OpenPower Nepal at Maya Universe Academy

Below you can see the framework. Upon the site assessment it will be deicided which modules to buid. It can be seen that the steam engine approach opens up many possibilities for electricity generation using solar fire, biogas and biomass.

OpenPower Nepal is independent of www.solarfire.org, though we’re happy to help this great project to bring the Solar Fire technology to Nepal; as mentioned, exact choice of technology has not yet been finalized.

We’re of course happy to promote this project regardless of what technologies will be used in the end. Tell your friends!

Project Description

OpenPower Nepal is about designing and building a system for electricity generation that can be assembled and maintained locally. All plans developed will be shared with the public in an open source manner, empowering others to become stewards of their own energy systems. Urs Riggenbach will build this at the Maya Universe Academy in Nepal this spring.

The above diagram shows that different resources and technological modules that can harness them. The most promising pathway for electricity generation is the Solar Fire Technique. Using mirrors, sunlight is concentrated to high temperatures that can make water boil. At the focal point, a boiler is set to produce steam, which then powers a steam engine connected to an electricity generator. The waste heat can then be used for other processes, such as cooking, pasteurizing milk, and heating, to name a few. While electricity is needed for charging phones and lighting, the solar concentrator could also power an oven for making bread, melting metal, or making charcoal.

 

Upon Urs’ arrival to Maya Universe Academy, he will do a site assessment and decide whether Solar Fire or micro-hydro-power is more appropriate for the region. Apart from electricity, Urs will also help constructing biogas digesters for cooking gas, and composting toilets.

In order to do this, Urs need some funding for materials for the solar concentrator or micro-hydro-power system and the potential steam-engine, as well as the battery bank. It would be great if you could share this initiative with your families and friend, perhaps they’d like to support this.

The Solar Fire Technique has low embodied energy, can be assembled and maintained locally, and can reduce communities’ dependence on factories supplying proprietary technologies. I believe that a lot can be done at the local level to increase self-sufficiency in terms of energy.

Please help empowering people to become stewards of their own technology. Please feel free to contact me and consider donating to this cause.

 Urs Riggenbach, November 2011