UNSW PV Projects in Nepal

Most remote Nepali health posts and school buildings rely on poor quality kerosene and diyalo (fat wood) as a source of light. This paper reports on a recent field trip carried out by UNSW staff and students in conjunction with Renewable Energy for Clean Environment and Development (RECED) in two remote villages in Nepal during February, 2008. The original photovoltaic (PV) system at Sankhe health post, which was installed in February, 2004, was inspected and found to be, on the whole, still providing lighting, especially for emergency operations. Sankhe health post was previously using expensive and toxic kerosene light for emergency treatment at night. Kerosene light provides very poor visibility and is inadequate for surgery, particularly childbirth. The photovoltaic lighting systems provide clean, safe, and free light, improving health services for more then fifty thousand people of this local community. Similarly, many remote Nepali schools are also not able to access grid electricity. Classes are often held before and after normal school hours (10 am – 4 pm). Students are often studying in very dim classrooms. A new PV system was installed at the local high school in Borlang-7, which provides power for class room lighting and two computers. The benefit of laptop computers was demonstrated in the field. Both systems are currently being monitored by local project participants and results are reported in this paper