Innovation based on decentralized renewable energy can help tackle crucial technical challenges faced by family and small-scale farmers worldwide. Decentralized renewable energy enables the supply of energy directly where it is needed and deploys locally available energy resources. For these innovations the focus shifts from solely supplying energy to its application for the function required; e.g. pumping water, treating organic residues or processing produce.

In this free WISIONS webinar we showed how energy practitioners are advancing innovations based on renewable energy to improve water availability for family and small-scale farmers. While the general idea is simple (local energy supply enables water pumping, which in turn facilitates/improves irrigation options), a number of aspects should be considered: 

• What strategies ensure that small-scale farmers can access the relevant technology, services and maintenance? 
• How can improved water supply effectively translate into improved livelihoods and increased revenues? 
• What options ensure that increasing the pumping capacity does not lead to greater depletion of water resources? 

With our speakers we explored these and other crucial aspects for advancing renewable energy-based irrigation that effectively supports farming families’ livelihoods. 

Lucie Pia Pluschke, GIZ Germany, Powering Agriculture  

Pooja Sharma, Practical Action Nepal

Jorge Ayarza, MinVayu and Wind Empowerment

Willington Ortiz, WISIONS, Wuppertal Institute 

Moderator: 

Jessica Rivas, WindAid Institute and Wind Empowerment 

 The slides can be found here: WISIONS Webinar7 AllSlides

The workshop gathered farmers, officials from public agencies promoting biodigester technology, suppliers of biodigesters and researchers of different disciplines. Aim of the workshop is to design concrete actions for addressing challenging fields in the implementation of the technology. 

On the first day they visited a dairy farm, which already installed a bio digester and worked together on an understanding of the adoption process to the local conditions in the context of Costa Rica. During this mutual approach, they identified challenges for the implementation of bio digester technology in Costa Rica. On the second day they are aiming to design the concrete actions for addressing the evaluated challenges for bio digester technology. 

Find out more about the activities of Asociación Costarricense de Biogás

Facebook-News from Asociación Costarricense de Biogás

Our three collaboration partners Green Empowerment, Tonibung (Malaysia) and Sibat(Phillipines) further pursued their commitment to spread open source knowledge on the crucial technology of ELC systems for micro-hydro systems and offered an intensive 2-week course for the knowledge exchange. The organization and execution of the in-person exchange was held at Tonibung and GE's Centre for Renewable Energy and Technology (CREATE) and involved an impressive program for participants from different regions of Southeast Asia. 

The participants could learn in theory lessons about the design theory behind ELCs, together with hands-on built-out sessions of ELC technology, so that the participants received a complete insight into the technology. All of the participants showed commitment and enthusiasm to lean about ELC technology and maintained their motivation throughout more than 3 hours of theory lessons each morning and additionally 10-12 hours of practice sessions every day. 

After absolving this course the participants were equipped with complete knowledge of all necessary components and how to build devices off the shelf in any country. Also the participants discussed collaboration opportunities with academic institutions and research organizations in order to step forward and continuing innovations in this technology. Even one participant committed to establish a manufacturing branch in his home workshop dedicated to ELC development. Generally speaking, the participants found the knowledge exchange useful in ensuring that there was a balance between the theoretical and practical elements of ELC design, assembly, and troubleshooting. There was also appreciation that time was given to allowing participants to share about their experiences in their own countries. 

Find out more about the knowledge exchange her:  Exchange: Strengthening Open-Source ELC Development in Southeast Asia (SEPS16)