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BRINGING. CHEAP. SUSTAINABLE. ELECTRICITY. TO. THE. 25%. OF. LATIN. AMERICA. WITHOUT. LIGHT.
| WindAid.org is a
project of Agenda S.O.S (Bruce ngo)., which has been serving the
poor in Peru for several years providing children with education and
assistance to enter the national school system in Peru, Equador, and
Panama. In addition, they also are operating a pilot micro finance
program in the barrios of Trujillo, Peru, and Buenos Aires,
Argentina. The WindAid project, conceived, founded and funded by our long term volunteer and director, Michael VerKamp, has developed two wind energy personal power stations to improve the lives and education for the 26% of Peruvians who do not currently have access to the power grid. The two systems, rated at 500 and 1000 watts, are designed to store energy in standard car batteries, with a built in charging system as well as 220-240V AC provided through an inverter. These simple systems can change a community, and create an economic benefit as well by providing lighting in the evening for cooking, producing products, and studying among other activities. The system is managed by a local person active in their community. They have the benefit of the electricity, and a means for gainful employment through recharging batteries for others in their community. A large number of these homes are currently served by periodically going to the nearest town or gas generator and recharging the batteries. Often the remote towns only have electricity for several hours a day, and periodically go days without electricity if the community runs out of money for fuel. These systems are 100% assembled in Peru with the majority of parts being manufactured their as well. Much of the steel is from Arequippa, and all manufacturing is done locally. The creation of these systems employs painters, welders, fiberglass specialist, electrical technicians, and effects numerous suppliers. The only part of the system directly imported is the high grade neodyn magnets, we have not found available in Peru as of yet. Once a candidate from the comm unity is chosen, they are contracted to maintain the system and make it available to others in the community. There is no set pricing, and the market will dictate what the cost of recharging is in their community. The system manager will not own the system but will lease it from WindAid for a small monthly fee. Each local project manager must be able to provide enough capital to start his or her local project (visit Arriba Ya to see how this canl be accomplished). In these poorest of communities measures must be taken to qualify the local system managers and secure the wind generator, in order to guarantee the long lasting benefits to the community. If the national electric grid or other institutional source of electricity becomes available to a community powered via Wind Aid, the system can easily be moved to a more remote community. FAQ 1. Q: Why do the system managers have to lease the system? Aren’t these people too poor to pay? ....A: The system manager has a vested interest in servicing other battery owners in the community if he is paying for ....the system. If she/he does not “know”they have this obligation, they are less likely to pursue the commercial use of ....the system. 2. Q:How much power is produced? ....A: The normal 500W system (powers approximately 50 florescent bulbs for 10 hours a day. 125 fluorescent bulbs ....for four hours a day. Estimates based on mediocre performance of the system. We may be able to double that ....performance in a high wind area with the double system. 3. Q: How easy would it be for a rural school to afford or obtain a Wind Aid generator? ....A: The 500 Watt system comes at an easily affordable price, ready to assemble. The tower cost is additional and depending on location a second hand 9m tower is very inexpensive and readily available, plus cable and installation costs such as concrete. The NGO, Bruce Orgasnisation, wants to help poor schools, far away from the nearest electric grid, to obtain the benefits of renewable electricity through installing a Wind Aid generator. To this end they are establishing a fund raising page in FirstGiving, and under certain conditions will advance funding through the ArribaYa Micro Financing Project. |