Placement Summary

Apologies to anyone previously following my blog - it's been a while. I stopped during a hectic period of my placement when many aspects of the project were changing. When things settled and I had time again to write things were so different I found it difficult to continue. Anyway, here is a final project summary and some photos presented to EWB-UK and sponsors at the end of my placement.....

The wind turbine system installed at Buli.

The aim of my placement was to develop small wind turbines as a CBRES technology. Funding for the implementation of a CBRES employing a small wind turbine was obtained by SIBAT from the World Bank prior to my placement. By demonstrating that small wind energy is an appropriate CBRES technology in the Philippines SIBAT’s wind energy program should grow to support the development efforts of many more communities. Removing some of the barriers to implementation will allow for easier, cheaper and faster replication of the system. This will give SIBAT, and importantly, key funding agencies, confidence in the technology to implement future projects.

Wind turbines are a good alternative to expensive solar power and unsustainable diesel generation for communities without access to a suitable water source for micro hydro systems. The WWF has estimated that the Philippines has 7,600 MW of potential capacity for commercial wind energy, making it the windiest country in South East Asia and full of potential for small wind energy systems.

During my placement we installed a wind/solar powered potable water system in Buli, a remote island community approximately 160 km south west of Manila. The community has 140 households and a population of approximately 700. The community draw water from a 35 m deep well using containers and a rope pulley. The containers are then carried from the well at the centre of the community to the individuals’ household – some up to 1.3km from the well site. It is the daily job of the men and the boys, some as young as 10, to collect water. Usually 4 or 5 journeys a day per household would be made. Clearly this task is a major burden on the community in terms of hardship endured and time spent that could be used for livelihood activities. It also limits the water available for cooking, personal cleaning and washing - likely resulting in incidents of disease and infections.

The wind turbine at Buli.

A detailed feasibility study determined the area had a sufficient wind resource and that the community was suitable to sustain a wind energy system. Through community meetings and discussions it was decided a potable water pumping system would be the most appropriate application. The community volunteered the labour counterpart for the construction of the project, taking 10-12 men approximately 2 weeks in all.

The wind turbine and solar panels power an electrical submersible pump that delivers water to a temporary reservoir tank at the surface near the well. The community can then dispense water and carry it to their houses. The National Anti-Poverty Commission, a Philippine government agency has approved additional funding for a 75 m3 elevated steel tank and piping that will be able to distribute water to clusters of households in the community. Clearly, integrating this into the system will further reduce the burden of water collection and limited usage on the community. The installation will commence after the rainy season in November or December 2007. The community is very proud and excited to be the benefactors of the project and realising the benefits of the RE system. Hopefully their hard work in construction and continued discipline in operation and maintenance will ensure their system is sustained.

A 10 yr old boy collecting water in Buli.

A major step in the development of the technology is the establishment of local manufacturing capabilities for medium scale production of the 1kW small wind turbine. During my placement relations were established with a private machine shop and fiberglass fabricators so machines can be built with minimal engineering time input from SIBAT staff. Standardization of processes, materials, hardware and equipment will reduce the cost, time and risk of implementing future projects. Local manufacturing gives SIBAT the capacity to repair and develop the machine, avoids expensive import duties and provides benefits for the local economy.

Development of a robust feasibility tool for the technical assessment of a potential site has also been a key part of my placement. The energy output of a wind turbine is determined by the average wind speed at the site, so it is vital to have a robust tool for analysis of a proposed site’s wind resource and achieving a sustainable system design.

The wind turbine, first developed by Practical Action (a UK based charity), has been employed as a development tool by NGOs in other developing countries including, Nicaragua, Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka. Sharing of experiences and knowledge between the various organizations is to be encouraged.

I thoroughly enjoyed my placement in the Philippines and had many great experiences. The SIBAT staff were incredibly friendly and supportive. I had many journey to remote communities all over the Philippines and was always warmly welcomed by the people there. It was interesting to get to know the culture over the course of the year, helped by my intermediate understanding of Tagalog (the Philippines national language). I gained a vast amount of experience, improving my technical skills, knowledge of organizations, and working with various stakeholders such as community groups, businesses, local and national government and international funding agencies. I learnt a great deal about development theory and practice.

I graduated from Mechanical Engineering MEng course from The University of Nottingham in July 2006 and more than a few experiences that provided good preparation for the placement. I was involved in establishing an EWB-UK Nottingham branch with fellow students during my final year there. As part of this group I was the project manager for the manufacture of a prototype small wind turbine, very similar to the one used by SIBAT. A course in Wind Energy Converters whilst on exchange at UNSW in Australia gave a good introduction to wind energy engineering and the wind energy industry.

I intend to return to the Philippines as a volunteer for another 12 months to continue work developing the wind energy program. I have made an application with VSO to continue the work with SIBAT under their program. I feel the placement has given me an excellent base for a future career in development and renewable energy.

Micro Hydro Power

A recent feasibility study for a future micro hydro power (MHP) system gave me the chance to visit a nearby community with an existing MHP. The area is a remote part of Apayao in the Cordillera mountains of North Luzon and takes a full 24 hours travel time from Manila (including a 5 hour walk from the nearest road head). The community is 21km from the nearest grid point - making it unattractive for grid extension. The MHP is used for electrification of the entire community and to drive the community rice mill. The mini grid delivers electricity to each of the 36 households between 6 - 9 pm and 4.30 - 6 am, used to power 2 or 3 light bulbs. A household pays a monthly tariff of 10 pesos (10 pence) per installed bulb. The collected tariff is used for maintenance and repair of the system.

The community depends on a nearby river for household water usage, irrigation, washing, cleaning clothes, fishing, and now for electricity. The canal intake can be seen here, a weir has been constructed to divert some of the rivers flow. The weir, made from available materials such as boulders, tree trunks, leaves and earth has been reconstructed after being washed away by floods from typhoons.

The canal diverts water 1 km from the intake at the river to the forebay of the MH system. It gives the water sufficient head (the vertical height the water has to fall to the power generation site) to be used for power generation - here only 8 metres. The canal is constructed with concrete and earth, and large piping to cross a number of intersecting channels. It took the community 5 years to dig the canal, beginning a long time before funding was sourced for the project.

The water is channeled down 12" HDPE piping (known as the penstock) into the powerhouse. The design flow of the system is 120 litres per second. The energy from this volume of water and 8 metres head can generate around 5 kW of electricity.

The penstock delivers the water to the turbine and generator (electromechanical components)that converts the energy in the water to electrical energy. A crossflow turbine is used, coupled to the 5kW generator by 3 v-belts. The operator can be seen directing the water guide vane to control the generated power. The tail water is channeled out of the powerhouse and returned to the river. A transmission line connects the community to their MHP system.

SIBAT has 14 installed MHP systems around the Philippines. 2 more installations and 6 feasibility studies for future sites are ongoing.

Philippine wonders...

I just had a break from work and took the opportunity to do some exploring around the Philippines... The first photo is of beautiful Mt. Mayon from the plane. The area is still devastated from typhoon Reming last November. A recent typhoon caused massive mud slides on the mountain slopes, flooding some local communities and killing up to 800 people. The massive clean up from the flooding and wind damage is still on-going.

Mt Mayon in Albay province.

The rice terraces stretching all over the cordillera mountains in Northern Luzon are known as the 8th wonder of the world. The terrces around Batad stretch 100s of metres up the mountain side and create a spectacular ampitheater.

The rice terraces near Banaue, Ifugao.

CBRES Conference

SIBAT just held the 2nd national conference on Community Based Renewable Energy systems.

It was an opportunity to promote the CBRES model to other NGOs, POs, Department of Energy officials, Funding Agencies and the academe. Case studies were presented from our People's Organisations and other NGOs from partner communities.

The conference also served as a forum to address some of the gaps and challenges in the CBRES model. This included a forum on technical gaps, funding challenges, development of CBRES, sustainability of CBRES and policy promotion.

Me and Carlo in front of the new 1kW machine.

The wind turbine was used to demonstrate appropriate technology. It generated a lot of interests from participants, 2 other NGOs expressed an interest in developing the technology with the help from SIBAT. R&D partnerships were also proposed with 2 prominent universities.

University of the Philippines partnership

SIBAT has began a partnership with student organisation Gears & Pinions (GP) from the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman Campus. The Mechanical Engineering Department is allowing free use of workshop space and tools.

Luigi working on the fibreglass blade mould.

Under the guidance of SIBAT engineers, GP student volunteers are manufacturing the composite parts for the 3 wind turbines, including the fibreglass blades and resin cast alternator. As well as providing students with composites experience they will have the opportunity to help SIBAT during community installation of the systems.

Bryan and Kristina drilling holes in the stator mould.

Typhoon damage

I was briefly stranded on Lubang Island last week as another typhoon battered the Philippines. Just a few days after typhoon Reming caused 100s of deaths in the Bicol region another typhoon with winds up to 185 kmh struck the country. A 3 day trip turned into a week long stay until it was safe for boats to sail again. Historically typhoons start petering out in November and are non-existent in December. In recent years there have been stronger typhoons and storms that have been lasting well into December. Some scientists attribute this phenomenon to global climate change.

The typhoon only caused damage to crops and killed cattle in Lubang although many 1000s of families in other parts of the Philippines were displaced from there homes due to flooding or had electricity and water cut off. Not only does the longer storm season disrupt communities for a longer time period but the changing hydrological patterns make it difficult for farmers to manage crop plantings and harvesting. Ironically, it is always the poorest communitities who are most vulnerable in disasters, people who have never driven a vehicle or switched on an air conditioning machine .

Project Management

The flow chart desribes the process followed for the installation of a community based wind energy system. 4 months into the project the pre-feasibility studies have been completed and the project is into the system design and full feasibility study. Fabrication of three wind turbines is also ongoing.

Population growth

At Kusang Loob, the community on Lubang island chosen for the water pumping system, the average number of children per household is 5 (although one couple have 18 children). The entire island has a population of 32,000 and a growth rate of 2.48%. If this growth rate remains the population will double to 64,000 in only 30 years. A growing population will put an increasing burden on the environment and social structures on the island. The majority of the labour force work in the agricultural or fishing industries, although there is a high rate of unemployment or underemployment. Increasing agricultural output sustainably is difficult due to the lack of available water. Increased fishing may lead to reduced biodiversity and fish stocks in the area. Solid waste management is also proving difficult to manage as the population increases. Many schools are reaching capacity and there is no tertiary education available on the island.















A group of children on Lubang island.

The problem of population growth is not restricted to Lubang. The 89.5 million population of the Philippines is set double in 40 years if it remains at the current 1.8% (the population growth is 0.28% the UK and 0.91% in the US). The land area of the Philippines is a little larger than that of the UK. The growing population puts an increasing burden on already scarce natural resources accelearting environmental degradation. The Philippines is already witnessing uncontrolled deforestation especially in watershed areas; soil erosion; air and water pollution in major urban centers; coral reef degradation and increasing pollution of coastal mangrove swamps that are important fish breeding grounds. There are also many social problems due to the population growth. Rapid urbanisation has seen Manila grow to a city of 11 million, many of its residents living in squatters home without access to clean water. The rate of unemployment, crime and drug abuse is high.

The Philippines is a devoutly religious country, 81% of the population are Catholic. The church is a powerful and influential institution that actively advocates against contraception use and abortion. There is not the political will, or willingness to go against the church, at the national or local level to implement an effective family planning policy.

Old Wind Turbine Technology

Wind powered water pumping systems has been attempted on Lubang Island before. The photo's show wind systems that were installed about 20 years ago by a German Catholic priest on the island. The systems were installed for potable water usage and irrigation of rice fields. Unfortunately neither system survived longer than a few hours operation and they have been left to rust.

Mechanical wind system at Looc for rice field irrigation.

Both are mechanical wind systems, unlike SIBATs electrical turbine. The mechanical power from the rotation of the blades is transferred to a vertical shaft running down the centre of the tower to a pump. The main advantage of this type of design is that the machine can operate at low wind speeds. The start up wind speed is low due to the many blades, providing greater torque and slower rotational velocity than the 3 blade systems. However, the system is not appropriate to areas with strong wind and typhoons as the system easily 'runs away'. The massive torque from the blades in high wind speeds puts too much stress on the shaft and bevel gears, in the case of Lubang, causing almost instant fracture. In Cabra the wind turbine has been completely destroyed leaving just the rusty tower to support the pulley which the community use to haul 4 gallon containers of water up 37m to the surface.

Mechanical wind system at Cabra for potable water

There are a number of advantages of the 3 blade electrical wind turbine over this type of design:

- The electricity generated by the wind turbine is not restricted to water pumping

- More energy can be harnessed as the wind turbine is designed to operate in higher wind speeds (energy in the wind is proportional to the cube of the wind speed)

- The tower can be higher (as power is tranferred by wire rather than a shaft), allowing the wind turbine to be placed in stronger winds

- The wind turbine can be easily lowered for protection during typhoons and maintenance

- For water pumping, the wind turbine does not have to be placed directly above the well

Lubang Island site visit

Lubang Island is another of the proposed sites for a wind turbine. The island is situated north of Mindoro Occidental and has a population of about 30,000. The proposed application for the wind turbine in Lubang was for water pumping. The Municipal Planning Office proposed 4 potential sites that fit the criteria for a wind turbine and required a water pumping system.

Sitio (hamlet) Kusang Loob was identified as the site with the greatest potential. There are 107 households and a population of approximately 500 people. They currently hand pump their water from wells in the sitio. There is an exposed hill, elevated 12m above the sitio, that has an existing borehole. The wind turbine will pump water to a storage vessel on the hill and use gravity to distribute the water.

The anemometer installed on a bamboo pole at the proposed site.

According to the NREL wind atlas (developed by the US Renewable Energy Agency) the site has an excellent wind potential. The National Power Corporation are investigating the site for a large wind farm for electricity generation. The NREL wind atlas has mapped the potential wind resource of the entire Philippines using surface and satellite data. The data is useful to identify potential sites on a macro scale but cannot be used for detailed system design or wind turbine placement.

Matarinao site visit

Matarinao is one of the proposed sites for a wind turbine. It is a remote coastal fishing barangay (village) in Eastern Samar. An important livelihood and source of income for the barangay is fish drying. Fish are caught in the bay, de-boned, dried and then sold to surrounding municipalities. Up to 70% of the barangay population are involved in the fishing industry.

Matarinao from the pier.

The proposed application of the wind turbine will be to power a fish dryer for use in the wet season. During the dry season the fish are dried in the sun, but during the wet season this cannot be done and the barangay struggle to sell their fish. The rainy season lasts 5-6 months a year and coincides with the windy season.

The recent visit included a pre-feasibility study and installation of an anemometer. The barangay captain is responsible for recording the anemometer data. Data of the barangays population, demographics, geography and economy was also taken.

The barangay has recently been connected to the grid, although only a few households can afford the grid connection fee and electricity prices. The introduction of street lighting has made a big impact on the social life within the barangay.

The barangay has a 7 year old 2.7kW solar water pumping system, funded by AusAid and installed by the local government. However, this has recently stopped working and requires maintenance. The barangay does not have the skills or the money to fix it. There was no tariff collection for water usage, and therefore no available money to replace the batteries or the pump. Technology breaking down and having no maintenance systems in place is a common problem with large aid agencies and government projects. SIBAT works closely with communities to wotk our ownership and tariff systems, monitor projects and carry out maintenance.

The dysfunctional 2.7kW solar water pumping system in Matarinao.