that

point they will be arranged and ready to carry out the occupation with the fundamental eagerness,

and in addition the crucial expert aptitudes.

To begin a HCD undertaking is not a simple and clear errand, as it includes specialized and

hierarchical issues, as well as the purported "delicate issues". These social and social matters, are

frequently much more urgent and tedious to address in socially fitting and touchy ways. These are

issues which are difficult to propose and "offer" to a contributor, yet are essential for long haul

maintainability and along these lines accomplishment for a HCD venture, which plans to enhance

the living states of the neighborhood individuals in ways which regard them as equivalent

accomplices.

6. Experience and Lessons Learned

To partake in subtle element the experience of 10 escalated years of living and working with the

minimized mountain groups in the poorest zone of Nepal, the north western region of Karnali, is an

inconceivable undertaking for a paper like this. Further, to address the more nitty gritty specialized issues

of each connected innovation is past the extent of this paper and a large number of these angles for sun

oriented PV frameworks have been tended to in another paper50. In this way, in the accompanying

remarks, some more broad focuses, encounters and lessons learned through the actualized HCD ventures

are recorded, with the primary spotlight on connected renewable vitality advances, to use the nearby

accessible renewable vitality assets for the most part to light reason.

• Any renewable vitality innovation venture for lighting purposes ought to be an incorporated part

of a more extensive HCD venture.

• A HCD undertaking is significantly more time requesting than a simple execution venture, with a

long haul (no less than 10 years) vision and readiness to be included in the town's life.

• It is very prudent, if not fundamental, for the undertaking staff to live in the town or in the

adjacent region of the HCD venture range. That empowers them to take in the nearby individuals'

traditions, society, thinking examples and neighborhood advances (that have regularly been created over

decades and hundreds of years) These are essential learning ventures to empower a HCD undertaking to

begin in good shape and to make it as proper as could be expected under the circumstances from the

earliest starting point.

• Each town setting is novel and consequently needs a plainly characterized evaluation, with the

neighborhood individuals as the examination accomplices. This must go before the specialized arranging

of the task.

• The neighborhood individuals need to distinguish in subjective and quantitative ways their own

particular needs before any venture arrangement and proposition for a renewable vitality innovation

undertaking is readied.

• Identify the neighborhood most feasible and accessible renewable vitality asset, and after that

decide the suitable innovation as needs be.

• Develop and produce the hardware however much as could reasonably be expected from

neighborhood assets and through nearby makers and experts. That enhances the nearby economy soundly

through wage era and instructing new abilities and methods. It likewise fabricates limit for upkeep and

further ventures.

• As far as could be expected under the circumstances, use veritable parts and great quality items,

as once the hardware is introduced in the remote region, the disappointment rate ought to be negligible.

Repairs are costly and regularly unreasonable in remote areas.

• Include in every undertaking proposition a few assets for hardware improvement. This is a

troublesome and regularly not acknowledged spending plan point by benefactors, but rather it is urgent to

the actualized ventures turning out to be more proper and in this manner reasonable. It is vital to

understand that there are no "off the rack" arrangements accessible for a specific town's self recognized

needs.

• Some subsidizing ought to be committed to reporting and checking of the venture after

establishment with the goal that experience picked up can be archived and went on to future originators.

• Engage however much as could be expected nearby individuals as venture usage staff. Take the

vital time and push to prepare and teach them for their employment obligations. It will pay off later on, if

nearby talented expert individuals work in their own region and neighborhood.

• Use however much as could be expected accessible nearby materials for task executions.

• Always incorporate hypothesis, working and support preparing for the end clients. Give/make

channels so they can speak with the task implementer for a considerable length of time to come if real

specialized, or social, issues happen.

It has been the creator's experience, that examination and new gear advancement needs to happen on a

continuous premise, with a specific end goal to create hardware which is privately made. This gear is by

and large simpler to keep up, and ideally can adapt better to the neighborhood conditions and atmosphere.

To execute recently created gear and advances is dependably a danger, in this way on account of the

Humla HCD ventures, the HARS (High Altitude Research Station) has been fabricated (picture 52). At

HARS all recently created advancements expected for town use, are initially observed and tried, and if

vital they are enhanced (see e.g. the high height SWH for the Dhadhaphaya town, which is at the season

of writing in its test stage at HARS as showed in pictures 2 and 3). This quality certification procedure

will keep the disappointment rates and framework downtimes in the towns to a base. Experience

demonstrates, that supportability and fittingness are critical parts of a task that should be tended to with a

specific end goal to convey the proposed vitality administrations to the recipients. That implies we should

keep the end-clients at the focal point of our center and create and introduce renewable vitality

innovations that can convey what is normal by all partners.

7. Conclusions

One of the principle points of this paper was to show to a more extensive readership of similarly invested

experts, HCD venture implementer and renewable vitality innovation fans that suitable arrangements are

accessible to have any kind of effect to the 1.6. – 2 billion individuals still with no entrance to

fundamental electrical administrations, for example, light inside their homes. Renewable vitality assets

are, not at all like fossil energizes, significantly all the more just as appropriated on the planet, and are

more reasonable in the long haul. They might not have the vitality power (MJ/kg) as ordinary energizes

and are not as simple to store and transport, but rather they are locally accessible, an awesome in addition

to point.

Further, creating and expanding the entrance to renewable vitality sources does not imply that we begin

hurting the biological community, as has plainly happened with extreme fossil fuel utilization. It implies

that humankind needs to return to its "roots", asking where do we originate from, what are we doing here

on earth and where are we going? As to use renewable vitality assets, specifically on a little scale, intends

to work in coupled close by the maker's handicraft, putting it to great use for our own and society's all

encompassing improvement. We should comprehend that it is not for us to direct the pace and proportion

of extraction of a vitality asset, and subsequently overlook all the fringe and significantly more the

negative synergetic impacts of being "out of congruity" with the creation. We should likewise understand

that over-abuse of renewable assets, for example, wood and water can be generally as harming as the

over-utilization of fossil energizes. We need to go to a comprehension of what is accessible in renewable

and manageable ways and structures, and how it can be put to our best and most proficient use. We need

to reexamine what are our "genuine" needs as opposed to simply our "needs", which over and over again

are not by any stretch of the imagination needs yet articulations of our insatiability.

Frequently we would not have to venture back and "un-create" ourselves on the off chance that we

changed our reasoning from the utilization of fossil fuel assets to the utilization of locally accessible

renewable vitality assets as indicated by their accessibility and irregularity. We would need to wind up

imaginative and utilize our building abilities and apparatuses to make the most out of what is accessible.

In this manner effective utilization of vitality, vitality funds, new low power expending vitality advances,

vitality stockpiling and vitality transformation innovations and gadgets ought to be issues at the bleeding

edge of each inspired and altruistic specialist. With the pico hydro frameworks, different various types of

sun based PV frameworks, sun powered warm advances and venture approaches exhibited in this paper,

suitable specialized answers for enhance the job of a huge number of impeded individuals have been

appeared and talked about. It is impractical in the extent of this paper to be exhaustive and address all the

specialized issues of each renewable vitality innovation said. Maybe it attempted to show conceivable

ways and methodologies, which ought to invigorate others to join, to begin and to put vigorously new

contextualized advancements for their own circumstances. This will guarantee that more poor individuals

can be come to in a more suitable manner and time span than we have been capable beforehand. That is a

piece of our regular obligation towards our general public.

9. Bibliography

1 NEPAL National Action Programme on Land Degradation and Desertification in the context of United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), HMG (His Majesty’s Government) of Nepal, Ministry of Population and Environment Kathmandu, April 2004; http://www.unccd.int/actionprogrammes/asia/national/2004/nepal-eng.pdf 2 From sub-tropical monsoon, warm temperate, cool temperate, alpine and tundra climate. http://www.unccd.int/actionprogrammes/asia/national/2004/nepal-eng.pdf3 CIA - The World Factbook – Nepal; http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/np.html ; 4 http://www.nepalinformation.com/ , http://hdr.undp.org/reports/global/2004/pdf/hdr04_HDI.pdf, (Human Development Index as mentioned in the Human Development Report for 2002) 5 Karnali Rural Dev. & Research Center. Governance in the Karnali, an Exploratory Study; Jumla 2002, page

5 6 The College of Wooster Ambassadors Program; http://www.wooster.edu/ambassadors/nepalfacts.html 7 CIA - The World Factbook – Nepal; http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/np.html

8 Karnali Rural Dev. & Research Center. Governance in the Karnali, an Exploratory Study. Jumla 2002, page 5

9 Kathmandu’s Air Quality, CEN (Clean Energy Nepal), page 1, http://www.cen.org.np/publications.htm http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/np.html

10 Karnali Rural Dev. & Research Center. Governance in the Karnali, an Exploratory Study. Jumla 2002, page 5

11 Kathmandu Post. 1 billion Rupees “stolen” a year, 23rd April 2005 12 Biomass energy uses: an experience and application of alternative energy technologies in Nepal Bishwa S. Koirala Environment Advisor, Rural Energy Development Program, UNDP, Nepal, http://bioproducts-bioenergy.gov/pdfs/bcota/abstracts/30/z324.pdf14 Renewable Energy in South Asia, Country Reports Nepal, chapter 2, http://www.worldenergy.org/wec-eis/publications/reports/renewable/country_reports/chap_2_5.asp 15 Alex Zahnd, “Firewood consumption survey on 16 villages in the Jumla district”, unpublished report 1999 16 IEA, World Energy Outlook 2002, chap. 13, page 367-8 17 Warwick H. Smoke-the Killer in the Kitchen, ITDG Publishing 2002 18 This agrees with data from India collected by UNDP in IEA, World Energy Outlook 2002, chap. 13, page

366 19 Health Impacts of Indoor Air Pollution; Prof. Kirk Smith, University of California, Berkeley; workshop held in Kathmandu Nepal 7th June 2005 20 WECS (Water and Energy Commission Secretariat), 1999. WECS Bulletin No. 10., Kathmandu. 21 WECS Annual Report, 1999; http://www.sari-energy.org/ProjectReports/RegionalHydroPowerReport.pdf, part 3.1 22 Regional Hydro-power Resources: Summary and Analysis of Selected SARI Data, prepared for the USAID-SARI Energy program (ww.sari-energy.org), and available from: November 2003, section 3.1 http://www.sari-energy.org/ProjectReports/RegionalHydroPowerReport.pdf 23 A. Zahnd, MEPG 501 Renewable Energy Technology Lecture Notes, chapter 1.3.2. Nepal’s Energy Scenario, Table 17: Major hydropower generating stations in Nepal 24 Dr Upendra Gautam and Ajoy Karki Nepal: Thermal Energy for Export, in South Asia Journal July – September 2005, http://www.southasianmedia.net/Magazine/Journal/9-nepal_thermal_energy.htm 25 Kathmandu Post. 1 billion Rupees “stolen” a year, 23rd April 2005 26 Hunwick R.J. (2002), The Rational Path To The Age Of Renewable Energy, Hunwick Consultants, August

2002 27 The convergence of heated air from the equator area in the tropopause, increase the air mass aloft around the 30° northern latitude (the Hadley cell). This in turn causes the air pressure at the surface to increase. Hence, at northern latitudes of around 30° a high pressure belt called “subtropical highs” (C. Donald Ahrens, Meteorology Today, 7th edition 2003, Brooks/Cole, chapter 11, page 286) is created, providing good favorable weather to utilize the incoming solar radiation 28 Renewable Energy South Asia, chapter 1.2.2., http://www.worldenergy.org/wec-geis/publications/reports/renewable/overview/chap_1_2.asp; Center for Rural Technology Nepal, http://www.crtnepal.org/new/technologies.php?mode=detail&technologies_id=12 29 Alex Zahnd, measured and minutely recorded solar irradiation data for Kathmandu from 1.1.04 – 31.12.05 30 Kathmandu’s Air Quality, CEN (Clean Energy Nepal), http://www.cen.org.np/publications.htm 31 Alex Zahnd, values measured and minutely recorded and averaged for the increased solar irradiation data on a 2-axis tracking frame for the following places: Kathmandu University in Dhulikhel from the 1.1.05 onwards, for Kathmandu from the 1.1.04 onwards and Simikot in Humla from 24.4. 2004 onwards. 32 These values agree rather well with the available NASA data generated solar irradiation from http://eosweb.larc.nasa.gov/ for values of 30° south installed solar PV modules for each month for Nepal, for the latitude values between 25°- 31°North, and longitude values between 79°- 88° East, as presented in Zahnd A. 2004,Case Study of a Solar Photovoltaic Elementary Lightning System for a Poor and Remote Mountain Village in Nepal,MSc in Renewable Energy Dissertation, chapter 8.3 page 99, Figure 8-2, Murdoch University, Perth, Australia33 SWERA Nepal project and its solar resource maps are available from http://swera.unep.net/swera/index.php?id=43 34 http://www.nea.org.np/anrep05/graphs_and_charts_of_nea.htm 35 All pictures in this paper have been taken, and for this study prepared, by Alex Zahnd 36 For the SHS subsidy policy see: http://www.aepcnepal.org/sp/se.php 37 This is the experience of the main author’s almost 10 years of field experience with solar PV systems for SHS and whole villages in the remotest and poorest parts of Nepal, mostly in Jumla, Mugu and Humla, as reported in , Case Study of the Tangin Solar PV Home System, in Case Study of a Solar Photovoltaic Elementary Lightning System for a Poor and Remote Mountain Village in Nepal, MSc in Renewable Energy Dissertation, chapter 13, pages 151-156

38 Reducing exposure to indoor air pollution, ITDG publication, page 3, http://www.itdg.org/docs/smoke/itdg%20smoke%20-%20part%203.pdf

39 averaged from Janet Ramage Energy A Guidebook, Oxford University Press, 1997; World Energy Statistics, IEA, 1999, and WEC 2005, http://www.worldenergy.org/wec-geis/publications/reports/ser/biomass/biomass.asp; 40 Kathmandu’s Air Quality, CEN (Clean Energy Nepal), http://www.cen.org.np/publications.htm, page 3 41 NEA Unbundling presentation; http://64.224.32.197/Publications/REP/Transmission/NEAUnbundling.pdf 42 as identified for the Nepal context in: Zahnd A. 2004, Case Study of a Solar Photovoltaic Elementary Lightning System for a Poor and Remote Mountain Village in Nepal, MSc in Renewable Energy Dissertation, chapter 4.4. 43 Open fires create PM10 levels ≥20,000μg/m3. US-EPA 24 hrs average is not to exceed 150μg/m3 more than 3 times a year. Annual average not exceeding 50μg/m3, Smoke, Health and Household Energy, ITDG, September 2002 44 IEA, World Energy Outlook 2002, chap. 13, page 367-8 45 During 1996-2000 the writer lived in the remote mountain area of Jumla, where initially 23 micro-hydro power plants have been installed over the course of a decade. Out of these 23 power plant only 3 were functional, providing the local communities with light, all others were not operational due to technical and socio-economical problems. 46 Appropriate Lighting Technologies for the Poorest Mountain Communities in the Nepal Himalayas, workshop presented by Alex Zahnd at the annual EWB Australia conference 1.12. 3.12.2005, Melbourne, Australia 47 Nigel Smith, Motors as Generators for Micro-Hydro Power, Intermediate Technology Publications, 1997 48 Of these, 15 clusters have one 75 Watt PV module, and three clusters one 19 Watt PV modules, as these three small clusters have only 4 - 6 homes per cluster. Thus for 170 homes (in Sept. 2005), including an average annual 3% population growth over 10 years, a total 1,182 WR of PV modules have been installed, 7 Watt per household with each 3 WLED lights consuming each 1 Watt 49 These individual projects are part of the HCD Humla 2006 project proposal, written by Alex Zahnd in August 2005, for the RIDS (Rural Integrated Development Services) – ISIS Humla 2006 project implementation proposal for potential donors and funding agencies, and available upon request. 50 Design of an Optimized PV System for a Remote Himalayan Village, 28.11.-30.11.2005, ANZSES 2005 conference paper, Alex Zahnd & McKay Kimber, and available at: http://www.civag.unimelb.edu.au/~lua/ANZSES2005.html , session 7, paper 24, Alex Zahnd, Presentation (power point presentation of the paper) and PDF (actual paper).

10. Authors’ Biography

Zahnd Alex has a mechanical engineering degree from Switzerland, and a Masters in Renewable Energy from Australia. His industrial experience ranges from development projects in extrusion technology for the food and plastic industry, to pharmaceutical production plants. He lived and worked from 1996 - 2000 in one of the remotest and poorest mountain communities in the Nepal Himalayas, in Jumla, as director of a holistic community development project. Since 2001 he has been a member of expatriate staff of Kathmandu University, mainly involved in applied research of renewable energy technologies, with implementation on a village scale in the remote mountain districts of Humla and Jumla. He is currently working on his PhD in rural village electrification systems for Himalayan villages.

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Dr. Haddix McKay, Kimber is a cultural anthropologist who specializes in demography, health and human behavioral ecology. Dr. Haddix McKay has worked both full time and as a consulting anthropologist designing studies of health and treatment of illness in remote areas of Nepal and Uganda. She has lived and worked in Nepal frequently from 1994 to the present, and assisted in the design of locally appropriate development schemes aimed at improving health conditions, particularly in the use of sustainable energy technologies and in public health-related interventions such as latrine design, improved/smokeless cooking stoves, lighting schemes, community based health training, and drama programs with specific health-related messages.

Dr. Richard Komp , is the author of PRACTICAL PHOTOVOLTAICS and has been working on solar cells since 1960. He has taught numerous courses and workshops on solar energy all over the world; is president of the Maine Solar Energy association, has a small photovoltaic company, Sun Watt Corporation, and teaches graduate courses on Solar Energy at the Universidad Nacional de Ingenieria in Nicaragua.