Ann McLean - Social Scientist; consumer profiling, establishment of institutional arrangements for ownership, management and maintenance of the installation to benefit the wider community and environment; load planning with electricity users to maximise electricity use and reduce reliance on fuelwood and hydrocarbons
Tony Woods - Team Leader, Renewable Energy Engineer. Tony's responsibilities included pre-feasibility visit and reporting. Review of technical and financial feasibility based on survey data collected. Overall system design including micro hydro equipment and distribution line. Training of operators, managers and master trainers and participation in monitoring and evaluation. Installation and commissioning was subcontracted.
Micro Hydro Optimisation
Thorong Phedi, Annapurna Conservation Area, Manang District, Nepal
Client: King Mahendra Trust for Nature Conservation/Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, New Zealand
Names of Senior Staff Involved and Functions:
Narrative Description of Project:
Thorong Phedi is a high altitude (4500 meters) village in the Annapurna Conservation Area of Nepal. This area is a very popular tourist destination and required a sustainable energy supply to meet the heavy needs of the tourist and local population. The King Mahendra Trust for Nature Conservation has installed 4 turbine systems in the ACAP region but has had limited success in maximising utilisation once they are installed. Current power usage in existing sites stands at an average of 25%, and 75% of the potential energy is lost through inefficient generation, transmission or management. This project addressed those areas where improvement could be made. An installation in Thorong Phedi, the base camp below Thorung La Pass, was undertaken to demonstrate enhanced service. The installation included a 20 kW turbine and transmission system, electronic load governors permitting 24 hour operation, technical training for the operators, management training for the village management committee, technical and social training for the staff of KMTNC and local turbine equipment manufacturers. This project succeeded in significantly improving power utilisation and installation performance, while wood fuel and hydrocarbons dependence has been substantially eliminated. Higher utilisation enables provision of extra income-generating services. Profits benefit the wider community.
Services Provided by Empower Consultants:
• Project identification and formulation and co-writing of funding application
• Technical appraisal of tender documentation and identification of improvement opportunities for tendering procedures, equipment and specifications
• Training of operators and manufacturers in improved production techniques and more efficient operation.
• Participation in installation and commissioning of micro hydro electronic control equipment
• Assistance with project management of construction process
• Identification of opportunities for efficiency improvement and training on new techniques of manufacture, maintenance and management in order to improve the present 25% utilisation rate of power.
• Training of local operators and managers on site as well as supply side and generation side review and analysis in order to ascertain opportunities for improvement.
• Negotiation of "take or pay" sales agreement to maximise utilisation
• Identification in collaboration with the electricity purchasers of saleable goods and services using electricity, e.g. hot showers and warmed rooms utilising the dump load, and alternative cooking techniques using electricity to replace hydrocarbons and wood fuels.
• Technical appraisal of tender documentation and identification of improvement opportunities for tendering procedures, equipment and specifications
• Training of operators and manufacturers in improved production techniques and more efficient operation.
• Participation in installation and commissioning of micro hydro electronic control equipment
• Assistance with project management of construction process
• Identification of opportunities for efficiency improvement and training on new techniques of manufacture, maintenance and management in order to improve the present 25% utilisation rate of power.
• Training of local operators and managers on site as well as supply side and generation side review and analysis in order to ascertain opportunities for improvement.
• Negotiation of "take or pay" sales agreement to maximise utilisation
• Identification in collaboration with the electricity purchasers of saleable goods and services using electricity, e.g. hot showers and warmed rooms utilising the dump load, and alternative cooking techniques using electricity to replace hydrocarbons and wood fuels.
