The project aims to demonstrate the viability of a hybrid hydro power plant consisting of a hydrokinetic turbine and photovoltaic panels to power a local rice and flour mill, while also enhancing the population’s wellbeing (e.g. by improved lighting).
This project was implemented in the region of Karnataka, where farming is the main source of income for rural households. However, these remote areas have little access to agricultural processing facilities. The project aimed to provide basic electricity access while supporting the productive use of electricity. It did so by demonstrating the viability of a hybrid PV-hydro system to power a local rice mill and provide electricity for household lighting.
Technology, Operations & Maintenance
The project was implemented by the developers of the technology, Smart Hydro Power GmbH, in collaboration with local partners Gram Oorja and Sanjeevani Seva Trust. The Bhamane community lies in a mountainous, forested area which is suitable for hybrid solar PV-hydro. The main crop is rice, but the villagers in Bhamane and surrounding hamlets have to travel 20 km to 30 km to the nearest rice mill to process the grains. The hardware installed comprises a 5 kVA hybrid system (hydro-kinetic turbine, photovoltaic panels, storage system and a backup generator), an energy management system and micro-grid, and a rice mill.
Delivery Model & Financial Management
The delivery approach is based on the BOOT (build-own-operate-transfer) model. To ensure the long-term sustainability of the project, a management committee was formed, trained and tasked with operating the system and managing the funds from the electricity payments. The committee is made up of six members of the community. In addition, two local entrepreneurs are tasked with running the rice mill. The project supported the linking of the Bahmane community to the “Sanjeevani Seva Trust”, a local social service organisation already active in electrification in the region, with the goal of ensuring replication and knowledge sharing.
Environmental Issues
Replacing inefficient, expensive and hazardous kerosene and diesel with electricity generated from renewable sources is the most significant environmental impact of this project. Moreover, the zero-head turbine technology used has a particularly low environmental impact on the river’s ecosystem.Social Issues
Results & Impact
An initial evaluation against the baseline was conducted in May 2017. It showed a significant increase in the use of household electrical appliances, but not the expected rise in productive use. The rice mill, in particular, was not being used. The follow up revealed that while the mill had been used initially to clean the husk, the community was reluctant to use it because of the different quality of the flour produced. The choice of model for the locally-purchased mill was, therefore, a major obstacle to achieving the productive use goals. At the time of writing, the project team was considering possible solutions, such as replacing the mill with a different appliance. However, other entrepreneurs in the community have harnessed the new system. One example is a carpenter, who uses the system to run an electrical polishing machine.
Replicability
The potential of distributed generation for rural electrification in India remains underexploited. With certain adaptations this project has the potential for replication in the same region and other water-rich and off-grid areas suitable for hybrid PV-kinetic systems. A 3 to 5 kW system as designed in this project would be sufficient for operating a mill for five hours a day and for meeting basic energy needs. To date, the partners have already selected two villages in Goa state for a follow-up project, and Gram Oorja is preparing a further roll out of the productive use-focused micro grid design in the north east of the country. The project raised awareness and provoked interest in the region and it was presented to the Indian Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and to possible investors, as well as at conferences.Lessons Learned
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