Renewable Energy for Rural Schools Renewable Energy for Rural Schools

Abstract

Left: Two 1.0 kW wind turbines supply electricity to the dormatory of the Villa Tehuelche Rural School, a remote boarding school located in southern Chile. FOREWORD A few years ago, during my tenure as the United States ambassador to the small African nations of Rwanda and Lesotho, I was responsible for administering the Ambassador's Self-Help Funds Program. This discretionary grants program, supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funds, allowed the ambassador to selectively support small initiatives generated by local communities to make their schools more efficient, increase economic productivity, and raise health standards. These funds were used to purchase equipment and materials, and the communities provided the labor necessary for construction. During this time, I was reminded of my earlier training in a one-room school in rural Bellair, Florida, in the United States. The school, which was without heat and hot water and dependent solely on kerosene lamps for lighting, made me wonder how much more I might have learned had today's advanced renewable energy technologies for rural schools been available to my generation. Following this diplomatic tour, I was asked to serve as chair person for Renewable Energy for African Development (REFAD)—a nonprofit organization dedicated to the application of renewable energy technologies in the rural villages of Africa. In South Africa, with support from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), more than one hundred college teachers and representatives from nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have participated in renewable energy capacity building programs. As a result, several institutions initiated research projects. In Port Elizabeth, the technikon now offers a bachelor's degree in renewable energy studies. In South Africa, the government collaborated with industry and awarded concessionaire funds to implement a country-wide rural electrification program. In several South African countries, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) provided 2-year funding to establish university chairs in renewable energy. In Botswana, REFAD conducted a careful evaluation of the government's 40-home photovoltaic (PV) pilot project. The evaluation showed that the introduction of solar technology to this rural village had a decided positive impact on microeconomic development, health improvements, and school performance—each of which plays an important role in ensuring continued sustainability in rural villages. Perhaps one of the most satisfying achievements of REFAD's work was the establishment of a "Living Renewable Energy Demonstration Center" in the KwaZulu/Natal region near Durban, South Africa. The …