1. Chris & Chom Sangarasri Greacen
No more surgeries by flashlight solar power for jungle clinics in Burma and other tales of green energy from South East Asia.
Green Empowerment
Palang Thai
Chris & Chom Sangarasri Greacen
Lopez Library
12 May, 2005

2. Palang Thai พลังไท พลัง (palang): n 1. Power. 2. Empowerment.
ไท (thai): adj. 1. Independence. 2. Self-reliance
We are a small Thailand-based non-profit organization dedicated to empowering grassroots communities and small entrepreneurs to use environmentally responsible energy in ways that support sustainable development and participatory democracy.
Geograhic area: Mekong region (Thailand, Burma, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam)

3. Palang Thai พลังไท Public interest energy policy analysis
Critical appraisal of large electricity infrastructure plans
Political economy of energy sector
Grid connected renewable energy
Thai net metering project
Community energy
Burma sustainable energy project (including medical clinics for IDPs)
Thai village micro-hydro

4. Green Empowerment
Portland Oregon-based non-governmental organizations (NGO)
Works with local and international NGOs and rural communities to implement community-based renewable energy
Provides training, technical, organizational, public relations, and fundraising support
Works in Nicaragua, Guatemala, Ecuador, Peru, Thailand, Burma, Malaysia, Philippines

5. Outline
“No more surgeries by flashlight”: solar electricity for Karen clinics on Burma side of border (2003-present)
Micro-hydro for Karen villages in Thailand (2002-present)
Border Green Energy Team (2005-)

6. “No more surgeries by flashlight”: solar electricity for Karen clinics on Burma side of border

7. 1 minute political history of contemporary Burma
Independence in 1947
15 years of elected parliament and democracy hampered by ethnic unrest, lack of unity and economic troubles
1962 Burmese military coup staged by General Ne Win.
Ne Win creates policy to wipe out the ethnic opposition groups that were in conflict with the central government, and were struggling to assert their own identities and cultures.
1970s Ne Win introduces the 'Four Cuts' program: Cut off food, information, recruits and financial support to armed ethnic opposition groups. The policy has mostly affected the villagers that live in the ethnic border areas.
Burma became independent from the British in This was followed by 15 years of elected parliament and democracy that were hampered by ethnic unrest, lack of unity and economic troubles. In 1962 the Burmese military took power in a coup staged by General Ne Win. Ne Win created the Burma Socialist Programme Party and a policy to wipe out the ethnic opposition groups that were in conflict with the central government, and were struggling to assert their own identities and cultures.
In the 1970s Ne Win went even further and introduced the 'Four Cuts' program - an attempt to cut off food, information, recruits and financial support to armed ethnic opposition groups. The policy has mostly affected the villagers that live in the ethnic border areas. Source: dev.witness.org/

8. Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Burma
Driven from their homes by the actions of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC – Burma’s military government) yet still living within the borders of Burma.
SPDC inflicts forced relocations, extrajudicial killings, arbitrary detention, rape, village destruction, forced labor and portering.
Victims are generally ethnic minorities (Karen, Karenni, Shan, etc.)
Up to 2 million IDPs in Burma
Little access to heath care, education, peace of mind
Burma became independent from the British in This was followed by 15 years of elected parliament and democracy that were hampered by ethnic unrest, lack of unity and economic troubles. In 1962 the Burmese military took power in a coup staged by General Ne Win. Ne Win created the Burma Socialist Programme Party and a policy to wipe out the ethnic opposition groups that were in conflict with the central government, and were struggling to assert their own identities and cultures.
In the 1970s Ne Win went even further and introduced the 'Four Cuts' program - an attempt to cut off food, information, recruits and financial support to armed ethnic opposition groups. The policy has mostly affected the villagers that live in the ethnic border areas. Source: dev.witness.org/

9. -- IDP interviewed in documentary, "No Place to Go"
They came and destroyed our rice paddies and properties, and in the rainy season they killed one of my nieces on the hill. They came to ask us to be porters, and if you don't want to do it, you have to run away and they destroy your things.
-- IDP interviewed in documentary, "No Place to Go"
Mergui – Tavoy District, Burma
Members of the Karen ethnic minority living in the vicinity of this road project are not only forced to provide labor for its construction but also to finance it. Over the past five years, Burmese military authorities have extorted an estimated 50,000,000 Kyat (50,000 $US) from Karen civilians in Township “X” for the road’s construction, thus earning the project the ignominious title “the 50,000,000 Kyat road” among the local population.

10. Ler Per Heh (IDP location site) was burned down by the DKBA combined with SPDC troops. (Source: KNU Department of Information, 2003) .

11.                                                                
Ler Per Heh mobile clinic after having burned down. (Source: KNU Department of Information, 2003)

12. Ler Per Heh school after burned down. (Source: DOI 2003)

13. The SPDC soldiers entered and destroyed everything and burned down the village. They burned down all the houses in the village and ate all the chickens, pigs and goats.
-- Internally displaced man interviewed in "No Place to Go"

16. These villagers are hiding from SPDC military troops in the jungle.
                                                         
These villagers are hiding from SPDC military troops in the jungle.  
 (Source: Burma Issues, 2003)

17.                                                              
The villagers crossing the Moei River into Thailand. (Source: Burma Issues, 2003

18. It's getting more and more difficult
It's getting more and more difficult. Last year, we were living somewhere else and this year we are living here... I just want to live in my own place and have my own lands... I used to have my own home and live my own life with my family.
--- Old man interviewed in "No Place to Go"

19. Treatment of a land mine victim. (Source: Free Burma Rangers, 2003)
Medical care is a huge problem. The only service for many is provided by brave backpack medics who travel from village to village with medicines in their backpacks. These medics are trained by a group of US doctors coordinated throuhg an organization called Global Health Access Program (GHAP) (
Sometimes there are simple jungle clinics. We have been working with these to provide solar lighting

20. Ruggedized solar electric systems built by medics in 3-5 day hands-on trainings

31. Thus far…
3 trainings (2003, 2004, 2005)
18 clinics
40 medics trained

32. Micro-hydro for Karen villages in Thailand

33. Micro-hydroelectricity
This diagram shows the main components of stand-alone micro-hydroelectric systems of the type used in remote villages in Thailand. A small weir diverts water to a power canal or pipe. After traveling horizontally some distance, the water enters a forebay where sediment settles, and then falls down a steep, high pressure penstock pipe to drive a turbine located in the powerhouse. Water returns to the river via the tailrace. Because these projects are quite small and typically have little or no reservoir, environmental impact is much less than for conventional hydroelectric projects.
Source: Inversin, A. R. (1986). Micro-Hydropower Sourcebook.

34. Kre Khi village micro-hydro 2003

39. 20 liters/second
8 meters head
110 meter of 6” pipe

51. Kre Khi village Microhydro
Estimated power: 500 Watts
Head: 8 meters
Flow: 20 liters/second
Total Installed cost: $2500

58. E Wi Jo village micro-hydro 2004

68. E Wi Jo village microhydro
Estimated power: 750 Watts
Head: 20 meters
Flow: 20 liters/second
Total installed cost: <$2000

69. Border Green Energy Team 2005 onward

70. Thai government solar home program
14:00 Sa Ke Kla village

71. Thai government solar home program
205,000 solar home systems installed by 2006
Budget at least US$200,000,000 (taxpayer funded)
No program to address sustainability
No trainings for villagers on how to use solar home systems
No information provided to villagers about equipment warranty
Nowhere to turn to if there are problems

72. Problems observed (n=105 systems, 3-5 months after installation 7% failure)
Manufacturing defect
Missing connector in module junction box (1 system)
Diode with wrong polarity in module j-box (1 system)
Controller/inverter early failure (2 systems)
Installation defect
PV installed in shaded location (several systems)
Controller installed under leaky roof (1 systems)
User error
Bypass broken controller (several systems)
Bypassed wrong -- reverse polarity burns diode (1 system)
Inverter destroyed by paralleling output of 2 inverters (2 systems)
Difficulty making warranty claim
Villagers do not know who to contact when system breaks under warranty

73. Solar electric training 17-23 Feb, 2005 Mae Sa Pau village, Tak Province

74. Training: solar site selection

75. Training: operations and maintenance

76. Retrofit/repair broken PEA SHS

77. Repair broken DEDE battery charging station

78. Border Green Energy Team
Hire & train local technicians
Teach Thai villagers how to keep solar electric systems from failing early
Battery recycling program
System repair
Warranty service
Use Thai solar home systems as hands-on classroom
Thai technicians
refugee vocational students
medics from inside Burma
Community systems
microhydro
solar
clinics, schools, community centers
both sides of the border.

79. Border Green Energy Team
Green Empowerment
International Institute for Energy Conservation (IIEC)
Karen Health and Welfare Department
Karen Network
Palang Thai
Taipei Oversees Peace Service
ZOA refugee vocational training

80. We’re able to do this through generosity of our donors…
Individual Donors
Contributions directly to Palang Thai
Contributions to Green Empowerment (501.c3)
Foundations
Heinrich Boll Foundation (German Green Party)
The Ashden Trust for Renewable Energy
Switzer Environmental Foundation (USA)
Bangkok American Women’s Club

81. Thank you! For more information contact: Tel. (+011) 662-674-2533
Download presentation slides& documents at:

83. Source: EGAT (2003). Power Development Plan
Renewables account for very little of Thailands’ installed generating capacity
0.6% grid-connected renewables
Big hydro
lignite
Fuel oil
Natural gas
TOTAL: 26,000 MW
Source: EGAT (2003). Power Development Plan

84. Estimated renewable energy potential in Thailand
Resource
Technical potential (MW)
Commerical Potential (MW)
Year 2011 Government targets (MW)
Biomass Solar PV
Wind
Micro- & Mini- hydro
7,000
>5,000
1,600
700
>4,500 ?
350?
1140
250
100
350
Total
>14,000
>4,800
1840
Biomass commercially viable 3727 MW (from Black & Veatch 2000 and NEPO/DANCED 1998) as well as interviews with power plant managers. Biogas additional = 385.
Source: Technical potential and Targets from Thai Ministry of Energy. (2003).“Energy Strategy for Competitiveness” Commercial potential from from Black & Veatch 2000 and NEPO/DANCED 1998 as well as interviews with power plant managers.

85. Biogas from Pig Farms Reduces air and water pollution
Produces fertilizer
Produces electricity
Biogas from Pig Farms

86. Biogas from Pig Farms
5000 pigs  $31 / day elec.

87. Korat Waste to Energy - biogas
Uses waste water from cassava to make methane
Produces gas for all factory heat (30 MW thermal) + 3 MW of electricity
Earns high market returns
Developer estimates 300 MW from waste water MW from wet cake

88. Korat Waste to Energy - biogas
3 x 1 MW Jenbacher gas generators

89. Community micro-hydro
Mae Kam Pong village, Chiang Mai
40 kW
Community cooperative
Expected gross revenues: $750/month

90. 40 kW micro-hydro generator at Mae Kam Pong