Thoughts on sustainability of PEA Solar Home Systems

for PEA14 Mar, 2548

Chris GreacenPalang Thai

www.palangthai.org

Outline

• Review of PEA solar home systems in 3 villages in Tak province

• Karen solar training 17-23 February, 2005

• How can we work together to ensure sustainability?

• Karen Solar Sustainability Team

Review of PEA solar home systems in 3 villages in Amphur Tha Song Yang, Tak Province

• Date visited: 6 Jan, 2005

Name of village Mae Sa Pao Saw Ke Kla Bang Tong TotalNo. installed SHS 23 36 46 105Installation date Aug 2005 Oct/Nov 2004 Aug/Sep 2004No. not operating 3 1 3 7% failed 13% 3% 7% 6.7%Months since install 5 2 to 3 4 to 5

Good news first!

• Large majority of systems (93%) were working

• People like them

• Systems are well-sized

• Installation of wiring in homes done very well

Problems observed (n=105 systems)

• Manufacturing defect– Missing connector in module junction box (1 system)– Diode with wrong polarity in module j-box (1 system)– Controller/inverter early failure (2 systems)

• Installation defect – PV installed in shaded location (several systems)– Controller installed under leaky roof (1 systems)

• User error– Bypass broken controller (several systems)

• Bypassed wrong -- reverse polarity burns diode (1 system)

– Inverter destroyed by paralleling output of 2 inverters (2 systems)

• Difficulty making warranty claim– Villagers do not know who to contact when system breaks under

warranty

Manufacturing defect:Missing connector

correctmissing

Consequence: module never worked

Manufacturing defect:Diode with wrong polarity

Correct polarity Incorrect polarity

Consequence: module never worked

Installation/manufacturing defect:Shaded installation

14:00 Sa Ke Kla village

User error: bypassed controller battery

overcharge

1. Villager bypasses broken controller and charges battery directly from PV

2. Battery over-charged. Electrolyte level drops and plates are exposed to air. Battery fails.

1

2

User error: Controller bypass leads to burned

diode1. Villager bypasses

broken controller and charges battery directly from PV

2. One mistake of reverse battery polarity blows up bypass diode in PV junction box, melting junction box.

1

2

Warranty claim problems

• If system breaks, villagers don’t know who to contact

• Villagers not informed of warranty– 5 year PV module– 3 year controller/inverter– 2 year battery

• Some have contacted Tak PEA office, but so far with no result.

Solar electric training 17-23 Feb, 2005 Mae Sa Pau village, Tak Province

Training: Participants build 6 systems

Training: solar site selection

Training: operations and maintenance

Retrofit/repair broken PEA SHS

Repair broken DEDE battery charging station

How PEA can help ensure sustainability…

• Encourage installers make sure the system works when it is installed – including electricity coming from PV.

• Please provide us with an electronic copy of a spreadsheet of all installations in Tak province, including:– Household number– Village name & number– Amphur

• Please suggest to us how we can help villagers to get systems repaired under warranty

• For future installations, include GPS coordinates (accurate to 10 meters) for every system installed.

Karen Solar Sustainability Team

Basic idea(1) Training villagers about operations and

maintenanceAND

(2) Training ampur-level technicians to repair systems will…

(A) ensure systems last longer AND

(B) save on warranty costs

Karen Solar Sustainability Team

Coordinator

Technician Technician Technician Technician

Community Mobilizer EngineerMae Sot

Ampur

Karen Solar Sustainability Team

• Palang Thai / Green Empowerment provide technical training workshops and hands-on training for technician apprentices

• Technicians will:– Survey systems

– Fix easy problems

– Help process warrantee claims & recycle batteries

– Sell distilled water, sell light bulbs, etc.

– Train villagers to keep systems working well

Is PEA interested in helping by…

• Providing information / coordination?

• Providing funding for local technicians?

• Making Karen Solar Sustainability Team a warranty repair center?

For more information

Contact:

Tel. 02-674-2533

chris@palangthai.org

www.palangthai.org