Harnessing the sun for developing countries

Published 6:58 am Tuesday, March 4, 2008

By Justus Hyatt

A rainy climate won’t keep a Shoreline group from harnessing the power of the sun.

The Shoreline Solar Project involves a group of citizens dedicated to promoting renewable energy.

During a meeting at Meridian Park School Wednesday, April 17, solar philanthropist Brad Burkhartzmeyer of Tacoma discussed his recent volunteer projects in India, Nicaragua and Guatemala and the impact solar power could have in developing countries.

“If they can use power to generate money, they can crawl out of the bad position they’re in,” Burkhartzmeyer said.

The main problem with solar power, he said, is the initial price. Burkhartzmeyer estimates that basic solar-power systems, which could provide power for about three lights, could be installed for $300 to $500 per home in India.

A single light could make a world of a difference, he said. Being able to study at night could change the way children are educated.

In Nicaragua he and his wife, Susannah, helped families install solar panels made from broken photovoltaic arrays, obtained cheaply from factories.

They also created a solar-powered well pump for a woman who used to spend her entire day drawing water to irrigate her vegetables. Now, with a pump to use, she can take her produce to market.

The project in Guatemala also involved water. In conjunction with Xela Teco, a Guatemalan renewable-energy company, and the United Nations, the Burkhartzmeyers helped a coffee farm divert a river to harness its power for electricity.

The farm, which has about 40 families living on it, had the Internet but no telephones or televisions before the project began. The project provides up to 8,000 watts, enough energy for each home to have a few lights and radio. Some homes have a small television.

Burkhartzmeyer taught eight women how to maintain the electrical system and how the power should be distributed. To receive funds from the U.N., women had to be in charge, he said.

After spending a day going through the basics of electricity, he realized that only one of the women could read.

“It kind of changes the way you approach a class,” he said.

The first question asked about electricity was how large of a TV a household could get.

In his teaching, Burkhartz-meyer used macadamia nuts to represent electricity. Each family received 20 nuts, each representing the amount of energy needed to power a compact fluorescent bulb. For each thing a family wanted to use electricity for, he took away the number of nuts required until the family had none.

India, by contrast, has the infrastructure to easily move to solar power very soon, said Burkhartzmeyer, because everything needed for solar systems can be found within the country.

“These people are ready, aware and can roll on solar power. In a matter of five or 10 years, the whole country could be solarized,” he said.

India has electricity in nearly every town, but the system is unreliable. Power randomly goes out and systems blow up.

The government is aware of the problems, he said, but doesn’t have the money to fix them.

Burkhartzmeyer traveled to India to assess the readiness of the town of Rath to move to solar power. He also began planning for a technical college aimed at training solar electricians.

He said solar power is a great way to provide energy and is more attractive than other alternative energy sources.

“We don’t want a high-tech solution to the world’s problem,” he said. “There’s other energy out there, but when you compare it to solar, it doesn’t even come close.”

Some things residents can do to conserve energy include: using compact fluorescent bulbs, creating their own power or water; and volunteering and helping raise funds for solar projects.

The Shoreline Solar Project meets on the third Wednesday of each month at the Meridian Park School Library. On May 16, the program will be an introductory session to solar energy.

“We are focused on public solar installation,” said Maryn Wynne, executive director of the Shoreline Solar Project. The group will hold its fourth annual renewable energy fair on July 21 at Meridian Park Elementary. More information can be found on the Internet at www.shorelinesolar.org.

“If we can hit the world with cell phones in every village, then we can get solar power out,” Burkhartzmeyer said.

Justus Hyatt is a student in the University of Washington Department of Communication News Laboratory.