Chris & Chom Greacen Oct 4, 2006 RAEL UC Berkeley Towards sustainable energy in Thailand Palang Thai Border Green Energy Team Public interest energy policy

Palang Thai พลังไท Thailand NGO Objective: –To ensure that the transformations that occur in the region's energy sector: augment, rather than undermine, social and environmental justice and sustainability. Key approaches: –We teach hands-on energy technology –We draft policies –We critique wasteful & dangerous mega-projects and the closed decision-making processes that lead to these projects… and offer cleaner, more democratic, alternatives. พลัง (palang): n 1. Power. 2. Empowerment. ไท (thai): adj. 1. Independence. 2. Self-reliance

Border Green Energy Team Conflict area Little/no rural electrification

Border Green Energy Team Solar electricity for 28 medical clinics for internally displaced inside Burma

Up to 2 million internally displaced people in Burma

Ruggedized solar electric systems built by medics in 3-5 day hands-on trainings 6 trainings (2003, 2004, 2005, 2005, 2006) >60 medics trained 28 clinics

Border Green Energy Team Community micro-hydro (4 villages)

Micro-hydroelectricity Source: Inversin, A. R. (1986). Micro-Hydropower Sourcebook.

Kre Khi village 2003 E Wi Jo village 2004 Mae Sa Pau village 2005 Huai Krating 2006

E Wi Jo village microhydro Estimated power: 750 Watts Head: 20 meters Flow: 20 liters/second Total installed cost: <$3000

Huai Krating “Pump as turbine” 3 kW Head: 35 meters Flow: 20 liters/sec

Huai Kra Ting – “C-2C” induction motor as generator

Border Green Energy Team Refugee camp trainings

Solar/micro-hydro vocational education training Mae La refugee camp Sept 2005

So far: Solar PV Micro-hydro Hydraulic ram pump Solar cooking Coming soon: 7 hybrid solar/diesel systems Biogas

Border Green Energy Team Maintenance & repair trainings for > 14,000 Thai solar home systems

Thai government solar home program 203,000 solar home systems US$200 million No maintenance plan 23% failure rate within 20 months

Ministry of Interior PEA (national utility) Installation company End users $ $ SHS Thai Government solar home program Existing linkages warranty Tax payers $

Ministry of Interior PEA Installation company End users $ $ SHS Missing linkages warranty What happens when systems fail? There is no feedback loop from the end users to installation company, government or taxpayers Tax payers $

Warranty awareness Self-help: local technicians + user training Ministry of Interior PEA Installation company End users $ $ SHS Missing linkages warranty Tax payers $ Feedback on status of systems, failure modes, successful interventions Media

Most of Palang Thai’s work is on policy & planning level…

Grid-connected renewable energy

Renewable energy producers need to be able to sell surplus electricity to grid. We drafted Thai Net Metering laws approved by Cabinet (2002) Helped 1 MW  10 MW allowed per renewable energy installation (2006)

Power and gas sector governance

Public-interest energy policy analysis and advocacy Analysis on: –Sector governance and reform –Policy & planning –Tariffs, cross-border interconnection Thailand is privatizing state-owned energy monopolies… but lacks independent energy regulatory body Helped develop litigation that successfully reversed EGAT privatization We drafted “people’s version” of regulatory legislation, adopted by National Economic and Social Advisory Council (NESAC). –Committee finalizing law used our draft as a candidate draft by government

Public-interest energy policy analysis and advocacy Helped draft energy platform for a major political party (Democrat party), and provided inputs to their environmental platform. Engineered seminar that brought together human rights leaders, dam developers, and Thai policy makers to discuss Salween dams human rights crisis Interviews & opinion pieces on TV, radio, newspapers

Big thanks to… Volunteers Robert and Patricia Switzer Foundation Hienrich Boll Foundation Global Green Grants US-Asia Environmental Partnership Oxfam Australia Finnish Embassy Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy Individual donors

For more information Thailand Contact: Chom and Chris Greacen Palang Thai Tel