It’s day four in the training program in East Timor. Only one day to go!

Today we took one more step in completing the training of the solar PV teachers and students by completing and testing four DC control boards for our Solar PV systems. Tomorrow we are heading to the first of the communities to install the two selected systems. This will complete the formal part of the training for the teachers and conclude the PV training for the community students.

Of course, both the teachers and the students will continue to learn over the next few weeks and months as the program is rolled out across three districts in East TImor.

Today the Timorese trainees saw the light during class.

It’s day three and the group have been doing some practical exercises, reading circuit diagrams, wiring up lights and switches and using the multimeters to test their wiring.

The students (and teachers) have been very pleased and excited to see their small lighting systems working correctly and the joy in their faces when the lights come on is a real treat. By day’s end, everybody is tired but happy. The students and the teachers feel we are making real progress.

Tomorrow we start work on the complete systems and will have four systems built and tested. We will pick the best two to install permanently in the communities on Friday as part of the final day of training.

Well it’s day two of week two of our Solar PV training program and the new teachers are up to their armpits in the training now. We have 12 students in the class and everyone is enjoying the experience and learning new skills that will help them support the rollout of solar power in their local communities.

Although the training is being held close to Dili, near the town of Hera, some of the students live up to 25km away in remote communities with very limited vehicle access. One group of students’ only access at the moment is via a trek along the dry river bed, since the only road was washed away during the last wet season. When the wet season arrives later this year the village will be virtually isolated.

Solar power in these areas will be greatly appreciated.

Here are a few snaps of the training centre.

Our classroom

Even the training centre has no power, so we make our own 😎

As you know, I’m currently in Timor Leste delivering some Solar PV training as part of a Mercy Corps’ program for expanding Solar PV installation and maintenance businesses into remote communities.

You can find out more about Mercy Corps here www.mercycorps.org and here www.mercycorpsnw.org

It’s one of a number of great Solar PV programs, including the volunteer work through the ATA (Alternative Technology Association) that are helping to provide lighting and power to remote communities.

But energy is more than just solar and many groups including Mercy Corp are also looking at cooking alternatives to the classic and inefficient three stone fire and the problems associated with using wood as a cooking fuel.

The key problems with this style of cooking are that it is

1. very inefficient and that means more firewood has to be collected or purchased and
2. produces a large amount of smoke and pollution that caused all sorts of health problems mainly to women and children

I have had an interest in this area for a while and I have built a few solar cookers and even given classes on building them. But I had never seen some of the efficient cookstoves up close and personal. So I was very excited to see some examples of the “Rocket” stoves and the moulds for making them at the Mercy Corps office.

They are a clever design that concentrates the fire  in a constrained space with a high flue. The pot sits on top of the flue. This design encourages the cook to use smaller pieces of wood while the flue generates a strong updraft that increases airflow. This makes the wood burn very hot with no smoke and all the heat goes up towards the pot. That helps eliminate both key problems.

I’m hoping to see them in action and maybe have a play
(I mean field test 😉 ).

While we’re talking about energy and self reliance in Timor Leste, this article is also a very interesting read. http://www.futurity.org/earth-environment/australia-owes-east-timor-climate-aid-says-study/

As it says in the article

“The legacy of several hundred years of outside occupation has led to a situation where Timor is grossly underdeveloped through no fault of its own,” finds a report by Jeremy Moss from the University of Melbourne’s Nossal Institute of Global Health”…“Timor Leste should not have to bear the cost associated with global mitigation efforts,”