1. Presentation at SERT, Naresuan University
Towards Sustainability for Thailand's Solar Home Systems Observations from Tak province by
Chris Greacen, Ph.D.
Presentation at SERT, Naresuan University
12 November, 2006

2. Outline Border Green Energy Team (BGET)
Refugee camp trainings
Micro-hydroelectricity (Tak province villages)
Thai SHS sustainability
Thai solar home systems – BGET experience in TAK
Overview of Thai SHS program
BGET local technician trainings
Survey and results
Failure modes
Post warranty sustainability?

3. BGET refugee camp trainings on renewable energy
0.5 min. Last month we conducted a 5-day training for 60 engineer and vocational education students. Right now their country has very little infrastructure. They want to know about solar and micro-hydropower to use to help rebuild their country, when they eventually are safe to return.

4. Micro-hydroelectricity
0.25 For those not familiar with micro-hydro, here’s a simple diagram. A small weir diverts water into a pipe. The water flows down hill and spins a turbine, making electricity.
Source: Inversin, A. R. (1986). Micro-Hydropower Sourcebook.

5. BGET Micro-hydroelectricity
2003 Kre Khi village 0.7 kW E Wi Jo village 2 kW Mae Sa Pau village 1.5 kW Huai Krating 3 kW

6. Thai Solar Home System Sustainability

7. “The Service & Support Department is like the guy in the parade who walks behind the elephant with a broom and a big bucket”

8. Thai Solar Home System (SHS) in context
290,716 households without grid connection before SHS
188,995 SHS in all Thailand
15,000 SHS in Tak Province
Thai installed PV in 2003: 6 MWp
SHS program adds 23 MWp!
Responsibility of SHS transferred from the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) to Tambon (county) governments
Tak
Source: PEA, May 2006

9. Thai SHS in Tak province
Rated 150 W, 50 Hz, 230 V Inverter /
10 A Charge controller
Rated 120 peak Watt
single crystalline PV module
AC outlet for TV or other appliances
Two 10 W
tube fluorescent lights with electronic ballasts
12 V, 125 Ah deep cycle lead-acid battery

10. Existing linkages Tax payers Ministry of Interior PEA$
Ministry of Interior $
warranty
PEA $
Installation company
SHS
End users

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

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

13. SHS Warranty Warranty periods
Complete system: 2 years
Solar panel: 5 years
Charge controller/Inverter: 3 years
Battery: 2 years
Light/Ballast: 2 years
The system warranty is expiring within a few months
Very few villagers informed that there is a warranty

14. SHS Warranty
Postcards with warranty and maintenance information could be distributed by Tambons
Idea presented at meeting with DLA (Department of Local Administration)

15. How to claim the SHS warranty
Villagers need to inform Tambon (local administration) government of broken systems
Tambon needs to send claims to PEA provincial office
PEA forwards warranty claims to installation company
Tambon
PEA
Installation company
SHS user
Repair/replace equipment in response to warranty claim
Installation companies must repair within 1 week.
Otherwise they will be fined 200 baht per system per day

16. BGET SHS trainings in Tak province
Technician trainings in two districts
3-day theory & hands-on training
cooperation with Tambons
The technicians
are provided with a tool box
get a SHS manual
survey all SHS in their village cluster
make minor repairs and system improvements
educate homeowners in system use & maintenance
send surveys to BGET via the Tambon office
could help with repairs after the warranty expires

17. BGET SHS trainings in Tak province

18. BGET SHS trainings in Tak province

19. (skim through manual)

20. BGET SHS trainings in Tak province
Districts in Tak province
Mueang Tak
Ban Tak
Sam Ngao
Mae Ramat
Tha Song Yang
Mae Sot
Phop Phra
Umphang
Wang Chao
Priority 1: 8,692 SHS
Priority 2: 3,834 SHS

21. BGET SHS trainings in Tak province
Trainings already performed in ten Tambons
Tambon
District
Date of training
# of SHS
# of technicians
Mae Tan
Tha Song Yang
October 2005
964 16
Mae Song
1,728 29
Mae Wa Luang
November 2005
778 39
Mae La
December 2005
847 30
Mae Cha Rao, Phra Tart
Mae Ramat
250 19
February 2006
571 25
Sam Meun
March 2006
642
Mae U Su
May 2006
1,065
Mae Tuen
June 2006
1,443 28
TOTAL
8,288
224

22. House-to-house surveys -- interviews

23. House-to-house surveys -- measurements

25. Typical Usage hours per day
BGET SHS status survey
BGET Survey based on sample of 405 systems from Tak
House-to-house survey conducted by technicians that passed BGET training course.
Typical Load
No. of system
Typical Usage hours per day
Two 10 watt fluorescent lights
405
3-4
other light bulbs (7 to 20 watt) 20
Television rated from 20 to 100 watt 68 1
VCD player 2
N/A

26. BGET SHS status survey: failure modes observed in Tak
Sample size: 405 systems in Mae Ramat Amphur & Tha Song Yang Amphur
Survey: house-to-house, interviews & measurements, between Dec 2005 and March 2006
Failure mode
Quantity %
Inverter/charge controller 41
10.1%
Light ballast 39
9.6%
Solar module 3
0.7%
Battery 24
5.9%
 Total 91
22.5%
All SHS in Tak installed by Solartron. Anecdotal evidence suggests that other provinces/other companies may have higher failure rates.

27. Observed failure modes - inverter
Failed inverter/charge controller (~10% of all systems surveyed).
Solartron and PEA provided 15 replacement inverters for the first 2 trainings

28. Ballast failure ~9% of systems surveyed
Observed failure modes - ballast
Ballast failure ~9% of systems surveyed

29. Manufacturing defect: Missing connector (Junction Box) (rare: < 1%)
Observed failure modes – solar panel
Manufacturing defect: Missing connector (Junction Box) (rare: < 1%)
Missing
Correct
Consequence: module never worked – but easily fixed

30. Manufacturing defect: Diode with wrong polarity (rare: < 1%)
Observed failure modes – solar panel
Manufacturing defect: Diode with wrong polarity (rare: < 1%)
Correct polarity
Incorrect polarity
Consequence: module never worked - but easily fixed

31. Observed failure modes – solar panel
Installation error: Burned Diodes from Panel Reversed Polarity (rare: < 1%)
Consequence: System broken since the first day of installation – but (fairly) easily fixed)

32. Observed failure modes –battery battery failure in ~6% of systems surveyed
healthy, without sulfation
sulfated plates

33. Problems found during training/surveys
Installation error: Battery failure caused by solar panel installation in shady location
14:00 Saw Kre Ka village, Tha Song Yang District

34. Installation error: Bad panel locations
Problems found during training surveys
Installation error: Bad panel locations

35. User error: bypassed controller  battery overcharge
Observed failure modes – (cascading component failure)
User error: bypassed controller  battery overcharge 1
Villager bypasses broken controller and charges battery directly from PV
Battery over-charged. Electrolyte level drops and plates are exposed to air. Battery fails. 2

36. User error: Controller bypass leads to burned diode
Observed failure modes – (cascading component failure) 1
User error: Controller bypass leads to burned diode
Villager bypasses broken controller and charges battery directly from PV
One mistake of reverse battery polarity blows up bypass diode in PV junction box, melting junction box. 2

37. BGET on TV
Channel 11
“Thailand Focus” 11am – 12 noon 11 November 2006

38. BGET on TV
Goals:
TV-broadcast discussion of SHS sustainability, need for more local capacity
Inform public of warranty

39. Long-term costs... Equipment replacement cost: 130 to 300 baht/month
Villagers cannot afford new equipment when it fails
Accumulated costs for replacing Thai SHS

40. Thai SHS program SWOT Strong features Weak features / challenges
Relatively big PV module – 120 watts (compared to SHS in other countries)
PV modules & battery work well
Systems are generally installed well
Provide useful services, appreciated
Weak features / challenges
Failure-prone inverter/controller, ballast Insufficient local capacity for O&M, repair
Insufficient user knowledge about system limitations, basic care, warranty
Villages often very remote – hard to get to (especially in rainy season)
Language barriers in remote areas (few speak/read/write Thai)
Opportunities
Installed solar panels represent huge investment (25,000 baht x 200,000)
Relatively small additional investment to make good use
Threats
Widespread SHS failures unless coordinated effort to address sustainability

41. Sustainability of Thai SHS still achievable?

42. Thai SHS sustainability measures?
What would you do?

43. Salinee Tavaranan, BGET Project Director
Contact BGET
Chris Greacen
Salinee Tavaranan, BGET Project Director
Tel:
Mobile:

44. BGET effect?