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Solar System
Solar panels use harvest the energy of the sun and convert it to electricity. They have been placed in schools, health clinics, and homes. Solar cells use a photovoltaic cell as a diode to instantaneously covert sunlight into energy. Photons penetrate the cell, activing electrons, where some fly off a layer of the cell, the electrons flow through metal contacts into a circuit, where they flow back into the cell creating a closed loop. Advantages Price has reduced rapidly. Replaces dangerous and more expensive alternatives: kerosene, diesel. Easy to build, can power whole communities. Less pollution, easier access to electricity. |
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Microhydro System
Using streams and other running water to provide electricity by diverting a portion of the water to a turbine. Water from a stream is diverted to a turbine downstream. The turbine creates electricity then distributes to the community through transmission lines. Advantages Higher cost to install, but low cost to maintain, runs 24 hours. Natural resource that does not pollute, powers small scale. industries and agricultural processing. |
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Wind Powered Microgrids
Wind turbines can be manufactured in rural mountain communities to power individual homes. Partnered with Solucionnes Practicas (Practical Action-Peru) who manufactures the turbines that can power individual homes.Wind turns the propellers around the rotor which is connected to the main shaft. The main shaft spins a generator to create electricity. Advantages Each turbine is only able to power one home . High costs to power a whole community. Creates little/no pollution |
Biogas
Improved cook stoves reduce fuel consumption and indoor air pollution by 90%. Biogas is a gaseous fuel, especially methane, produced by the fermentation of organic matter. Cooking fuel can come from biogas digesters, as few as four pigs or one cow, when the manure is placed into a digester to optimize methane production. Advantages Mostly cost effective is on a farm, with lots of methane. producing animals. Digester equipment may be expensive if only using with minimal amount of livestock. Nutrient rich fertilizer as byproduct. Greatly reduces pollution and pollution related diseases, also eliminates need for large amount of firewood. |