WiserEarth API Developers
Your source for documentation and support
The WiserEarth API is the ultimate resource for building web applications that help "Connect You to Communities of Action". It is a language and message format used by a remote application program to communicate with the WiserEarth control program to access or write information into our database. This group is a place for developers to share information, fin ...learn more
GROUP DETAILS
Created: Dec 10, 2008
Updated: Nov 25, 2009
Membership: Open
Semi-Private
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Our Activities:
- Working with the NGO Friends of Lanka in Sri Lanka to design and implement a micro hydro generation system in a remote rural area of Kegalle district with the aim of providing around 12kW of power to the local village and users.
- The finished project will be maintained and managed by the local community. A large part of the placement is to accurately record and evaluate the whole procedure with a view to sustainability.
Friends of Lanka has completed ten micro hydro power projects in the Kegalle district during the past three years. The World Bank funds these projects with more funding and engineering consultation coming from the DFCC bank. These projects provide electricity to most remote rural areas. Construction work has been done with maximum community participation and the power plants are managed by Electricity Consumer Societies of the villages. The design is done by about 4 qualified engineers. The construction is carried out by 3 skilled technicians and around 30 local labourers from the community.
Each project is set up by first forming a local group from the designated society (called the Electricity Consumer Societies of the villages). They are then connected to the World Bank, and a credit fund is set up for them. The NGO then provides the technology and technical expertise whilst the project is built using the capital from the fund that the villages would otherwise not have. Once built, the capital is paid back by the villagers in three to five years. There have been many success stories so far of projects becoming self-supported; however, there is scope for improvement in this field.
Up until now, the NGO has bought in the turbines for the plants, but has now started to venture in producing this technology themselves and designing their own (due to faults with the purchased turbines). As the design of these is very much in its early stages, this is something they are keen to look at to see if the design can be improved. This placement would be attached to one such micro-hydro generation plant that is due to be designed and built over the summer. The placement would cover both the design and construction stage.
Project goals:
- To leave a community with power managed and run by themselves.
- To leave the NGO with improved designs for future projects (turbine design in particular) and documentation on assessments, evaluation including cost sharing and charging methods, operation & maintenance procedure.
- Design phase - To try and improve the design by working with the design engineers in particular focusing on the turbine design. This a good chance to contribute whilst also getting a good introduction and understanding of how the plant will be built.
- Construction phase – Having the knowledge from the design stage, and therefore having a grasp on the project, the volunteer will play a leading role in construction assisting the skilled technicians organise the locals and helping overcome any difficulties that may arise.
- Long term sustainability - Another important aspect is sustainability. There is a chance to observe the entire process of developing the micro-hydro plant, to propose better documentation, assessment, evaluation including cost sharing and charging methods, operation & maintenance procedure, involvement of locals in the management of the plant. There is a real opportunity to get involved with the locals and achieve a great deal on this front.
- Working with the NGO Friends of Lanka in Sri Lanka to design and implement a micro hydro generation system in a remote rural area of Kegalle district with the aim of providing around 12kW of power to the local village and users.
- The finished project will be maintained and managed by the local community. A large part of the placement is to accurately record and evaluate the whole procedure with a view to sustainability.
Friends of Lanka has completed ten micro hydro power projects in the Kegalle district during the past three years. The World Bank funds these projects with more funding and engineering consultation coming from the DFCC bank. These projects provide electricity to most remote rural areas. Construction work has been done with maximum community participation and the power plants are managed by Electricity Consumer Societies of the villages. The design is done by about 4 qualified engineers. The construction is carried out by 3 skilled technicians and around 30 local labourers from the community.
Each project is set up by first forming a local group from the designated society (called the Electricity Consumer Societies of the villages). They are then connected to the World Bank, and a credit fund is set up for them. The NGO then provides the technology and technical expertise whilst the project is built using the capital from the fund that the villages would otherwise not have. Once built, the capital is paid back by the villagers in three to five years. There have been many success stories so far of projects becoming self-supported; however, there is scope for improvement in this field.
Up until now, the NGO has bought in the turbines for the plants, but has now started to venture in producing this technology themselves and designing their own (due to faults with the purchased turbines). As the design of these is very much in its early stages, this is something they are keen to look at to see if the design can be improved. This placement would be attached to one such micro-hydro generation plant that is due to be designed and built over the summer. The placement would cover both the design and construction stage.
Project goals:
- To leave a community with power managed and run by themselves.
- To leave the NGO with improved designs for future projects (turbine design in particular) and documentation on assessments, evaluation including cost sharing and charging methods, operation & maintenance procedure.
- Design phase - To try and improve the design by working with the design engineers in particular focusing on the turbine design. This a good chance to contribute whilst also getting a good introduction and understanding of how the plant will be built.
- Construction phase – Having the knowledge from the design stage, and therefore having a grasp on the project, the volunteer will play a leading role in construction assisting the skilled technicians organise the locals and helping overcome any difficulties that may arise.
- Long term sustainability - Another important aspect is sustainability. There is a chance to observe the entire process of developing the micro-hydro plant, to propose better documentation, assessment, evaluation including cost sharing and charging methods, operation & maintenance procedure, involvement of locals in the management of the plant. There is a real opportunity to get involved with the locals and achieve a great deal on this front.