Category: Training Centers

TONIBUNG: 2022 HIGHLIGHTS AND A STRONG START IN 2023

1/19/2023

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.

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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INDONESIA: STRATEGY MEETING TO REVITALIZE THE SECTOR

3/2/2022

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Indonesia's inspiring, 25-year micro/mini hydro sector has been challenged with policies that have stalled local manufacturers and developers from providing electricity both to the central and to last mile communities.

Local practitioners, including members of the association Asosiasi Hidro Bandung (AHB), came together to strategize how best to convince the government to alleviate policy, finance, and planning bottlenecks. Established in 1998 and now having 180 members, AHB has been at the forefront of linking entrepreneurs, communities, and the government to continue scaling up small-scale hydropower in Indonesia.

The meeting was held in late February at the prestigious Hydropower Competence Centre (HYCOM) in Bandung, Indonesia, established in 2011 by Pt Entec Indonesia and the Indonesia TECD, with support from the Swiss Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Promotion in International Cooperation (REPIC), ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE), and GIZ.

Indonesia’s senior local manufacturers and developers convened at HYCOM in February 2022 to strategize small-scale hydro advocacy. Credit: Pt Entec Indonesia.

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INDONESIA: TRAININGS AND EXPOSURE VISITS HOSTED BY ASEAN HYDROPOWER COMPETANCE CENTRE (HYCOM)

10/8/2019

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Micro hydro development in Indonesia started around 1991 with the support of GIZ (German international cooperation). Later on, Energising Development (EnDev) Indonesia implemented many MHP projects until 2014, with Entec AG Swiss / PT Entec Indonesia as consultants.

The ASEAN Hydro Competence Centre (HYCOM) was inaugurated in 2011 and is jointly operated and managed by PT Entec Indonesia and the Technical Education Development Centre Bandung (TEDC). In addition to PT Entec and TEDC, HYCOM was established with the support of:

ASEAN Center for Energy (ACE) and GIZ
Entec AG
Renewable Energy Platform Swiss (REPIC)
University FH Technik (Zurich)

HYCOM works to promote small-scale hydropower and disseminate know-how in the sector. Offering hands-on training and application oriented research, HYCOM endeavours to improve the implementation and operation of small-scale hydropower installations worldwide. To date, HYCOM has conducted about 40 trainings and workshops with 350 participants from 25 countries, and has hosted approximately 500 visitors from all over the world.

This quarter HYCOM conducted three knowledge transfer activities, which are described below by guest bloggers and HPNET Board Members, Mr. Gerhard Fischer and Mr. Ardi Nugraha.

TRAINING FOR MICRO HYDRO OPERATORS

In the past 3 months, HYCOM conducted two trainings for micro hydro operators. The trainings focused on Operation and Maintenance concepts and procedures, economic consequences of neglected maintenance, safety issues, understanding turbine characteristics and other practical issues of operation from water hammer, cavitation, synchronizing, alignment, balancing issues and very important environmental issues. The attending practitioners raised many practical issues from their experience, which will help us to improve our trainings with relevant subjects.

Training 1: Operators of Indonesian small hydro plants (July 8 - 12, 2019)

In July, HYCOM facilitated a training for 12 participants by PLN (Indonesia's government-owned utility) and KfW (a German state-owned development bank) “Sustainable Hydro Power Program”. This program was hosted at PUSDIKLAT (a training centre of PLN) involving 3 trainers from Germany. The training involved activities at the HYCOM centre, which made use of the hydro laboratory equipment, as well as visits to hydropower sites near Bandung (750 kW, 2MW up to 1000 MW).

Trainees on a field visit to a mini-hydro project, examining the electro-mechanical equipment. Credit: A. Nugraha

Trainees at HYCOM centre in Bandung, Indonesia. Credit: A. Nugraha

Training 2: Operators of Sarawak, Malaysia mini hydro plant (Sept. 29 - Oct. 4, 2019)

A training event was held for 9 operators and engineers from the power utility of Sarawak, Malaysia. The training was conducted by PT Entec using the HYCOM laboratory equipment and visiting MHP equipment manufacturers, as well as visiting one hydropower plant near Bandung to study the maintenance system. (The plant, a 250 kW standalone MHP in a tea plantation, has been operational for 17 years using equipment made in Bandung.)

Malaysia-Indonesia training and exchange event at HYCOM centre. Credit: A. Nugraha

EXPOSURE VISIT: Ethiopia Practitioners (Aug. 30 - 31, 2019)

As early as 2008, an exchange of MHP know-how and turbine manufacturer training was held in Indonesia, conducted by PT Entec Indonesia and financed by GIZ. Participants from Ethiopia and Indonesia came together to learn general MHP know-how, and they received a license training for the T15- 300 cross flow turbine used in hundreds of MHP projects worldwide.

The achievements of this training were that three T15 cross flow turbine sites and some propeller low head were installed in Ethiopia and local manufacturers had “new ideas“ to improve their low cost turbines up to 25 kW.

Indonesia-Ethiopia Exchange Event, 2008. Credit: PT Entec Indonesia

This past August, PT Entec conducted another exchange event with participants from Ethiopia. From August 30th to 31st 2019, a delegation of EnDev Ethiopia visited Indonesia for an exposure visit. GIZ is presently planning the implementation 9 micro hydro sites in the frame of the EnDev project. The delegation (consisting of 3 GIZ/EnDev staff and 3 government officials) visited the HYCOM training centre, which is established at P4TK-BMTI, a training institution for vocational teachers in Indonesia. P4TK-BMTI is presently taking care of renewable energy (hydro, PV, biomass, wind) on the vocational school level. The delegation expressed interest to cooperate with this institution for vocational training in future.

We see a good opportunity for HPNET to support a south-south technology transfer linking the experiences of the network with the African micro hydro market.

Interested in a video tour of HYCOM? Check out the video below!

Guest blog post written by Mr. Gerhard Fischer (Director of PT Entec Indonesia and HYCOM, and HPNET Board of Advisors Member) and Mr. Ardi Nugraha (Senior Manager of PT Entec Indonesia and HYCOM, and HPNET Board of Representatives Member for Indonesia).

They can be reached at [email protected]

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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.

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.

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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ONE STUDENT'S JOURNEY IN COMMUNITY MICRO HYDRO WITH HPNET

6/22/2015

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ACREST 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."

Indigenous 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.

Rendering 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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2nd Annual gathering of practitioners at hycom

2/21/2015

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On Feb. 2-6, 2015, HPNET's 2nd Annual Gathering of Micro Hydro Practitioners was held at the ASEAN Hydropower Competence Centre (HYCOM), supported by WISIONS of Sustainability, and coordinated by Janathakshan, PT Entec Indonesia, Bandung Hydro Association (AHB), EnDev Indonesia, and IBEKA. HYCOM is a knowledge centre, offering training as well as facilitating research and development for micro, mini, and small hydropower sectors. In addition to a variety of targeted training activities, HYCOM supports the hydro industry in developing, testing, and improving their product at the national, regional, and international level.

HPNET consists of practitioners with various backgrounds from public sector, private companies, and grassroots organisations.The gathering was attended by 34 practitioners from 11 countries (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Thailand), making it one of the most international and diverse MHP-dedicated gatherings in Indonesia in many years. Site visits to mhp installations and electromechanical component manufacturers allowed participants to see closely how the industry has grown in Indonesia. These visits also served to excite participants’ ambitions in their home countries.

As part of the agenda, intense discussion sessions were organized to refresh the Network’s vision and working plan for the coming year and beyond. Technology transfer, knowledge sharing, and policy advising remain some of the main focus areas adopted by HPNET, but the importance of community involvement and local capacity building received special emphasis.

HPNET emphasizes overall sustainability by putting community empowerment as the core, ultimate goal. Forest and water conservation, productive use of energy, as well as technology innovation also will be strongly pursued by the Network, which has agreed that joint collaborations on transnational MHP initiatives are a vital mechanism to maintain and enhance the momentum of MHP development.

Gerhard Fischer, the holistic expert behind HYCOM, with over 30 years of experience in MHP development, thought the event to be very beneficial for all participants: “I am quite convinced that for these small power plants – maybe up to 100kW – the knowhow should be there where the site is. It should be accessible for the villages. That’s why the success of these things in Nepal, Indonesia, and other countries like Pakistan is connected with the local fabrication of the equipment. We need networking. Each country has its own development. To look what is working where and to coordinate this knowhow and to make it available is a very important thing.”

Fischer went on to explain the value of HPNET in linking institutions with similar targets. “We should work together,” Fischer added, “and also take seriously into account what others have done to develop the technology.”

By HPNET members Amalia Suryani (EnDev Indonesia) and Patrick Pawletko (Tonibung)

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the flow

TONIBUNG: 2022 HIGHLIGHTS AND A STRONG START IN 2023

INDONESIA: STRATEGY MEETING TO REVITALIZE THE SECTOR

INDONESIA: TRAININGS AND EXPOSURE VISITS HOSTED BY ASEAN HYDROPOWER COMPETANCE CENTRE (HYCOM)

GREEN EMPOWERMENT TO ORGANIZE REGIONAL TRAINING ON ELECTRIC LOAD CONTROLLERS

JOIN US - LAUNCH OF HPNET'S 2019 WEBINAR SERIES!

ONE STUDENT'S JOURNEY IN COMMUNITY MICRO HYDRO WITH HPNET

2nd Annual gathering of practitioners at hycom

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