Train the Trainer for Solar

Today is my last full day in Siem Reap. I have two more solar kits left and trying to get them installed somewhere would be an exceptionally challenging day. Plus, Tony knows of a village about 100km from town that is nowhere near electrical lines. A three hour drive one way would be impossible with only one day to spare. 

The answer is simple: Train the Trainer. 

We spent most of the morning going over the simple wiring diagram of connecting a panel to a battery and then the battery to various equipment. We covered how you need to plan out each step, go slow, test everything as you work, and be tidy as install. As part of Tony's training I asked that one of our drivers (Barang) stop by a bit later in the morning. He became the first student! That helped reinforce the hands-on training and answer questions.

After a quick inventory to determine we needed a few extra parts like more wire clips, another set of wire strippers, good quality alligator clips, etc. we headed into town to find these things at local shops. One that I've used before is Standard Electric on Sivatha Blvd. It's right by the Curry Walla restaurant. The family there has been running the shop forever and knows their entire inventory off the top of their heads. Plus I'm pretty sure the one lady who speaks excellent English was reading Chinese instructions at the same time. Impressive!

Tony will be taking the two solar kits up to the village in about a week. It looks like we might have the makings of a successful project standard!

Tony going over the wiring with Barang watching. We did a hands-on training.

It's impossible to find any warning stickers about electric shock, so we had them made! Tony helped with design ideas and could point out what he wanted easily. Perhaps that Photoshop training I did years ago helped.

Closing Ceremony for PTTC

Today was the last day for class at the Provincial Teacher Training College. All the students from our various classes came to hear a few brief speeches and send us off in style. Even a short week of class is shown tremendous respect. There is a cultural appreciation for those who teach given the extreme history of how educators were treated in the past. Their thankfulness was beyond that already high bar. 

The next couple days will enter the mad-dash phase. Sorting, packing, coordinating with locals, checking on things at the last minute, and more. 

I always like finding this sign on the PTTC campus

At least 150 students attended our closing ceremony

Deanna's class

One Solar Setup Complete, Classes in Full Swing

On Tuesday we installed the first of the "Large" solar setups for a family. These consist of a 30W solar panel, small car battery, 5 LED lights at 7W each, and a DC to AC inverter so a cell phone can be charged. 

We were a little pressed for time, but overall it is about a 2 to 3 hour job. It takes a bit of planning to determine where to best put the panel, centralizing the battery, running cables, and keeping the work tidy. In the future I will push it to 3-4 hours so we are not scrambling. Even with that the installation went well. The most confusing part is installing what appears to be regular wall outlets but then remembering that these are running DC power instead of AC. Plugging something in backwards won't work. 

Yesterday and today we launched into computer training at the Provincial Teacher Training School (PTTC). I only have 2 hours per class and it is a totally different group of students each time. The most pressing topic for them to learn is Excel, so I give them a crash course in the basics. Amazingly enough they learn that challenging program quite quickly.

Two more solar setups to go!

Panel, lights, switches, a small battery, and some wire. Not much to power a home!

Sewing Machine Superstore

Looking for the best in sewing machines and supplies in all of Northern Cambodia? Look no further! Just off of Highway 5, east of the Sangker River in Battambang. Here’s a Google Streetview of it. Be warned, this is a typical Cambodian store that has made efficient use of every nook and cranny. It's dense.

Toilets and Wells outside of Puok

On Sunday afternoon we had the pleasure of visiting a village just north of the Reul Pagoda, north of Puok. This is about a 30 minute drive west of Siem Reap through some idyllic countryside. Along with that tranquil beauty comes family growing just barely what they can eat. That’s why we are here.

We presented health kits to about 12 families so they could use the clean water from the wells and practice good hygiene. In addition, there are several toilets being constructed for the most in need. I was struck by the large number of cows they have being tended very close to their homes. But everything was very tidy and the animals looked extremely healthy!

Families receiving health kits and toilet cleaning supplies

One of the workers from Teuk Sa'at building a toilet. He has been doing this for 20 years!

Completed toilet with family and Deanna

Elderly lady who will share the toilet with her neighbor who helps care for her. The shack on the left in the background is the previous toilet. It was shockingly bad.

Highly Distilled 72 Hours

We’ve done a lot in the last 3 days. Imagine if you will a montage of the following:

• Drove to Battambang on Friday, met with Mony’s family in their new house, and stayed at the Classy Hotel.
• Light shopping on Saturday in Battambang with a focus on the sewing machine shop. It’s the best in Northern Cambodia by far. Driving back to Siem Reap.
• Sunday Morning church service at Khnar Tmei and connecting with former students, now young adults. Sunday afternoon meeting with Teuk Sa’at Organization that drills wells and builds latrines. Included a visit to projects in process.

I’ll add individual posts for some of these items and what we accomplished today. It’s a good kind of busy!

The Solar Works!

Yesterday I visited the family that we set up with an off-grid solar solution cobbled together from spare and new parts. I was not convinced the solution would work in the long term but was hopeful that we would at least learn from the experience.

Much to my surprise it works. It’s been working the whole time with no issues. I was amazed. I even planned to spend the entire afternoon finding spare parts and doing repairs. Instead I was left with a sense of wonder that this concept has real potential using local parts.

When I asked the family how they used it, I was struck by how they described a change in their daily routine. They were better able to cook and prepare dinner, they could read at night, and it was generally easier to get things done in the dark. I’m hesitant to utter this phrase but it seems appropriate: Life Changing.

Later in the day I spotted the image below as a worker was doing some tasks in town to an electrical pole. My solution is off grid. Perhaps that’s a very good thing…

Back for the 13th time!

Here we go again!

Trip # 13 will be another adventure into Solar technology. I suspect last year's attempt was a good effort, but I won't be surprised if I find that it was not a lasting solution. This time I purchased a couple of prototypes from Amazon that will help illustrate exactly what type of solution I hope to build with local parts. My goal is to create a parts list and instruction book for local people to light their homes.