Success Stories & Best Practices

Themes:
Improving Cookstoves and Kitchens
Micro-Hydro Development

Countries:

Sri Lanka:

Commercialised Stove Production in Sri Lanka
Around two million “Anagi” stoves have been commercially produced and marketed since 1991. The present annual production is 300,000 stoves produced by about 120 rural potters trained by IDEA. In several district surveys carried out it is revealed that over 20% use Anagi stoves.
To read more about "Anagi" success story (PDF) 133kB
To read more about the construction of an "Anagi" stove (PDF)168kB

Improved Kitchen in Sri Lanka
Article: "Great "No-smoke" kitchen in Sri Lanka"
Article's author is Zareen Myles (WAFD), India. The article was published in Sustainable Energy News, December 2007, on page 9, issue number 59.
Full article: 4 pages, (142kB pdf file) and the shorter edited version published:1 page, (426 KB pdf file),

Contact: Integrated Development Association (IDEA),
Galmaduwawatte Rd, Nattarampotna, Kundasale, Sri Lanka.
Ph: +94 81-2423396, F: +94 81-4470649, idea@sltnet.lk


Development of Hydro Power in Villages in Sri Lanka
The government has implemented the renewable energy for rural economic development project (RERED) aimed at promoting the use of micro hydro, photovoltaic or biomass in households not serviced by the national grid.
The project runs from 2002 to 2007. Under this programme it is planned to install 90 schemes with a total capacity of 3,762 kW ranging from individual capacities of 2.6 kW to 40 kW to provide electricity to 3,762 households. At end of December 2004, 31 micro hydro schemes were completed providing electricity to 1979 houses. The rest of the projects are in progress.
At present it is estimated that in nearly 250 off-grid villages hydro schemes are in operation.

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Bangladesh:

Grameen Shakti’s Continued Success in 2005 in Solar Systems

With the help of an innovative financing policy, Grameen Shakti (GS) is installing 1,300 solar-home systems (SHS) per month in Bangladesh. The present installation is over 35,500 SHS with a capacity of 1.75 MWp. High initial cost of the technology has created the main barrier for promotion of SHS. GS’s “soft” financing policy challenged this financial obstacle and proved successful. It allows:
• 15% down payment and 36 monthly installments with 12% service charge.
• 25% down payment and 24 monthly installments with 8% service charge.
• 15% down payment and 36 monthly installments through 36 postdated cheques with 10% service charge.
• 4% discount for cash purchase.
• 10% down payment and 36 monthly installments without any service charge with a condition of using it in market places after dusk.
One key to this success is that GS not only promotes the system but also ensures maintenance service. Every SHS acts as a demonstration system for others. Many people are encouraged to incorporate a system after observing their neighbour’s system.
One new use of SHS is for mobile phone charging devices. At present, almost every corner of Bangladesh is covered by mobile phone signals, but many people cannot utilize this technology due to lack of mobile phone charging capabilities. GS has developed mobile phone charge sets. Every month about 500 mobile phone charging sets are sold with the SHS.
The mobile phone set is also used on solar-mobile-phone van shops, in which the entrepreneur moves through the village and offers the phone call service to villagers, at the same time also selling various types of grocery goods.

Graph: Number of SHS systems installed by Grameen Shakti since 1997.
In 2005, the target is 18,000 systems. Up to February 2,500 systems were installed

Photo (above): Grameen Shakti solar-mobile-phone van shops. Photo by Grameen Shakti.

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Nepal & India:
Solar Dryer Project in 2005

The Centre for Rural Technology (CRT) Nepal, in partnership with AIWC India, is carrying out a 9-month project in 2005 to help rural women to use solar dryers in selected villages in Nepal and India.

The project is supported by the Energy Small Grants Program Phase III of the South Asia Energy Initiatives (SARI), Enhancing Energy Security, and Rural Entrepreneurship through Energy Interventions.

The project helps to increase access of rural women to efficient energy devices, especially solar dryers, and to help them establish successful rural enterprises to improve their standard of living.

Centre for Rural Technology (CRT/N) Nepal, All India Women’s Conference (AIWC), India - National Focal Points of INFORSE.

More information: Ganesh Ram Shrestha, Centre for Rural Technology, Nepal. www.crtnepal.org.

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India
Eco-village development (EVD) in 12 villages in the Bharatpur district of Rajasthan state

Joint project of JYY, Finland, INSEDA & WAFD (member organisation of INSEDA), funded by Ministry of development cooperation, Finland. The project has the following objectives:
The project has the long-term programme goal of establishing at least 12 Model Eco-Villages in a foreseeable future that would meet from with in, all the basic needs of the inhabitants, by re-generation and conservation of natural resources with in these villages, by optimal utilization of local skills and initiatives and resources of the target communities as well as the management of assets created with in the village for a comprehensive sustainable human development using principles of equity and social & gender justice. Ongoing work includes development and transferring sustainable energy technologies as well as a number of other appropriate solutions to realise the objectives.

India:
January 2005, AIWC Receives SESI Award 2004

Solar Energy Society of India (SESI) honored the All India Women’s Conference (AIWC) with SESI’s national award for the year 2004. Ms. Lalita Balakrishnan received the award on behalf of AIWC during the International Conference on Renewable Energy held in Pune, India, in January, 2005.