X-From_: tgray  Mon Dec 14 10:14:10 1992
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.biosph-l
Date:         Mon, 14 Dec 1992 10:14:14 PST
Reply-To:     Tom Gray <tgray@IGC.APC.ORG>
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Comments:     Originally-From: Tom Gray <tgray@igc.apc.org>
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From:         Tom Gray <tgray@IGC.APC.ORG>
Subject:      --Solar Lights Sri Lanka Village

/* Written  9:53 am  Dec 14, 1992 by tgray@igc.apc.org in igc:en.energy */

SOLAR POWER LIGHTS
SRI LANKA VILLAGE

A nongovernmental organization (NGO) in the Indian Ocean island
nation of Sri Lanka has succeeded in electrifying a rural village
with solar photovoltaic power in a project that could provide a
case study for other small-scale renewable energy sources, such as
wind.

Solanka Associates worked with residents of the village of
Morapatawa, according to a recent Inter Press Service (IPS) story,
in electrifying 48 of 200 homes with solar power.

Solanka helped to organize the Solanka Sun Society (SSS), a
representative group of villagers, to ensure their active
involvement in the project and to provide guidance on its
implementation.

The SSS took the lead in identifying households felt to be in a
position to pay for electrification -- in the process, according to
a spokesman, avoiding loan defaulters, alcoholics, and others felt
to be poor risks.

The household solar system costs about $300, the article said, and
a family must pay $11 before installation.  The balance is paid at
a rate of $3/month for eight years.  The system provides enough
electricity for three 40-watt bulbs and a radio, or one 40-watt
bulb and a television, for about four hours.

According to Solanka Associates, many rural households already
spend similar amounts of money for kerosene and radio batteries.

The Ceylon Electricity Board, Sri Lanka's state utility, currently
provides power for only 25 percent of the island's homes, and has
said that it can serve no more than 50 percent in the foreseeable
future.

Energy experts, the article said, have called for an integrated
energy plan for Sri Lanka that will take into account the potential
of solar, wind, wind, mini- and micro-hydro, and biomass (see Wind
Energy Weekly #513, August 31, 1992, p. 2, for more on this
concept).

===============================

The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) has authorized me to offer
an electronic edition of its newsletter, _Wind Energy Weekly_, from
which the above article is excerpted, at no cost.

For those of you who have not previously seen excerpts from back issues
on Usenet or Bitnet, the _Weekly_ reports on the outlook for renewable
energy, energy-related environmental issues, and renewable energy
legislation in addition to wind industry trade news.  The electronic
edition normally runs about 10kb in length.

If you would like a free electronic subscription, send me an e-mail
request.  Please include information on your position, organization,
and reason for interest in the publication.

If the _Weekly_ is not quite for you, please pass this message on to
someone else you think might be interested.  Thanks.

*******************************************************************
Tom Gray                                 EcoNet/PeaceNet: tgray@igc
Internet/Bitnet: tgray@igc.apc.org            UUCP: uunet!cdp!tgray
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU