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the flow

TONIBUNG: 2022 HIGHLIGHTS AND A STRONG START IN 2023

1/19/2023

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In 2022, HPNET member TONIBUNG (Friends for Village Development) continued to advance an ambitious array of initiatives to generate impact from community-based renewable energy, both at the policy level and on the ground in partnership with Indigenous communities in Malaysian Borneo.  Two key developments from 2022 are highlighted below, along with an exciting update from January 2023 regarding a first-of-its-kind international knowledge exchange event.

For more exciting updates, be sure to ‘like’ and ‘follow’ TONIBUNG’s very active facebook page.

Sabah RE2 Consortium
Since August 2021, TONIBUNG has been part of the Sabah Renewable Energy Rural Electrification Roadmap (Sabah RE2) Consortium in collaboration with Forever Sabah, Pacos Trust and Green Empowerment.  Supported by the Malaysia-UK PACT (Partnering for Accelerated Climate Transitions) programme, the Sabah RE2 initiative aims to build momentum towards “a future of energy equity, right livelihoods, and wellbeing for rural Sabahans” by advocating for renewable energy as a viable solution for energy access in off-grid communities.  

TONIBUNG’s primary role has been to lead stakeholder training and conduct feasibility studies of potential mini-grid design concepts.  Thus far, the team has conducted feasibility studies in 57 communities for 35 potential mini-grids across Sabah, the findings of which are summarized here.


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Map displaying feasibility studies conducted by TONIBUNG for the SabahRE2 initiative, including for micro hydro, solar and solar-hydro hybrid mini-grids. Credit: SabahRE2.
The Sabah RE2 Consortium has produced a number of rich outputs, including an interactive Demand Map for unelectrified villages in Sabah and other multimedia knowledge products, which can be accessed at sabahre2roadmap.org.

Micro Hydro Training in Bandung, Indonesia

To advance knowledge exchange objectives of the Sabah RE2 initiative, Tonibung engineers and technicians traveled to Bandung, Indonesia for micro hydro development training hosted by Heska Hydro in November, 2022.  HPNET members Pak Komarudin (Protel Multi Energy) and Pak Aji Subekti (Reneconsys) facilitated training on electronic load controllers and mini-grid design fundamentals.  As part of the training, the team also visited two micro hydro sites to enhance their understanding of civil design and to learn about operations and maintenance.  The exposure visits further strengthened the participants’ understanding of the theoretical teachings from the classroom sessions at Heska Hydro.

Inter Learning Exchange on Community-Led Renewable Energy

From January 8-11, 2023, participants from Kenya, Nepal, Cambodia and the Philippines gathered in Kampung Buayan, Ulu Papar, Sabah for the Inter Learning Exchange on Community-led Renewable Energy, co-hosted by TONIBUNG and Right Energy Partnership (REP). 


Participants shared knowledge from their own in-country experiences and learned from the pioneering work of TONIBUNG on implementing community-based micro hydropower in partnership with Indigenous communities.  The participants learned how the community of Kampung Buayan operates and maintains their community hydro mini-grid through a sustainable approach, leveraging capacity building efforts by TONIBUNG and other local partners.  The guests also saw first-hand how the community hydro has generated socioeconomic opportunities, including by enabling motorized agro-processing and allowing children to study at night, among other outcomes.


We extend our thanks to TONIBUNG Founder and HPNET Board Member, Hon. Adrian Banie Lasimbang, for his input on this blog post.  To learn more, contact TONIBUNG at [email protected]. 

This article was developed by HPNET Thematic Coordinator, Lara Powell.

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INDIGENOUS-LED WATERSHED MANAGEMENT AT 2ND ASIA PARKS CONGRESS

5/30/2022

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Indigenous peoples have a wealth of knowledge and long-proven environmental governance systems that support healthy watershed ecosystems. In turn, Indigenous-led watershed conservation can contribute toward biodiversity conservation, climate change mitigation and climate resilient hydro mini-grids. 

HPNET Board Member, Hon. Adrian Banie Lasimbang, recently brought this important message to the 2nd Asia Parks Congress, which was held at the Sabah International Convention Centre from May 24-29, 2022.  Hon. Lasimbang is an Advisor for TONIBUNG and JOAS and a Board Member for the Right Energy Partnership (REP).  At the congress, Adrian presented a paper on the ways in which Indigenous-led watershed conservation contributes to biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation, highlighting the role of the Tagal system in watershed management, through a case study in Ulu Papar, Sabah.  Tagal refers to the watershed stewardship system/protocols of the Orang Asal Indigenous communities of Sabah. 
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Hon. Adrian Banie Lasimbang presenting at the 2nd Asia Parks Confress. Source: B. Lasimbang.
Read More:
  • Kickoff Session: Climate Resilient Solutions to Hydro Mini-Grids – Featuring Hon. Adrian Banie Lasimbang sharing perspectives on climate resilience, the water-energy-food-forests-livelihoods nexus, and Indigenous rights, traditional knowledge and stewardship protocols.
  • Earth Voices Blog: Featuring Kampung Buayan, Ulu Papar
  • TONIBUNG (friends for village development) - HPNET Member Organization
  • Jaringan Orang Asal SeMalaysia (JOAS) - The Indigenous Peoples Network of Malaysia
  • Right Energy Partnership
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KICK-OFF SESSION: CLIMATE RESILIENT SOLUTIONS TO HYDRO MINI-GRIDS

4/1/2022

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How can watershed stewardship enable climate resilient hydro mini-grids?  How can traditional ecological knowledge be leveraged for sustainable energy access?  

Building onto our Earth Voices series, which featured case studies of Indigenous communities who have developed resilient hydro mini-grids through watershed stewardship, we now go further to understand how rural energy systems can benefit from Indigenous values and methods for climate resilience.  We aim to do this by facilitating dialogue with Indigenous leaders and organizations seeking to integrate traditional knowledge and values into energy access solutions.

As a start, in the kick-off of our recent SEEED E-Learning course, “Climate Resilient Solutions to Hydro Mini-Grids”, we were privileged to be joined by Hon. Adrian Banie Lasimbang, Advisor for TONIBUNG and JOAS and Board Member for the Right Energy Partnership (REP) and HPNET.  Watch the recording for a deep dive discussion on climate resilience, the water-energy-food-forests-livelihoods nexus, and Indigenous rights, traditional knowledge and stewardship protocols.

The course was the second in our E-Learning series, offered as part of the SEEED Accelerator, with support from Skat Foundation, DGRV, GIZ, and WISIONS.
Learn More
  • To learn more about the ways in which Indigenous knowledge and environmental governance supports healthy watersheds and sustainable hydro mini-grids, check out our Earth Voices blog series. 
  • To stay in-the-know regarding future E-Learning opportunities, sign up for our newsletter.
  • To learn more about Right Energy Partnership, visit their website.
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WATCH:  EXCHANGE EVENT VIDEOS

10/18/2021

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As part of the SEEED Accelerator, HPNET launched the SEEED cohort for the Ganga, Brahmaputra, Meghna, and Salween River Basins, in partnership with International Rivers, to advance community-scale hydropower in the region. 

​With support from TROSA and funding from the Government of Sweden and WISIONS, the SEEED cohort engaged in capacity building, multi-actor dialogue and peer-to-peer exchange, including through a two-day virtual exchange event. 

​You can find video recordings, session summaries, presentation slides, and other event resources at this link!
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“HIDDEN NO MORE”: AN INTERVIEW ON RETHINKING ENERGY ACCESS WITH AYU ABDULLAH

8/3/2021

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Our Hidden No More series features women micro hydro practitioners who have transformed gender barriers to generate energy access for marginalized communities.
For our first edition of 2021, we spoke with Ayu Abdullah, the Co-Executive Director of Energy Action Partners (ENACT). Along with colleagues, Ayu co-founded ENACT in 2014 to rethink the energy access paradigm and prioritize the involvement and role of local communities in developing and managing their own energy resources. The organization focuses on building collaborative and participatory tools for energy access and community development. Born and raised in Penang, Malaysia, Ayu has BSc and MSc degrees in Aerospace Engineering from Purdue University, and an MSc in Engineering Systems and Management from the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology
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Ayu Abdullah. Credit: A. Abdullah

What has been your career path?

I initially studied aerospace engineering in the United States. After my first two degrees in aerospace, I went straight into a PhD program. But one year into the program, I realized that a career in aerospace R&D wasn’t for me and I wanted to try something else. At the time, I didn’t quite know what. My graduate research focused on space dynamics, and at the time, had little application on Earth. I did know that I wanted to spend more time learning from and working with people (and not just technology), so I left the program. 

​I wanted a job that would allow me to travel, so I started out in Oil and Gas working as a Field Engineer for Schlumberger in China. That didn’t last long either, but it was a fascinating job where I worked outdoors a lot. I really enjoyed that - I enjoyed working outside and working alongside people.
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Ayu Abdullah as an aerospace engineering student, dressing the part. Credit: A. Abdullah
But you really cannot ignore the environmental impact of oil and gas extraction. I got to witness firsthand how damaging drilling is to the environment. Even though I appreciated the opportunity to travel and work with a diverse group of people, I realized pretty quickly that oil and gas wasn’t for me.​
I then found myself in Somaliland in the Horn of Africa where I  was a volunteer teacher at a school. The school was putting up a 20kW wind turbine, the first one in the country. I supported the first phase of the project - putting in the foundation for the turbine- my first experience with renewable energy. ​
​I realized that I could still utilize my engineering background and work in international development. That was really how I came to learn about the energy access world. Wanting to get more experience with renewable energy systems, I spent a summer with my first micro-hydro project in Malaysia - supported by a then professor at the Masdar Institute (now my co-founder and colleague). When my time in Somaliland ended, I joined the Masdar Institute as a graduate researcher to continue working on community energy systems. 
What was your research focused on at Masdar Institute?

My work at the Institute was focused on understanding the links between community development and mini-grid systems, and how you could design engineering systems differently to incorporate community development objectives. I felt like I had spent enough time studying the engineering side of things, I wanted to get creative and merge all these learnings from other non-engineering fields into engineering systems. Using the tools that we know in engineering systems and architecture, and incorporating methodologies from social sciences and anthropology. The idea was simple and definitely not new, if you looked at a system and expanded the boundaries to include all the non-engineering aspects of it, you would get a much more comprehensive system. The challenge was translating those aspects into engineering requirements that don’t dismiss the people factor.
I spent some of my field research during my program at Masdar going back to the micro-hydro community in Sabah, Malaysia and learning from the local organization, TONIBUNG, a HPNET member. Based on my time with them and studying mini-grid development and the whole project cycle, I realized that key decisions were being made in the initial community engagement process that communities may or may not have total understanding of, especially for new micro-grid communities. Decisions on system sizing, tariffs, management structures. These questions are challenging for communities, and require some capacity building and relationship building, which not all practitioner organizations have sufficient time and resources for. So that became what I wanted to focus on, hence was born: The Minigrid Game, to help project developers and practitioners, and communities to engage and partner with each other more meaningfully, and lead to better projects and community development. 
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Community members participating in a Minigrid Game (now called COMET) workshop in Pahang, Malaysia. Credit: ENACT
Tell us about why you established Energy Action Partners (ENACT). 
​

By the end of my time at Masdar, I was committed to the work that I was doing with community energy and wanted to take The Minigrid Game further and build it out. In 2014, with my graduate advisor and another colleague who has since left, we co-founded Energy Action Partners. In Energy Action Partners’ early days, we continued with the work we had been doing around community energy systems with The Minigrid Game, and short field-based courses for students and young professionals on energy access, community development, and social entrepreneurship. These early programs gave us the opportunity to partner with other organizations, while building up The Minigrid Game. Fast forward 6 years later, The Minigrid Game is now COMET - Community Energy Toolkit, and is very much our core program. COMET is a software tool that simulates a mini-grid system. It’s used in field-based mini-grid planning workshops to inform and engage communities through meaningful collaboration. Among other things, COMET helps communities and developers make better decisions around system sizing, tariff-setting, and demand-side management.

After receiving funding from Wuppertal Institute’s WISIONS, which enabled us to conduct our first Minigrid Game (now COMET) community deployments in 2017, we started seeing interest in COMET from other organizations. Last year, we received funding from Innovate UK’s Energy Catalyst, which gave us the support we needed to take the software tool to the next level and turn it into COMET, a robust community-driven demand exploration tool for mini-grids. With our team working from home this past year, we’ve had the time to develop new features and rethink our plan to grow COMET. 
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COMET workshop in Sabah, Malaysia. Credit: ENACT
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COMET user interface. Credit: ENACT
What's ENACT's approach to community engagement? 
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Our approach is based on our values as an organization, heavily inspired by the Human Capability Approach from Amartya Sen. To us, community development is 1) defined by the community and not by anybody else, and 2) a set of capabilities and opportunities that communities want for themselves. Development should always be defined by the communities and not by an external entity telling them what development should look like. Our values guide us to develop micro-grid systems that meet those desired opportunities. If a community, for example, says that their set of capabilities includes wanting to be more politically active and to access more education, then the micro-grid system should enable that. It should enable television, telecommunication services, internet and all that they need so they can further their intended capabilities. And everything else may become secondary - if a system doesn’t run reliably 24/7 but still fulfils the community’s objectives and goals then that to us is still a success. Essentially, we define the objective of a system slightly differently than how others may view things, where it’s about making sure that the electricity system runs the way it was designed. I mean that’s definitely a positive, but what’s more important is the community actually achieves what they wanted to in the first place. That is key to our approach and values, and what we want to achieve.
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Ayu Abdullah facilitating a COMET workshop in Sabah, Malaysia. Credit: ENACT
What were the gaps in community engagement 10 years ago and how have those evolved over the decade? 

Conventional methods involve finding a community and asking them about their needs. The question of trying to find out what they need is challenging, and depending on how you ask and who is asking, you can get very different results. For example, a conventional method for demand estimation is you engage with the community and conduct household energy audits, but as many of us in the sector acknowledge, this doesn’t always work. Demand estimation has been a tough nut to crack in mini-grid development. For off-grid communities, surveys and questionnaires don’t always make sense. Questions around what are you going to do with electricity and what things you want are very difficult questions to answer; they’re related to so many different things like income, who lives in the house, my kids are going to grow and what are they going to do, so all these questions are really difficult for people to answer directly. Some might think it’s overcomplicating the issue because electricity provision involves a technical question that can be answered with a technical solution, and that you are just trying to answer some questions with numbers; but when you are talking about electricity use, it’s about people’s behaviour, it’s not just about numbers. 

I think unless you have a very strong relationship with the community where you really understand what they need and what they could potentially evolve into, you are more than likely to get the wrong answers to those very technical questions. At the same time, it is really hard for organizations to spend a lot of time and build that trust and relationship with the community. So these are some of the gaps I observed and wanted to work with. 

There has to be some kind of process that would make it a meaningful exchange. That’s why I started looking at the field of anthropology and social science, and how they approach a community to obtain objective information. It also cannot be a one-way, extractive exchange because communities are going to receive this big piece of technology, so they are going to have to learn things, and change, and build their own capacities to manage and operate. So, it has to be a two-way exchange. The one-way process was part of the community engagement that practitioners or project developers conventionally do where they collect information and think in exchange, they will give the community electricity and that would be sufficient, but it’s not.

The community really has to engage with the process as well and from the very beginning. To me, it’s a no-brainer because you get a better designed system! If engaged, people are better able to tell you what they need, what they will do with the electricity, and they are more invested in it, which leads to a higher success rate. Also 10 years ago, we saw more abandoned systems because it was so easy to fall short on the design and mis-appropriately size the system. I think now because of technological advances, we’re getting better at it and there are more options available for electrification, but it is still very much through technology and not through a people-driven process.
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A COMET workshop in Somaliland, where a new Demand-Side Management module was implemented. Credit: ENACT
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Community members use COMET to play out household energy consumption. Credit: ENACT
Could you tell me a bit more about the gaps in energy access practices locally and internationally, and the shortcomings of traditional approaches?

I think the gaps and the shortcomings are the same both locally and internationally. Everybody recognizes community engagement is very important, very key, but I don’t think we invest enough in processes to do it robustly. There has been very little investment going into developing and researching new approaches to the community engagement side of mini-grid development. So far, we have seen research institutes and universities come up with frameworks or a process. But framework and processes are, while they provide useful learning and outcomes, still not easy enough to scale up and deploy. And that's why as an organization, we decided to develop a tool for community engagement, focusing on demand exploration for mini-grid developers. 

There needs to be more effort into looking at community engagement and the opportunities, and asking ourselves how do we solve problems and gaps? We need to go further than the just fulfilling project requirements for community engagement. So far, community engagement has become the catch all phrase for any kind of engagement process but we know that there are different levels and outcomes to engagement. You can have engagement that’s one way and very extractive and you can have engagement that’s two way, but perhaps there is a lack of ownership, on the community side. What you really want is community engagement where there is ownership, there is two-way exchange, and there is capacity building happening on all sides. That’s the level of engagement we really need to push for in energy access and mini-grid deployments. 

How has your experience been overall as a female professional in the energy space? 
​So I joke about this- In 2017, I was selected by the US embassy in KL to be in the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP). For my program, I was selected as a female leader in STEM and I went for a 3-week long program in the US inspired by the film Hidden Figures. I joke that that was the year I realized I was female – it took being explicitly told that ‘you are a female STEM person’, which I didn’t realize or at least think about before. I suppose before that I was kind of oblivious to the idea that I was not just an engineer, but a female engineer. To put it more specifically, before then, I didn’t have the language to describe all these experiences I had gone through and continue to have up to today. Every time I faced discrimination, it didn’t occur to me that I was facing discrimination because I was female. I just thought it was part of the job, and in that year that I realized I was a female engineer, it started dawning on me, the gender-based discriminations. 
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Ayu Abdullah speaking at KIREC 2019 with HPNET Network Manager, Dipti Vaghela. Credit: HPNET
​Once I could actually put language to it, I started realizing more and more that it happens more often than it should. I think I have been really lucky because I was so ignorant of it for so long and it didn’t stop me nor occur to me that it was happening to me because I was female. Although I think I was lucky; I definitely realize that isn’t the case for other women and with some women, it stops them from continuing and that’s what need to prevent from happening. I think now that I am aware of it, I can’t go back to how it was before. I see it now and can recognize when it happens to me, when somebody treats me differently just because I am female and they think I am less capable or technically incompetent. But being in the position that I am now, I am better placed to deal with it and hopefully I can do something about it too.
In terms of facing those barriers, do you have thoughts on approaches to making sure that discrimination in the energy space doesn't continue?
In our organization, we are trying to be more intentional about gender in our work. We are gender sensitive; but not transformative yet. We recognize that it happens and when the opportunity arises, we address it. But I would say that we are not gender transformative yet just because in our projects, we are still very cautious about how we approach gender issues. In our COMET work, we conduct all-female sessions to make sure that females have a voice. We also facilitate in a way that we ensure that there is inclusion from all different groups in the community, and not just from a male-female perspective but also in terms of age and social class, income levels – making sure that all marginalized groups are included. But that’s I think currently as far as we go, though we want to be more intentional about it. 
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A gender-focused workshop in Pahang, Malaysia. Credit: ENACT
What we don’t do is we don’t enforce gender perspectives on the community because we recognize that all the communities are at different points when talking about gender equality and equity, and we have to be sensitive to that. If communities recognize themselves as gender unequal, then we will support them wanting to find ways to make things more gender equal. But if communities don’t recognize it despite our workshops and process, then we believe it’s not our place to do anything about. That has been our approach so far. ​
​For instance, we don’t promise that there will be an equal gender ratio when we form a Village Electrification Committee, because in some cases women may not want to be involved in that capacity.  However, if we find in our workshops that women want to be involved but they don’t have an opportunity, then it is important to us that we try and do something about that. If everybody is okay with the status quo, then we accept that. Yes, you can argue that acceptance is due to a lack of exposure. That may be true. But that’s why it’s also important for our team to have healthy gender balances and when communities see female teams like ours visiting them, we hope that that provides some exposure as well. But if, after this exposure and our gender workshops, they still make the decision to not do anything about things, we should respect that.
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Having fun at a gender-focused workshop in Pahang, Malaysia. Credit: ENACT
What motivates you to keep on doing the work you are doing?

I really like working with communities. I think communities, and especially rural communities, have such a special role to play in the world. First of all, regardless of what governments or anybody else tells you, rural communities are on the front line of renewable energy and the transition. Unlike urban communities, rural communities don’t have much of a choice. They use decentralized renewable energy systems because they have to, and remember, off-grid communities have been using these systems way longer than urban users. I feel like that’s something that people forget, or they don’t think of. That rural communities are on the frontlines of climate change issues and the transition. And the transition to renewable energy for them is a live or die situation for survival. I learn a lot from these communities and being able to work with them is what motivates me.
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MALAYSIA: OPERATORS TRAINING FOR THE KOBULU MICRO HYDRO PROJECT

8/12/2020

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TONIBUNG, TObpinai NIngkokoton koBUruon KampuNG (Friends of Village Development), is an indigenous-lead non-profit organisation dedicated to the development and promotion of renewable energy and appropriate technology in Malaysia.  To advance its mission, Tonibung has established the Center for Renewable Energy and Appropriate Technology (CREATE) in Kota Kinabalu.

In July 2020, the Tonibung team conducted a training for 9 village operators and community members of the Kobulu Micro Hydro Project. Supported by the WISIONS initiative, the training aimed to enhance the operators’ skills on micro hydro load management, using hands-on and do-it-yourself knowledge tools developed for operators and communities.

The objectives of the course included: 
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  • Provide training on how to use the Electronic Load Controller (ELC) Simulation Tool, which simulates how the ELC operates as households use different electrical appliances simultaneously.
  • Provide training on how to use the Canary Chic Load Indicator
  • Provide training on  troubleshooting the ELC
  • Provide foundational civil, mechanical, and electrical skills related to micro hydro
Credit: Tonibung
Credit: Tonibung
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EARTH VOICES: FT. KAMPUNG BUAYAN, AN INDIGENOUS MICRO HYDRO COMMUNITY IN MALAYSIAN BORNEO

12/27/2019

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Last quarter we launched our new feature series, Earth Voices, to put a spotlight on indigenous micro hydro communities who are sustainably managing communal resources and successfully empowering themselves through energy access. 

This quarter, we chose to feature the community of Kampung Buayan, a remote village located in the Ulu Papar region of Sabah, in Malaysian Borneo.

[See Malay translation below; Lihat terjemahan Bahasa Melayu di bawah.]
Buayan is the ancestral home of the Dusun, an Orang Asal tribe who have inhabited the area for at least 6 generations. (“Orang Asal” is Malay for “Original People” and is used to refer to Indigenous peoples.) 

Tucked away in the rainforest within Crocker Range Biosphere Reserve, Buayan is a long and bumpy drive from the nearest town. The journey into Ulu Papar is most challenging at this time of year, during monsoon season, when muddy potholes impede even the most powerful 4-wheel-drive. However, the potentially stress-inducing ride on a washed out road leads to a tranquil haven. Visitors are consistently awed by the natural beauty surrounding Buayan, and by the hospitable and vibrant community who call this place their home.

Buayan is made all the more special by its strong and charismatic leader, Irene, who became the first female Village Head in Ulu Papar in 2018.
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Sunset over Papar River. Source: M. Rock
The Role of the River

Buayan sits on the Papar River, which plays a critical role in the rainforest ecosystem, as well as in the lives of Orang Asal communities in the area. The river, and the mangrove palms that line its shores, support rich biodiversity within a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve that is home to various endangered species. The river provides freshwater fish and water for irrigation for the farming communities of Ulu Papar. The river also provides communities with electricity, through locally-developed micro hydropower energy systems. 

Since 2004, numerous hydropower microgrids and minigrids have been implemented in Ulu Papar through partnerships between local organizations and community leaders. The indigenous-lead organization TONIBUNG (or “Friends of Village Development”) has been a key player in implementing community-based systems in 7 villages in Ulu Papar, working closely with the local communities in planning, construction and maintenance. 
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In 2009, a 10kW MHP was commissioned in Buayan, which provided the village with power for 10 years. Earlier this year, TONIBUNG commissioned a new, upgraded MHP which now provides power to both Buayan and the neighbouring village of Kampung Tiku. 


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Children of Kg Buayan and Kg Tiku. Source: Save Ulu Papar (https://www.facebook.com/SaveUluPapar/)
Powering Enterprise

The implementation of the MHP has had far-reaching impacts on life in Buayan. Energy access has impacted day-to-day activities within the household, education system and local livelihoods. It has powered income-generating activities; for instance, the MHP spurred the development of homestays, which have brought in revenue from volunteer/tour groups and hikers trekking along the Salt Trail that runs through Ulu Papar. Currently, a group of Buayan youth are in the process of establishing an ecotourism “glamping” business, after participating in a year-long program on community-based, sustainability-focused entrepreneurship, run by Energy Action Partners.
Tagal Sungai

Beyond improving livelihoods and generating jobs, the MHP has had a positive environmental impact, as it has incentivized the community to protect their watershed. With support from Green Empowerment, the community established Tagal Sungai -- a set of community protocols around the community’s interaction with the river and catchment area. These protocols include rules of use and entry; for instance, regulations (and associated repercussions) around who is allowed to harvest forest products in the area, which species are/aren’t allowed to be harvested, etc. 

Tagal Sungai was formally recorded and established in Buayan in connection with the MHP. However, these protocols build upon traditional knowledge and conservation practices that have been observed for generations in Ulu Papar.
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Visitors hiking through Kampung Buayan. Source: M. Rock
“Damn the Dam”

The community safeguards the local environment in various ways; in addition to observing conservation protocols among themselves, the people of Ulu Papar have fought to protect their land from the threat of resource development and large-scale infrastructure projects.

In 2009, the Sabah State Government announced plans to build the Kaiduan Dam (since renamed the Papar Dam). This mega-dam project would flood the Ulu Papar valley and forcibly relocate the communities living there. 9 villages would be affected, accounting for more than 1000 people. For 10 years, the people of Ulu Papar have fought tirelessly to stop the mega-dam and save their home from destruction. A key player has been the Taskforce against Kaiduan/Papar Dam (TAKaD), a grassroots action group formed by communities opposed to the dam.

Earlier this year, the government reaffirmed plans to proceed, backtracking after having previously cancelled the project. Yet, the people of Ulu Papar are determined to never surrender in what has become a long and arduous fight to protect their home. 
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Local activists protesting Papar Dam. Source: Save Ulu Papar (https://www.facebook.com/SaveUluPapar/)
Moving Toward Environmental Justice

Buayan is a unique place in many ways. However the community’s fight against the threat of a mega-dam and displacement is, sadly, all too common. In the context of a global climate emergency, it is now more critical than ever to advocate for environmental justice, and for the rights of those who safeguard their local ecosystems.
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Community gathering to advocate against Papar Dam. Source: Save Ulu Papar (https://www.facebook.com/SaveUluPapar/)

Further Reading + Sign the Petition!
  • Taskforce's memo proposes alternative to Papar Dam
  • Petition: Stop Papar Dam

-- Versi Bahasa Melayu --
Kampung Buayan adalah sebuah kampung terpencil yang terletak di kawasan Ulu Papar di negeri Sabah, Pulau Borneo, Malaysia. Kampung ini merupakan warisan pusaka orang Dusun, iaitu sebuah suku Orang Asal yang telah mendiami kawasan tersebut selama sekurang-kurangnya 6 generasi. ("Orang Asal" adalah perkataan Bahasa Melayu untuk "Original People" dan merujuk kepada Orang “indigenous”.)

Terletak di dalam Rizab Biosfera Banjaran Crocker, perjalanan ke Kampung Buayan dari bandar terdekat mengambil masa yang lama dan penuh dengan lekak-lekuk. Perjalanan ke Ulu Papar adalah paling mencabar menjelang tibanya musim tengkujuh, apabila jalan yang penuh dengan lubang berlumpur menjadi halangan yang hebat, bahkan untuk kereta pacuan 4 roda yang paling berkuasa. Namun begitu, perjalanan meredah jalan-jalan yang rosak dan yang mampu mencabar jiwa itu berakhir dengan sapaan sebuah persekitaran yang tenang. Para pengunjung selalu terpegun dengan keindahan semulajadi di sekitar Kampung Buayan, serta sebuah komuniti yang penuh ramah dan tamah yang telah menyulami kehidupan mereka dengan alam sekitar.

Buayan dibuat lebih istimewa oleh pemimpinnya yang kuat dan berkarisma, Irene, yang menjadi Kepala Desa perempuan pertama di Ulu Papar di 2018.


Perenan Sungai
Kampung Buayan terletak di Sungai Papar, sebatang sungai yang memainkan peranan penting dalam ekosistem hutan hujan serta kehidupan masyarakat Orang Asal di kawasan itu. Sungai ini, dan pokok-pokok bakau yang tumbuh di tepi sungai, menyokong biodiversiti yang kaya di dalam Rizab Biosfera UNESCO yang juga merupakan sebuah habitat untuk pelbagai spesis terancam. Sungai ini membekalkan ikan air tawar dan air untuk tujuan pengairan bagi komuniti pertanian di Ulu Papar. Sungai ini juga membekalkan komuniti tersebut dengan tenaga elektrik melalui sebuah sistem tenaga hidro mikro yang telah dibangunkan oleh penduduk tempatan.

Sejak tahun 2004, banyak sistem mikro hidro telah dilaksanakan di Ulu Papar melalui perkongsian yang terjalin antara organisasi-organisasi tempatan dan ketua-ketua masyarakat. Sebuah organisasi yang diketuai oleh Orang Asal, iaitu TONIBUNG (atau "Kawan Pembangunan Desa"), telah memainkan peranan utama dalam pelaksanaan sistem berasaskan komuniti di 7 buah kampung di Ulu Papar, dengan kerjasama yang rapat dengan masyarakat setempat dalam hal perancangan, pembinaan dan penyelenggaraan.

Pada tahun 2009, sebuah MHP (tenaga hidro mikro) 10kW telah dilaksanakan di Kampung Buayan, dan telah membekalkan kampung tersebut dengan kuasa selama 10 tahun. Awal tahun ini, TONIBUNG telah melaksanakan sebuah MHP baharu yang telah dinaiktaraf dan kini membekal kuasa kepada Kampung Buayan dan Kampung Tiku yang berdekatan.


Kesan MHP
Pelaksanaan MHP mempunyai kesan yang meluas terhadap kehidupan di Kampung Buayan. Akses tenaga telah memberi kesan terhadap kegiatan seharian di dalam rumah, sistem pendidikan dan punca pendapatan tempatan. Akses tenaga telah membekalkan kuasa untuk aktiviti-aktiviti yang menjana pendapatan; sebagai contoh, MHP tersebut telah merangsang pembangunan homestay, lantas menjanakan pendapatan hasil daripada kumpulan sukarelawan / pelancongan dan para pengembara di trek sepanjang Salt Trail yang melalui Ulu Papar. Pada masa ini, sekumpulan belia dari Kampung Buayan sedang berada dalam proses menubuhkan  sebuah perniagaan "glamping" ekopelancongan, setelah mengambil bahagian dalam sebuah program sepanjang tahun berkenaan keusahawanan berasaskan komuniti dan bertumpukan kelestarian yang telah diadakan oleh Energy Action Partners.

Tagal Sungai
Selain meningkatkan kehidupan dan menjana pekerjaan, MHP mempunyai kesan alam sekitar yang positif, kerana MHP telah memberi insentif kepada komuniti untuk melindungi kawasan tadahan air mereka. Dengan sokongan daripada Green Empowerment, komuniti tersebut telah menubuhkan sistem Tagal Sungai - sebuah set protokol komuniti berkenaan interaksi komuniti dengan kawasan sungai dan tadahan air. Protokol-protokol ini merangkumi peraturan-peraturan tentang penggunaan dan kemasukan; contohnya peraturan-peraturan (dan akibat-akibat yang berkaitan) tentang siapa yang dibenarkan untuk menuai hasil hutan di kawasan tersebut, spesies yang boleh / tidak boleh diburu, dll.

Tagal Sungai telah direkod dan dan ditubuhkan secara rasmi di Kampung Buayan berhubungan dengan MHP. Namun begitu, protokol-protokol ini dibina di atas asas ilmu dan amalan pemuliharaan tradisional yang telah diamalkan untuk bergenerasi lamanya di Ulu Papar. 


"Damn the Dam"
Komuniti ini menjaga alam sekitar setempat dengan pelbagai cara; selain daripada mengamalkan protokol pemuliharaan di kalangan mereka, penduduk Ulu Papar telah berjuang untuk melindungi tanah mereka daripada ancaman pembangunan sumber dan projek-projek infrastruktur berskala besar.

Pada tahun 2009, Kerajaan Negeri Sabah telah mengumumkan rancangan untuk membina Empangan Kaiduan (yang telah dinamakan semula sebagai Empangan Papar). Projek empangan mega ini akan membanjiri lembah Ulu Papar dan memindahkan penduduk komuniti secara paksa. 9 buah kampung akan terjejas dan melibatkan lebih daripada 1000 orang. Selama 10 tahun, penduduk Ulu Papar telah berjuang tanpa henti untuk menghentikan empangan mega dan menyelamatkan tempat tinggal mereka daripada kemusnahan. Pihak utama dalam usaha ini adalah Pasukan Petugas Menentang Empangan Kaiduan / Papar (TAKaD), sebuah kumpulan tindakan akar umbi yang dibentuk oleh komuniti-komuniti yang menentang empangan tersebut.

Awal tahun ini, pihak kerajaan telah mengesahkan rancangan untuk meneruskan rancangan tersebut, lantas menarik balik janji mereka setelah membatalkan projek ini sebelumnya. Namun begitu, penduduk Ulu Papar bertekad untuk tidak pernah menyerah diri meskipun terikat dalam sebuah perjuangan yang panjang dan sukar untuk melindungi tempat tinggal mereka.


Bergerak Ke Arah Keadilan Alam Sekitar
Kampung Buayan adalah sebuah tempat yang unik dalam pelbagai cara. Namun begitu, perjuangan komuniti ini menentang ancaman empangan mega dan ketersingkiran, malangnya, merupakan sebuah perkara yang terlalu lazim berlaku. Dalam konteks kecemasan iklim global, kini merupakan masa yang lebih genting berbanding sebelum ini untuk menyokong keadilan alam sekitar, dan untuk hak-hak insan yang melindungi ekosistem tempatan mereka.

Written by HPNET Communications Coordinator, Lara Powell, with input from Kampung Buayan Village Head, Irene Tani Kodoyou. Translation by Sonia Luhong. 
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"HIDDEN NO MORE" INTERVIEW SERIES: SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT CHANGE-MAKER, KOTO KISHIDA

12/13/2019

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The Hidden No More feature series was designed to spotlight women change-makers who have transformed gender barriers, and made impactful contributions to energy access for marginalized communities.

For this 4th edition, we reached out to Koto Kishida, former Malaysia Program Manager at Green Empowerment and strong advocate for sustainable rural development. Through this conversation, we gained insight into Koto’s experience as a female leader working at the intersection of energy access and natural resource management. 

Our conversation shed light on watershed protection and enhancement -- an important, yet undervalued, area of micro hydropower (MH), which Koto has been tirelessly working to promote. Koto recognizes that MH incentivizes communities to protect the catchment area ecosystem; by motivating watershed strengthening, micro hydro projects (MHPs) can play a key role in building climate resilience in rural communities. 
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Read on to learn why Koto is committed to promoting environmental conservation in community energy projects, and to gain insight into her journey as a woman energy practitioner.

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Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

My name is Koto Kishida. I am a Japanese citizen but have spent the majority of my life in the United States. In the last few years I lived in Malaysian Borneo, first as a volunteer in 2016, and then as the Malaysia Program Manager for Green Empowerment (GE) from 2017-2019. As some of the readers may know, GE is an HPNET Member, a US based NGO that works on rural sustainable development in Latin America and SE Asia. Most of the work GE has done in Malaysian Borneo has been in the area of rural sustainable development focused around energy access. GE has been supporting local NGOs such as PACOS Trust and TONIBUNG to install community based micro-hydro and solar mini-grid projects.
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​How did you start your career?

For most of my professional career, I worked for Oregon State's environmental protection agency, first analysing environmental samples and later working to minimize loss of forest cover and reduce polluted runoff from agricultural and forest land uses to protect water quality through policy and regulations. A large part of my work involved analyzing how much vegetation/forest cover was needed to sufficiently protect the aquatic environment. Having worked on both regulatory and voluntary programs to comply with environmental regulations, I came to understand the critical roles the local communities play in protecting the environment. 

I had traveled to SE Asia in the early 2010's and was drawn to rural communities where people lived traditionally. While traveling I saw rapid development as well as emerging environmental issues. This is when I began having the desire to support local communities who had a more sustainable vision for development in their communities. I reached out to a number of NGOs that worked on environmental issues, with my desire to volunteer during my sabbatical planned in 2016. One of the NGOs I contacted was Green Empowerment. At the time, GE was working with its main partner organization, TONIBUNG, to explore opportunities to access funds for conservation. In 2016 I traveled to Sabah in Malaysian Borneo to develop TONIBUNG's monitoring program as GE's volunteer. 
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During my stay in Malaysian Borneo working with rural communities, I saw the day-to-day as well as long term struggles indigenous people faced there. My main take-away from the experience in Malaysian Borneo was the same as I had learned in Oregon — the success of conservation efforts depended on the local people's desire and ability to continue living in their community in a sustainable manner. There is a need to create a space for the community members to figure out the future they want for themselves. Our only role as practitioners is to facilitate the discussion and provide support as requested by the community. 
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Tell us about your current work in the MH field

I just wrapped up my stay in Malaysian Borneo as the program manager for GE. While there, I supported TONIBUNG in a number of ways, including fundraising, project management, overseeing budget, and advising on organizational structure and policies. While I was able to contribute, I learned so much more from the experience. I will never forget the privilege of having been given a chance to work closely with a number of indigenous-led organizations that are fighting to defend and honor the rights of its people during one of the major shifts in Malaysia's politics. 

In the past few years, TONIBUNG mostly worked with two types of funding sources -- CSR funded solar/micro-hydro hybrid projects with a focus on local social enterprise development, and grant funded micro-hydro projects with an emphasis on climate change mitigation through conservation of forests. 

TONIBUNG has installed 30+ community-based MH systems in Malaysian Borneo since early 2000’s. Based on the insufficient flow during the dry season for some of the communities, TONIBUNG began installing solar and micro-hydro hybrid systems for some of the communities in Malaysian Borneo starting in 2015. Where there is sufficient flow, they still install MH only systems as well. 

TONIBUNG and GE had been able to access funds to build community MH systems by highlighting the inherent conservation values of such projects on the surrounding forest lands. Unlike solar mini-grid projects, MHPs motivate communities to protect their forests as source water. Because intact forest cover can mitigate for the seasonal variability of stream flow, communities have added incentive and tend to keep the forest cover upstream of their MHP intakes. I was able to continue building on their success and continue to bring conservation project funds to finance MHPs. 

I left Malaysian Borneo recently and returned to the US. I hope to continue supporting MH practitioners through research and fundraising, focused on securing dedicated funds for conservation for MHPs for HPNET and GE.
Why is catchment protection and enhancement important in MH projects?

As with GE's Malaysian partner organizations, I have learned that holistic MH projects are inherently better than projects that focus just on constructing infrastructure. There is also an increased need for dedicated funds to prioritize conservation activities for MHP watersheds with communities already experiencing the impact of climate change. Community members in Malaysian Borneo and practitioners from other countries have shared with me that seasonal variability in flow and erosion from land use have had negative impact on operation of MHPs. Intact forest cover creates climate resiliency, could extend flow during the dry season, and can mitigate sedimentation issues. 
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Unfortunately, when conservation is a budget line item, there are many ways for the funds to be spent on other important activities or materials for the project. For almost all of the projects I was involved with, at least a portion of funds set aside for conservation related activities were spent on transportation or construction of RE systems. It has always been important to address watershed management as part of community-based MH projects, and I understand that the need for it is greater than ever.  
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What are some of the key challenges that you've encountered as you've pursued your professional and personal journey to make a difference?

A key challenge I’ve encountered is developing effective ways to demonstrate and communicate the ecological value of MH projects. 

In order to evaluate the effectiveness of certain practices, programs, or strategies, we need to establish the baseline and status of certain metrics. Within the context of community-based MHPs, quantifying ecological benefit of micro-hydro systems requires interest and commitment by the communities to collect data and have them analyzed, dedicated multi-year funding, and discipline/support from NGOs to continue the effort over time. 

Based on my experiences in both Oregon and Malaysian Borneo, I’ve come to understand that agreement and commitment around monitoring don’t come about quickly. For MHPs, it’s difficult to ask people to think beyond construction of the energy system, which is already very challenging. While communities may develop and comply to regulations for watershed protection (e.g. logging is prohibited in the catchment area), documentation is another level of commitment, beyond not breaking the rules. Sustainable restoration initiatives require incentive, such as tangible evidence of the benefits of such activities; evidence requires time and consistent monitoring, which, in turn, requires funding.

There is a difference between passive eco restoration and active watershed strengthening. We can assume that passive restoration results from MHPs in the sense that, if communities are compelled to leave the catchment area alone, the resulting natural progression (i.e. of trees maturing) is a desirable outcome in itself, even if there is no active attempt at ‘enhancement’. If this is not good enough evidence to garner support, we’re stuck; unless we can find a funder who is willing to fund semi-long term monitoring, we won’t be able to attain more specific evidence of the ecological benefit of MHPs. 

That said, this prioritization of quantitative data and scientific methods is a very Westernized approach. Just as international funders may be biased against local actors who lack strong English writing skills, accepting only evaluation standards set by Western funders may prevent indigenous practitioners from accessing funding. So another key challenge I’ve been faced with is this problem of colonialism within international development; there’s a real need to decolonize research methods and develop more inclusive approaches, which place value on indigenous methodologies.
When you think of the words “gender” and “energy” what other words or terms immediately come to mind? 

Opportunity, Leadership, Long Term, Investment

Many of the rural communities that lack energy access are often facing other challenges such as lack of or limited economic opportunity, access to education and health care. There is a need and opportunity to listen to diverse opinions and insights of community members to have the best chance at success. Holistic community energy projects that aim to also address these challenges provide space for the communities to discuss their collective desires and long term goals. 

Our partners in Malaysian Borneo working on energy access projects understand the opportunity these projects provide as an organizing tool for communities and to develop leadership skills. Where the communities embraced the opportunity to build micro-hydro committees that are gender balanced, I saw that they tended to have better management of the MHPs in general, with good documentation. I have also seen some women assume leadership roles within their community beyond the management of the MHPs, such as being a village head or a part of JKKK, village development and security committee. These outcomes are not realized quickly - and community members may not connect the dots and credit the efforts to engage all community members put in many years ago. 
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Even though there are success stories, engaging women during planning meetings and recruiting them to join committees do not always become a priority during project implementation. I attribute this to the capacity of NGOs we work with. Some of the partner organizations we worked with had a limited number of female staff, and the project managers had challenges with the construction of infrastructure alone, such that gender balance was not a major consideration. And I think our local partners value meeting the communities where they are. For cultural reasons or the particular situations that the communities are in, if they do not have female representatives in leadership positions in the MH Committee, that does not mean progress has not been made. 

I did not make a significant impact on addressing the gender issues while working with TONIBUNG, other than some isolated successes. I have tried to understand the reasons why certain jobs are filled by men only, and challenges women face at the workplace, in order to understand my priorities for how to address these challenges. For TONIBUNG, I encouraged their staff to be inclusive of women when working with communities, and questioned their sexist comments or jokes when I heard them. I also participate in groups and discussions with others who raise gender issues, and promote local and indigenous women to speak at professional conferences. ​
What are some of the solutions that you feel could be employed to address the gender challenges in the sector?

My hope for energy sector organizations is to evaluate their operation and understand the reasons if and why men dominate their workplace, and think of ways to address those root causes. Most likely training should be provided to all staff so there is a mutual understanding around what is considered sexual harassment, gender bias, and unacceptable behavior within the organization. Without these understandings and willingness by the organization to commit to these policies, it would be difficult for women to thrive in any organization. ​
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As far as working with communities, as I mentioned earlier, GE’s partner organizations such as PACOS Trust and TONIBUNG already understand the value of engaging women and youths. In addition to working with the elders and men who tend to be in leadership positions more often, they make an effort to engage all community members when working on a community project. As a non-indigenous, non-local practitioner, I try to be careful especially in communities as not to overstep my place as an outsider with limited understanding and experience of the local context. As much as I would like the best outcome for the communities, I do not want to force my agenda or values. Rather, while I am in the communities I fold in success stories with female leadership in conversation, and definitely make a point of spending more time with women outside of formal meetings and work parties to build relationships, but mainly to listen to what’s on their minds. Even though my time in the communities is limited, it gives me a sense of what’s important for the women. 


To a room full of young women and men, what key message would you want them to remember? Any advice?

For men, I would encourage them to check their gut feelings and thoughts for potential biases. If they find themselves doubting opinions of their female colleagues or community members, I would like them to consider what if the idea came from someone else, perhaps a male colleague. Would their gut feelings or opinions be the same? Rather than shutting down ideas, I would challenge them to fully explore their female colleagues' ideas. 

For women, I would encourage them to support their own ideas and opinions, even if their colleagues are dismissive of their ideas. I would also encourage them to seek a supportive peer group outside of their organization but still within the energy sector. I think this is a good survival strategy in any sector. 

For Western, non-indigenous men and women entering the sector, I would encourage them to consider what biases, expectations or assumptions they may carry with them as they enter unfamiliar contexts. It is important to continuously reflect on your positionality and centre local voices, in order to build healthy relationships and successful community development projects.
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WATCH:  WEBINAR ON INTEGRATED ENERGY PLANNING

12/12/2019

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Did you miss our fourth quarterly webinar, ​Mini-Grid Planning: Integrated Energy Planning for Rural Electrification? You can now watch it below!
 This webinar highlighted integrated energy planning initiatives from African and Southeast Asian contexts, including Nigeria, Tanzania, Zambia, and Malaysian Borneo.

The webinar covered:
  • The basic criteria for a robust integrated energy planning process
  • Examples of country-wide and sub-region programs in Africa and Asia that are advancing integrated energy planning and their hindsight
  • Voices of a diverse set of energy planning practitioners – including a private utility, national government, international development partner, and scientific research institute
  • Tools and processes for integrated energy mapping, modelling, and planning
    Challenges and potential solutions that require further support and strategy.

This webinar was made possible by Wisions and Energypedia UG. 
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PELTON TURBINE TRAINING AT CREATECH, Philippines

12/11/2019

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Last month, practitioners from Philippines and Malaysia gathered for a training session on Pelton micro hydro turbine fabrication. The session was the second part of a two-part training organized by HPNET and Sibol Ng Agham At Teknolohiya (SIBAT), to strengthen local capacities in fabrication and manufacturing.

The training responded to the knowledge exchange needs of HPNET Members in the Philippines and Malaysia who require skills to design and build Pelton micro hydro turbines.

Following an online training in November, the in-person training ran from December 2 - 7 and was held at SIBAT's Center for Renewable Energy and Appropriate Technology (CREATech) in Capas, Tarlac, Philippines. The overall aim was for participants to acquire knowledge of the design, manufacturing and testing of Pelton turbines, including fabrication of the Pelton runner assembly.
Participants benefited from an opportunity for hands-on learning, in addition to technical and theoretical presentations. 

Within Pelton Turbine Design, sub-topics covered included:
  • Single and multi jet turbines;
  • Vertical and horizontal axis turbines;
  • Direct and belt drive systems;
  • Net head calculations and shaft calculations;
  • Pelton runner sizing;
  • Bearing and belt selection;
  • Other components.

The resource person for this training was HPNET Member Mr. Ajith Kumara from Simple Engineering, a senior micro and mini hydropower specialist based in Sri Lanka. Mr. Kumara has extensive experience training practitioners in design and fabrication aspects of various electro-mechanical components of small-scale hydropower.

This training was made possible by SIBAT, WISIONS and Simple Engineering.


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JOIN US: DEC. 10 WEBINAR ON INTEGRATED ENERGY PLANNING

12/3/2019

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Join our webinar this month on integrated energy planning! 

MINI-GRID PLANNING: INTEGRATED ENERGY PLANNING FOR RURAL ELECTRIFICATION
DATE:  TUESDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2019
TIME:  10 AM CET / 2:45 PM KATHMANDU / 5 PM KUALA LUMPUR
REGISTER HERE
The Hydro Empowerment Network seeks to provide a spotlight on energy planning practitioners that are advancing integrated energy planning for rural electrification. This webinar – the 4th in our series – will feature integrated energy planning initiatives from African contexts and S/SE Asian contexts, including Nigeria, Tanzania, Zambia, and Malaysian​ Borneo.

The webinar will include:

  • The basic criteria for a robust integrated energy planning process
  • Examples of country-wide and sub-region programs in Africa and Asia that are advancing integrated energy planning and their hindsight
  • Voices of a diverse set of energy planning practitioners – including a private utility, national government, international development partner, and scientific research institute
  • Tools and processes for integrated energy mapping, modelling, and planning
  • Challenges and potential solutions that require further support and strategy.

Presentations will be followed by a Q/A session open to all participants.   

​Learn more about our 2019 Mini-Grid Webinar Series, hosted by WISIONS and energypedia here!

WEBINAR BACKGROUND

Although mini-grids are often boxed as a “pre-electrification” intervention, there is increasing evidence showing that mini-grids can achieve grid parity.  Further, in countries that allow mini-grids to feed in electricity to the central grid, mini-grids have actually made the central grid more reliable!


Hydro mini-grids especially meet these scenarios, providing 24-hour reliable electricity, typically at lower LCOE and costs per kW than most other types of mini-grids, and leading to lower tariffs for rural consumers. Thereof, hydro mini-grids are generally financially viable for motorized loads (e.g. agri processing productive end use) and for feeding into the central grid.

Despite their obvious advantages, in most developing contexts decentralized renewable energy mini-grids continue to be framed as “pre-electrification” solutions at par with solar home lighting, or “not as important as the central grid.”  Often mini-grid development is housed in a separate and less influential ministry, while the central grid authorities have ultimate power and financial resources. Such a fragmented approach leads to:
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  • Redundant electrification interventions, and therefore wasteful use of funding resources
  • Confusion on timing of arrival of the central grid, which severely hampers the scale-up of mini-grids
  • Abandoned mini-grids and loss of investment upon the arrival of a reliable central grid
  • Business-as-usual of an intermittently reliable central grid, typically powered by fossil fuels or large hydro, in today’s age of climate crisis.

However, the reality is that all solutions for energy access are equally important to meet the growing energy needs of rural communities.

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SPEAKERS
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​DR. CATHERINA CADER
RESEARCH UNIT OFF-GRID SYSTEMS
REINER LEMOINE INSTITUTE, GERMANY 

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Dr. Catherina Cader is an expert in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and rural electrification planning. She has been working at Reiner Lemoine Institute since 2012 and is part of the Research Unit Off-Grid Systems. She is particularly interested in rural electrification planning in countries of the Global South with consideration of renewable energy. Catherina holds a PhD in Geography from Justus Liebig University Giessen. For her dissertation she conducted research on rural electrification planning in Nigeria. Her PhD project was supported by a scholarship from the Reiner Lemoine-Foundation. She also holds a Master of Science in Geography from Philipps University Marburg and a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Management from Justus Liebig University Gießen. Through field visits and self-developed trainings on the use of GIS for rural electrification planning, Catherina has great expertise on the political, geographical, economic, and technical challenges of local energy supply situations. By developing and applying GIS-based methods, she brings the spatial component into RLI research using open source software. Catherina has experience as a project manager in several projects – her work has taken her to various places including Nigeria, Tanzania, Zambia, Nepal, Myanmar, and the Philippines.
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CHRISTOPHER WESLEY AJAN
SARAWAK ALTERNATIVE RURAL ELECTRIFICATION SCHEME (SARES) 
SARAWAK ENERGY, MALAYSIA


Mr. Christopher Wesley Ajan joined in 2012 Sarawak Energy, the utility responsible for the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity for the state of Sarawak in Malaysia.  He currently serves as Manager in the Rural Electrification Department with focus on community based stand-alone solar power station.  He holds a master’s degree in electrical engineering from Universiti Teknologi, Malaysia and is a certified On-Grid and Off-Grid Photovoltaic Designer (SEDA-Malaysia). He presently leads the planning and implementation of the Sarawak Alternative Rural Electrification Scheme (SARES), a Sarawak State Government initiative to provide basic electricity supply to remote villages in Sarawak. To date, SARES has successfully completed 222 villages with total of 5,320 households. Awards received by SARES include: ASEAN Energy Awards 2019 – Off-grid Power Category; PowerGen Asia 2019 – Solar Power Project of the year; Alliance of Rural Electrification (ARE) Award 2018 – Winner RE project by Government in Africa, Asia and Latin America category.
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DR. VICTOR OSU
RURAL ELECTRIFICATION FUND
RURAL ELECTRIFICATION AGENCY, NIGERIA


Dr. Osu is presently the Senior Adviser (SA) to the Executive Director (Rural Electrification Funds in the Rural Electrification Agency; towards enabling and fostering investments in Rural Electrification Planning and Development, linking private developers with access to finance from the government and private investors. He is  responsible towards the mobilization and operationalization of the Rural Electrification Fund (REF), with an objective of providing, promoting and supporting access to reliable electric power supply for rural economic development via the deployment of off-grid technologies (Mini-grids and SHS) within the context of Public Private Partnerships (PPP) delivery model. Victor is currently coordinating the implementation of over 10 mini-grids and 18,000 solar home systems installation for rural communities across the country with facility support from the rural electrification grant. He is currently administering the Mini-Grid Acceleration Scheme (MAS) and Interconnected-Mini-Grid Acceleration Scheme (I-MAS) programs, with 9.3 million Euros, funded by the European Union and the German government through Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeil (GIZ) to provide energy access to 32,000 Nigerians. A key focus within the project is the facilitation of productive use of energy through backward integration and Key Maker Model to spur rural economic development. He received a B.Sc. in Computer Economics from the Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria, an M.Sc. in Energy Management from the Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen in Scotland and his Ph.D. in Sustainability Transition and Governance also from the Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen.​

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MODERATOR

RANISHA BASNET has more than 5 years of experience in knowledge management in the off-grid sector. She has worked with many national and international organizations to develop different knowledge products (webinars, database and knowledge portals) and also designed campaigns to raise awareness about the trending off-grid energy topics. Currently, she is writing her master thesis on “ Gender and Renewable Energy Mini Grids” and is attending the master program, Renewable Energy Engineering and Management at the University of Freiburg, Germany.​

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THEMATIC DISCUSSANT
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DIPTI VAGHELA
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NETWORK FACILITATOR AND MANAGER 
HYDRO EMPOWERMENT NETWORK (HPNET) 

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Dipti Vaghela is the co-founder and manager of the Hydro Empowerment Network (HPNET), a south-south knowledge exchange platform that advances policy, technology, and socio-environmental aspects of small-scale hydropower across ten countries since established in 2013. Dipti brings sixteen years of experience in developing decentralized renewable energy solutions for rural electrification in S/SE Asia, bridging communities, local entrepreneurs, field-based NGOs, policy makers, and funding agencies. In 2016 she was awarded a Fulbright Public Policy Fellowship, placed at the Renewable Energy Association of Myanmar (REAM). Based in Myanmar, she supports and learns from Myanmar’s indigenous micro/mini hydropower, biomass energy, PV-irrigation practitioners. Dipti holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley and a Master of Science in Environmental Studies from San Jose State University.
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EXCHANGE VISIT:  MICRO HYDRO PIONEERS IN MALAYSIA AND THE PHILIPPINES

10/6/2019

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This week, the SIBAT and CREATech team, from Luzon, Philippines, took the initiative to complement their 25 years of micro hydro development in the northern Philippines with a learning visit to Tonibung and CREATE’s work in Sabah, Borneo Malaysia.  Tonibung has been the pioneer of community-based micro hydro systems in Malaysia for 25+ years, focusing on indigenous communities and social enterprise.  Tonibung closely collaborates with Green Empowerment.  HPNET's collective knowledge has been greatly enriched by the active membership of all five organizations.
The SIBAT team took time to understand Tonibung’s local manufacturing developments and their approach to linking MHPs to social enterprise for scaling productive end use.

The team visited Longkogungan village and Kalanggaan village, along with Tonibung staff members Bill Baxter and Willery Larry, and Green Empowerment staff member Dan Frydman.

Here is what SIBAT engineer Ms. Benazir Bacala has to say about the recent visit:

“Visiting the sites of Tonibung made me appreciate more the work of NGOs. It was an adventure that we could never forget, risky hiking,  lots of crossing rivers...Very inspiring how Tonibung and its staff were also able to reach those villages in remote areas to provide sustainable energy to the communities and their efforts and dedication to help the people.

We learned a lot about their MHP with Pelton turbines, both direct couple and belt-driven systems, that were locally manufactured at CREATE.”
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WATCH:  WEBINAR ON HYDRO MINI-GRID SUSTAINABILITY

9/20/2019

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Did you miss our third quarterly webinar, Mini-Grid Sustainability: Transitioning to Social Enterprise for Energy and Economic Development?  You can now watch it below!
Over the last year, HPNET has shed light on the key factors for sustaining hydro mini-grids over the long-term. This webinar addressed the importance of social enterprise for ensuring mini-grid sustainability, featuring practitioners who are leading the transition from grant-dependent to enterprise-based hydro mini-grids. The speakers highlighted the potential for local social enterprise to support revenue-driven and equitable hydro mini-grids. 

The webinar presented:
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  • The linkage between enterprise-based approaches and long-lived hydro mini-grids;
  • Best practices to transition from grant-dependent to local social enterprise models, based on micro hydro experience in Nepal, Malaysia, and Indonesia;
  • Solutions to scale their efforts to more micro hydro communities, including how to make better use of funding resources that currently go toward grant-dependent projects.

Introducing SEEED

The webinar also introduced our new HPNET initiative: Social Enterprise for Energy, Ecological, and Economic Development (SEEED). SEEED aims to support local practitioners and micro hydro communities in the transition to enterprise-based approaches.

The webinar supported an initial objective of SEEED, by identifying and highlighting the work of practitioners who are already paving the path toward long-lived mini-grids anchored in local social enterprise.
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Stay tuned for more information on SEEED, to be released in coming weeks!

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PT ENTEC TEAM VISITS TONIBUNG IN MALAYSIA

9/20/2019

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PictureHPNET Board members from Pt Entec Indonesia at CREATE in Sabah, Malaysia. Image credit: A. Lasimbang
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Last week, HPNET members in Indonesia and Malaysia came together to share their micro hydropower expertise and support each other's important work in energy access. HPNET Board members Gerhard Fischer and Ardi Nugraha of PT Entec Indonesia visited the TONIBUNG team at CREATE in Sabah, Malaysia to provide input on turbine design and fabrication techniques.

TONIBUNG has pioneered community-based micro hydro in Malaysia, working in partnership with  remote, indigenous communities for over 25 years. Despite their ample experience and expertise, the team is always looking for opportunities to improve their techniques and expand their impact.

HPNET facilitated the start of the partnership between TONIBUNG and PT Entec, way back when, and the network has benefited immensely from the ongoing contributions of both organizations. It is great to see continuous knowledge exchange (often self-initiated, as in this case) between these long-standing HPNET Members.
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HPNET-WISIONS DEEP DIVE AT THE ASIA CLEAN ENERGY FORUM:  SCALING INCLUSIVE ENTERPRISE MICRO HYDRO

6/19/2019

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HPNET and WISIONS hosted a Deep Dive Workshop at the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Asia Clean Energy Forum (ACEF) 2019, entitled Hydro Mini-Grids in the Asia-Pacific: Scaling Inclusive
Enterprise-Based Approaches.  Special thanks to the ACEF team, our speakers, and WISIONS for making the rich dialogue possible!

The agenda and speaker bios can be found here.  Watch the videos below!  Or listen to the audio here.

Part 1 - Examples and Opportunities for Enterprise-based Hydro Mini-Grids
Moderator:  Divyam Nagpal
Panelists:  Bir Bahadur Ghale, Hydro Concern Ltd., Nepal; Satish Gautam, UNDP Renewable Energy for Rural Livelihoods, Nepal; Sandra Winarsa, Hivos Southeast Asia; Meherban Khan, Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP) Pakistan, and Dipti Vaghela, Hydro Empowerment Network
Part 2 - National Programs to Scale-up Enterprise-based Approaches
Moderator:  Bikash Pandey, Winrock International
Panelists:  Ernesto 'Butch' Silvano, National Energy Administration, Philippines; Trimumpuni, IBEKA, Indonesia, Senator Adrian Banie Lasimbang, Borneo; Sherzad Ali Khan, Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN); U Aung Myint, Renewable Energy Association of Myanmar (REAM)
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GREEN EMPOWERMENT TO ORGANIZE REGIONAL TRAINING ON ELECTRIC LOAD CONTROLLERS

4/2/2019

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On April 7th, eleven micro hydropower professionals from six countries of South and Southeast Asia will be convening in Malaysia to participate in an ELC training workshop hosted by HPNET members Green Empowerment and Tonibung, funded by the WISIONS SEPS.
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Electronic load controllers (ELCs) can be a vital component of micro hydropower systems. Without ELCs or other load management solutions, the electricity generated could veer outside of standard specifications, which may cause damage to appliances and system components, or become fire and electrical hazards in worst case scenarios.  However, it is often the least understood component of micro hydro systems by local practitioners, and hence can lead to long periods of downtime and high costs, when in need of troubleshooting, repair, or replacement.

The workshop aims to facilitate knowledge transfer of an Open Source ELC design to the participants. This design has been produced through collaborative project work supported by Engineers Without Borders-UK, their local partners Sibat (Philippines) and Tonibung (Malaysia). Work was continued by Green Empowerment and WISIONS, bringing about this event where the technology can be disseminated, reviewed and improved by other practitioners in HPNET.
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The training will last two weeks, covering topics such as digital electronics, system topologies, troubleshooting and build sessions to improve practical electronics skills. The exchange activities will be done in Tonibung’s Center for Renewable Energy and Appropriate Technology. At the end of the training, participants are expected to have built their own digital ELC main circuit boards, have a good understanding of its operation, and have the skills required for installation, maintenance and repair of the system. They will be able to bring the knowledge gained back to their home organizations along with notes and resources, enabling them to share it with partners, and apply it to their projects for the advancement of sustainable development in their respective countries.

The exchange will explore how to further advance the Open Source ELC to include features for interconnection to the main grid and project-to-project interconnection, as well as improved load management.  The exchange builds onto the local momentum generated by participants of HPNET's 2016 regional training, "Capacity Building for Electronic Load Controller Technicians in S/SE Asia", supported by the WISIONS SEPS.
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JOIN US - LAUNCH OF HPNET'S 2019 WEBINAR SERIES!

3/24/2019

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In partnership with the WISIONS of Sustainability Initiative and Energypedia, we are conducting a 4-part, quarterly webinar series on hydro mini-grids -- starting this month.   Join us!  Details below.

Renewable energy mini-grids are a cost-effective and reliable solution for energy access. Within the technologies available for mini-grids, micro/mini hydropower (MHP) has added advantages. It's techno-economic characteristics, such lower levelized cost of electricity, per kilowatt cost, and no need for battery storage, make it economically viable for grid interconnection and productive end use applications.

​Because MHP hardware can be manufactured locally and maintained by local actors, MHP development imparts local skills and jobs, which can evolve into local MHP enterprises. In addition, MHP strengthens catchment area and watershed protection, in turn increasing the climate resilience of vulnerable communities in hilly regions.

The number of hydro mini-grids in rural areas of Asia, Africa, and Latin America far exceed other types of mini-grids. As a proven technology with an extensive track record, micro and mini hydropower is the focus in this mini-grid webinar series. The objective of the series is to facilitate exchange among diverse actors advancing small-scale hydro, and promote approaches that lead to long-term success and optimal local benefits. Each of the four webinars will respectively provide insight on MHP reliability, sustainability, financing, and planning for scalability.

WEBINAR 1, MARCH 28, 2019
MINI-GRID RELIABILITY:  THE ROLE OF TRAINING CENTERS FOR MICRO/MINI HYDROPOWER
Watch here:​

Stay tuned for the upcoming webinars here at this link!

WEBINAR 2, LATE JUNE

MINI-GRID FINANCING:  ENABLING THE ROLE OF LOCAL BANKS

WEBINAR 3, LATE SEPTEMBER
MINI-GRID SUSTAINABILITY: TRANSITIONING TO ENTERPRISE-BASED MICRO HYDROPOWER

WEBINAR 4,  EARLY DECEMBER
MINI-GRID PLANNING:  DATA MAPPING TOOLS FOR MULTI-ACTORS
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CLEAN ENERGY COLLABORATION IN MALAYSIA

3/15/2019

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Sustainable and Inclusive Energy Pathways for Sarawak and Malaysia

HPNET Board member Senator Adrian Banie Lasimbang and HPNET members Ayu Abdullah (EnAct Partners), Gabe Wynn (Green Empowerment), and Tri Mumpuni (IBEKA) contributed to the conference Clean Energy Collaboration for Sustainable and Inclusive Energy Pathways for Sarawak and Malaysia, organized by the Save Rivers Network in Malaysia.  Read more here.
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HPNET member Gabe Wynn, HPNET Board member Senator Adrian Banie Lasimbang, and HPNET member Trimumpuni at the Clean Energy Collaboration. Credit: A. Lasimbang
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TONIBUNG DEVELOPS CANARY LOAD INDICATOR DEVICE

3/15/2019

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A common cause of power outages in communities with micro hydropower systems is when the demand on the system is too high. Residents are often unaware of their energy usage leading them to connect more appliances than can be supported. This causes the safety systems to disconnect the supply, causing the shutdown.

Through collaboration between Tonibung, Green Empowerment and HPNET, and funding from the WISIONS Sustainable Energy Project Support (SEPS) grant, an open-source design for the device was conceptualized, aimed at enabling local practitioners to manufacture it themselves.

The load indicator was envisioned to be a simple plug-and-play device that can be fitted in any regular household socket. When the micro hydropower system is nearing a critical threshold, the device will sound an alarm warning consumers that further usage of appliances will overload the system and cause a power outage.

Learn to build your own Canary Load Indicator Device here at this link.
Learn about Open Source Technology for Community-based Renewable Energy here at this link. ​
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ONE STUDENT'S JOURNEY IN COMMUNITY MICRO HYDRO WITH HPNET

6/22/2015

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PictureACREST technician, Momanyi Oreri, fabricates a crossflow turbine runner on the lathe in his workshop in Bangang, Cameroon.
There are few singular moments in life that redefine who we are; always in retrospect, those moments are abundantly clear. In October 2010, as a wide-eyed and barely-sophomore civil engineering student, I sheepishly attended a callout event for Purdue University’s relatively new “Global Design Teams” initiative. The lights dimmed on one presentation entitled “Development of Community Power from Sustainable Small Hydro Power Systems -- A Capacity Building Project in Bangang, Cameroon”. The title alone appealed to my self-ascribed environmentalism, my burgeoning lust for nomadism, my engineering intrigue, and my misguided “do-gooder” morality. I approached the presenter, Dr. Laurent Ahiablame, after his slideshow and, informing him that I had no prior knowledge of small-scale energy projects, inquired what level of experience is required to become a member of the team. He said, “All are welcome in this field -- the technology is built for everyone. There are many people who will guide you along the way, if only you show the dedication.”

Now five years on, as I prepare to take on a new role as Projects Officer for Green Empowerment in Myanmar, I reflect on the decisions, experiences, and people that brought me from that presentation at Purdue University to this point.

Between 2011 and 2014, I took lead of the micro hydro project in Bangang village, Cameroon, tasked with developing a 40kW scheme featuring a collaboratively designed and locally fabricated crossflow turbine. Under the auspices of Purdue’s Global Engineering Program (GEP) and the African Center for Renewable Energy and Sustainable Technology (ACREST), my team ran the gamut of development successes and foibles. 

Our first turbine prototype was funded by a competitive student grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, but barely a year after its inception, and merely three weeks into testing, that prototype was permanently decommissioned due to a catastrophic, indeterminable failure in August 2012. The specific mechanical failure was quickly pinpointed and reported in great detail in the team’s 2013 publication on the incident, but the devastating incident had a great bearing on my worldview as an engineer, as evidenced in the conclusion:

“Engineers’ constant pursuit of higher efficiencies in lieu of a true understanding of appropriate technologies, often a function of culture, and the resultant failures of those biases are well documented. The subsequent necessity for cross-disciplinarity is also well understood. The most compelling prospect for future research in the micro-hydropower field relies critically on the intersection of culture and engineering. All facets of true cross-disciplinarity and multiculturalism should be explored for successful project design and implementation."

PictureIndigenous technicians at Tonibung CREATE fabricate crossflow turbine components at their workshop in Penampang, Sabah.
Upon that revelation, my attention was drawn away from the engineering jigsaw puzzle that is micro hydro systems design and reinvested more purposefully in understanding the intricate and complex cultural fray that ultimately determines the success or failure of any micro hydro project. I found kindred spirits amongst faculty and graduate students in Purdue’s Department of Anthropology. My reflection of this revelatory time was chronicled writ large in my 2014 TEDxTalk, Community Power -- Realizing Sustainability in Development. This opportunity to speak, along with one last successful bid for funding to support hybridization of the Bangang system, effectively punctuated my tenure as team leader with the takeaway lesson that nothing trumps the culture element in community micro hydro. It is the single most accurate predictor of project success and failure.

Upon graduation, I was warmly welcomed into the familial micro hydro scene of South and Southeast Asia by Dipti Vaghela, a micro hydro practitioner and network coordinator for HPNET, and Dr. Chris Greacen, a small power producer policy expert and World Bank consultant. My conversations with them paved the way for the next stage in my journey: Borneo. 

Through HPNET’s extensive network of practitioners in the region, I was quickly introduced to Gabe Wynn and Adrian Banie Lasimbang. Banie, an engineer, serves as the founding director of Tonibung, a non-profit organization located outside of Kota Kinabalu in Sabah which strives to provide rural, indigenous villages with access to clean water and electricity through renewable energy and sustainable solutions. Founded in 1991 to equip relocated indigenous peoples with the skills needed to adapt to unfamiliar agricultural circumstances, the organization now prioritizes integrated projects that serve the greatest human need, prove sustainable over time, and have the possibility of broader impact beyond any single community. Gabe, an anthropologist and environmental scientist by trade, wears two hats as a co-director of Penampang Renewable Energy Sdn Bhd (PRE) -- a social enterprise company set up to cater to Tonibung’s technical renewable energy demands, such as turbine fabrication and consultancy; and as the Borneo Program Manager for Green Empowerment -- a Portland-based community development non-profit which he has been representing in Southeast Asia since 2011.

Between December 2014 and May 2015, I had the great privilege of interning under Banie’s and Gabe’s instruction at Tonibung’s Center for Renewable Energy and Appropriate Technology (CREATE). CREATE, founded in 2013 as direct outcome of HPNET’s 1st Annual Gathering of Practitioners, is a local fabrication facility which has recently begun manufacturing high-head, low flow pelton turbines for the Malaysian context. By the time I set foot in their workshop, CREATE was already well-primed for a push into locally sourced, locally fabricated crossflow turbines -- an entirely new animal for the highly skilled indigenous workshop technicians to sink their machines into. With my background in crossflow design stemming from my years in university, it was easy for me to feel at home in the CREATE space as we co-learned the nuances of civil works design and site selection.

PictureRendering showing what the finished TMT-100 turbine is expected to look like. The design from Remote HydroLight is currently being fabricated at Tonibung CREATE in Sabah, North Borneo.
Things progress quickly at Tonibung, and by March 2015, we had a site selected for crossflow implementation in a remote Murut village of the Bornean interior called Saliku. Pulling once again from HPNET’s wealth of knowledge and resources, we contacted a legendary (and prominently open source) turbine designer, Owen Schumacher, whose 20+ years working in Afghanistan yielded the implementation of hundreds of community micro hydro sites. Owen graciously afforded us personal, in-depth design guidance, recommending a crossflow design branded the “Traditional Mill Turbine”, or TMT, by his organization, Remote HydroLight.

Fabrication of Tonibung’s first crossflow turbine for real-world application began with the TMT-100 (so named for its 100mm effective width) in late April 2015 and continues to this time of writing, with fabrication expected to be completed by July 2015. You can stay informed about CREATE’s crossflow fabrication, and all other Tonibung activites, on their Facebook page. The open source nature of Owen’s simple TMT design allows for, and necessarily encourages, modification by workshop technicians around the world according to their local context and conditions. A complete list of Remote HydroLight’s open source turbine offerings can be found here, and their contribution to the field of open source Electronic Load Controllers (ELCs) can be found here.

Certainly, there is not enough space in a single blog post to identify all, or even most, of the influencers who have blazed the trail for me to pursue community micro hydro, but suffice it to say that my experience and good fortune has depended principally on the kindness of mentors, peers, and role models to help me find each new rung of the ladder. If one thing is certain, Laurent’s assurance to me lo those 5 years ago still holds as true today as it ever did. “All are welcome in this field -- the technology is built for everyone. There are many people who will guide you along the way, if only you show the dedication.”


By Patrick Pawletko, HPNET member

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