Solar Power and Regenerative Agriculture in Burma

Helping the Burmese Delta

The Ayerwaddy Delta is one of the poorest and least served areas of Myanmar. This is partly due the geography and climate which combine to create a completely flat area with more rivers and canals than roads, torrid heat, sky-high humidity and an increasing vulnerability to cyclones and storm surges. It is only 10 years since the devastation of Cyclone Nargis, which resulted in the loss of 140,000 lives along with a collapsed economy and infrastructure.

One of the organizations that stepped forward to help the local residents recover was “Helping the Burmese Delta”, (HTBD) a UK-based NGO. Co-founder, Jim*, and I have been talking about doing a project together for a few years, and this spring seemed like the appropriate time, as HTBD was embarking on an ambitious long-term project to add solar lighting to their many schools in the Delta area.

The project began with a special 5-day solar training for three of HTBD’s employees, conducted at Solar Roots HQ in Pyin Oo Lwin. A month later, I travelled to the Delta to begin the installation at their hostel in Yay Kyaw Toe village. HTBD have founded over 30 primary schools, many in inaccessible villages. To attend high school hiowever, students have to leave their remote villages and come to the government school in Yay Kyaw Toe, a district center, where they stay in the HTBD hostel.

During the solar training, the participants learned how to correctly size a solar system for a specific need and we had already decided that we needed 4 x 300W solar panels and 4 x 220AmpHour batteries. Doing a solar installation in such remote villages always makes me a little nervous, as making a trip back to the nearest town for a forgotten bolt can be a big deal – in this case, a 3-hour boat ride, each way. Fortunately, only one re-supply trip was required, especially since I had expected to do a roof mounted array and ended up doing a ground mount.

It was very satisfying to see my solar trainees begin to flesh out their newly acquired theoretical knowledge with real world hands-on practical experience, as that’s what it takes to make a competent solar installer. We were very fortunate to have the services of a skilled local welder, even though we had a bring in a more powerful generator set-up to provide sufficient energy for his machine.

Even though rainy season had not yet begun, I was struggling with the climatic conditions and I had to shower 3 or 4 times a day, just to keep going. However, being the Delta, the food was great – shrimp everyday and after 3 continuous days of lobster, I was beginning to think that I could get used to that.

But, all too soon, the job was done and it was time to return to cool mountain weather of Pyin Oo Lwin.

Just as we were commissioning the system, the students started arriving for another term at the Yay Kyaw Toe high school – perfect timing. It’s HTBD’s goal to open their own high school to provide a higher quality, more modern education system, but this is still being negotiated with the local authorities. For now, the kids from far-away villages have a well-lit, safe hostel to stay in, while they further their education.

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Best wishes,

Bruce

Links:

• A worthy NGO building schools and supporting health care.