Towards Sustainability for Thailand's Solar Home Systems Observations from Tak province byChris Greacen, Ph.D.Presentation at SERT, Naresuan University12 November, 2006

OutlineBorder Green Energy Team (BGET)Refugee camp trainingsMicro-hydroelectricity (Tak province villages)Thai SHS sustainabilityThai solar home systems BGET experience in TAKOverview of Thai SHS programBGET local technician trainingsSurvey and resultsFailure modesPost warranty sustainability?

BGET refugee camptrainings on renewable energy

Micro-hydroelectricitySource: Inversin, A. R. (1986). Micro-Hydropower Sourcebook.

BGET Micro-hydroelectricity2003 Kre Khi village 0.7 kW 2004 E Wi Jo village 2 kW 2005 Mae Sa Pau village 1.5 kW 2006 Huai Krating 3 kW

Thai Solar Home System Sustainability

The Service & Support Department is like the guy in the parade who walks behind the elephant with a broom and a big bucket

Thai Solar Home System (SHS) in context290,716 households without grid connection before SHS188,995 SHS in all Thailand15,000 SHS in Tak ProvinceThai installed PV in 2003: 6 MWpSHS program adds 23 MWp!Responsibility of SHS transferred from the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) to Tambon (county) governmentsSource: PEA, May 2006Tak

Thai SHS in Tak provinceRated 120 peak Watt single crystalline PV moduleRated 150 W, 50 Hz, 230 V Inverter / 10 A Charge controller12 V, 125 Ah deep cycle lead-acid batteryTwo 10 W tube fluorescent lights with electronic ballastsAC outlet for TV or other appliances

Existing linkagesMinistry of InteriorPEAInstallation companyEnd users$$SHSTax payers$

Missing linkagesMinistry of InteriorPEAInstallation companyEnd users$$SHSWhat happens when systems fail? There is no feedback loop from the end users to installation company, PEA, government or taxpayersTax payers$

Missing linkagesWarranty awarenessSelf-help: local technicians + user trainingMinistry of InteriorPEAInstallation companyEnd users$$SHSTax payers$Feedback on status of systems, failure modes, successful interventions

SHS WarrantyWarranty periodsComplete system: 2 yearsSolar panel: 5 yearsCharge controller/Inverter:3 yearsBattery: 2 yearsLight/Ballast: 2 yearsThe system warranty is expiring within a few monthsVery few villagers informed that there is a warranty

SHS WarrantyPostcards with warranty and maintenance information could be distributed by TambonsIdea presented at meeting with DLA (Department of Local Administration)

How to claim the SHS warrantyVillagers need to inform Tambon (local administration) government of broken systemsTambon needs to send claims to PEA provincial officePEA forwards warranty claims to installation companyInstallation companies must repair within 1 week. Otherwise they will be fined 200 baht per system per day

BGET SHS trainings in Tak provinceTechnician trainings in two districts3-day theory & hands-on trainingcooperation with TambonsThe technicians are provided with a tool boxget a SHS manualhttp://www.palangthai.org/docs/TechManualThai.pdfsurvey all SHS in their village clustermake minor repairs and system improvements educate homeowners in system use & maintenancesend surveys to BGET via the Tambon officecould help with repairs after the warranty expires

BGET SHS trainings in Tak province

BGET SHS trainings in Tak province

(skim through manual)

BGET SHS trainings in Tak provinceDistricts in Tak province Mueang TakBan TakSam NgaoMae RamatTha Song YangMae SotPhop PhraUmphangWang ChaoPriority 1: 8,692 SHSPriority 2: 3,834 SHS

BGET SHS trainings in Tak provinceTrainings already performed in ten Tambons

TambonDistrictDate of training# of SHS# of techniciansMae TanTha Song YangOctober 200596416Mae SongTha Song YangOctober 20051,72829Mae Wa LuangTha Song YangNovember 200577839Mae LaTha Song YangDecember 200584730Mae Cha Rao, Phra TartMae RamatDecember 200525019Tha Song YangTha Song YangFebruary 200657125Sam MeunMae RamatMarch 200664219Mae U SuTha Song YangMay 20061,06519Mae TuenMae RamatJune 20061,44328TOTAL8,288224

House-to-house surveys -- interviews

House-to-house surveys -- measurements

BGET SHS status surveyBGET Survey based on sample of 405 systems from TakHouse-to-house survey conducted by technicians that passed BGET training course.

Typical LoadNo. of systemTypical Usage hours per dayTwo 10 watt fluorescent lights4053-4other light bulbs (7 to 20 watt)203-4 Television rated from 20 to 100 watt681 VCD player2N/A

BGET SHS status survey:failure modes observed in TakAll SHS in Tak installed by Solartron. Anecdotal evidence suggests that other provinces/other companies may have higher failure rates.Sample size: 405 systems in Mae Ramat Amphur & Tha Song Yang AmphurSurvey: house-to-house, interviews & measurements, between Dec 2005 and March 2006

Failure modeQuantity%Inverter/charge controller4110.1%Light ballast399.6%Solar module30.7%Battery245.9%Total9122.5%

Failed inverter/charge controller (~10% of all systems surveyed).

Observed failure modes - inverterSolartron and PEA provided 15 replacement inverters for the first 2 trainings

Ballast failure ~9% of systems surveyedObserved failure modes - ballast

Manufacturing defect: Missing connector (Junction Box)(rare: < 1%)CorrectMissingConsequence: module never worked but easily fixedObserved failure modes solar panel

Correct polarityIncorrect polarityManufacturing defect: Diode with wrong polarity (rare: < 1%)Observed failure modes solar panelConsequence: module never worked- but easily fixed

Consequence: System broken since the first day of installation but (fairly) easily fixed)Installation error: Burned Diodes from Panel Reversed Polarity(rare: < 1%)Observed failure modes solar panel

Observed failure modes battery battery failure in ~6% of systems surveyed

Installation error: Battery failure caused by solar panel installation in shady location14:00 Saw Kre Ka village, Tha Song Yang DistrictProblems found during training/surveys

Installation error: Bad panel locationsProblems found during training surveys

User error: bypassed controller battery overchargeVillager bypasses broken controller and charges battery directly from PV

Battery over-charged. Electrolyte level drops and plates are exposed to air. Battery fails. 12Observed failure modes (cascading component failure)

User error: Controller bypass leads to burned diodeVillager bypasses broken controller and charges battery directly from PVOne mistake of reverse battery polarity blows up bypass diode in PV junction box, melting junction box.12Observed failure modes (cascading component failure)

BGET on TVChannel 11Thailand Focus 11am 12 noon 11 November 2006

BGET on TVGoals:TV-broadcast discussion of SHS sustainability, need for more local capacityInform public of warranty

Long-term costs...Equipment replacement cost: 130 to 300 baht/monthVillagers cannot afford new equipment when it failsAccumulated costs for replacing Thai SHS

Chart1

000000

0036001560600120

37000720031201200240

370001080046801800360

740001440062402400480

1194029401800078003000600

1564029402160093603600720

15640294025200109204200840

19340294028800124804800960

193402940324001404054001080

275809880360001560060001200

275809880396001716066001320

312809880432001872072001440

312809880468002028078001560

349809880504002184084001680

3952012820540002340090001800

4322012820576002496096001920

43220128206120026520102002040

46920128206480028080108002160

46920128206840029640114002280

75160197607200031200120002400

75160197607560032760126002520

78860197607920034320132002640

78860197608280035880138002760

82560197608640037440144002880

87100377009000039000150003000

Battery and lights/ballasts replace after 2-5 years

Charge controller / Inverter replace after 5-10 years

Solar panel replace after 20-25 years

Region for accumulated replacement cost

Max

Min

300 baht/month

130 baht/month

50 baht/month

10 baht/month

Year

THB

Accumulated Costs for Replacing Thai SHS

LCC

EquipmentLifetimeCost (THB)QtyCost/year (THB)Cost/month (THB)

minmaxminmaxminmaxminmax

Solar panels202515,00020,00016001,0005083

Inverter/charge controller5104,0004,50014009003375

Battery252,8003,50015601,75047146

Ballast255010022010028

Bulb55202028811

TOTAL COST1,5883,758132313

Total cost excl Solar panel9882,75882230

Total cost excl Solar panel & Inverter/charge controller5881,85849155

Total cost excl Solar panel, Inverter/charge controller & Battery2810829

Acc costs

Year012345678910111213141516171819202122232425

Max (THB)LifetimeCost (THB)Qty003,7003,7007,40011,94015,64015,64019,34019,34027,58027,58031,28031,28034,98039,52043,22043,22046,92046,92075,16075,16078,86078,86082,56087,100

minmaxminmax

Solar panels202515,00020,000120,000

Inverter/charge controller5104,0004,50014,5004,5004,5004,5004,500

Battery252,8003,50013,5003,5003,5003,5003,5003,5003,5003,5003,5003,5003,5003,500

Ballast25501002200200200200200200200200200200200200

Bulb55202024040404040

Min (THB)LifetimeCost (THB)Qty000002,9402,9402,9402,9402,9409,8809,8809,8809,8809,88012,82012,82012,82012,82012,82019,76019,76019,76019,76019,76037,700

minmaxminmax

Solar panels202515,00020,000115000

Inverter/charge controller5104,0004,500140004000

Battery252,8003,500128002800280028002800

Ballast25501002100100100100100

Bulb55202024040404040

Monthly savingTHB/month

3000360072001080014400180002160025200288003240036000396004320046800504005400057600612006480068400720007560079200828008640090000

130015603120468062407800936010920124801404015600171601872020280218402340024960265202808029640312003276034320358803744039000

500600120018002400300036004200480054006000660072007800840090009600102001080011400120001260013200138001440015000

10012024036048060072084096010801200132014401560168018001920204021602280240025202640276028803000

Diagram

Diagram

000000

0036001560600120

37000720031201200240

370001080046801800360

740001440062402400480

1194029401800078003000600

1564029402160093603600720

15640294025200109204200840

19340294028800124804800960

193402940324001404054001080

275809880360001560060001200

275809880396001716066001320

312809880432001872072001440

312809880468002028078001560

349809880504002184084001680

3952012820540002340090001800

4322012820576002496096001920

43220128206120026520102002040

46920128206480028080108002160

46920128206840029640114002280

75160197607200031200120002400

75160197607560032760126002520

78860197607920034320132002640

78860197608280035880138002760

82560197608640037440144002880

87100377009000039000150003000

Battery and light/ballasts replace after 2-5 years

Charge controller / Inverter replace after 5-10 years

Solar panel replace after 20-25 years

Max

Min

300 baht/month

130 baht/month

50 baht/month

10 baht/month

Year

THB

Accumulated Costs for Replacing Thai SHS

Region for accumulated replacement cost

Thai SHS program SWOTStrong featuresRelatively big PV module 120 watts (compared to SHS in other countries)PV modules & battery work wellSystems are generally installed wellProvide useful services, appreciatedWeak features / challengesFailure-prone inverter/controller, ballast Insufficient local capacity for O&M, repairInsufficient user knowledge about system limitations, basic care, warrantyVillages often very remote hard to get to (especially in rainy season)Language barriers in remote areas (few speak/read/write Thai)OpportunitiesInstalled solar panels represent huge investment (25,000 baht x 200,000)Relatively small additional investment to make good useThreatsWidespread SHS failures unless coordinated effort to address sustainability

Sustainability of Thai SHS still achievable?

Thai SHS sustainability measures?What would you do?

Contact BGETChris Greacenchris@palangthai.org

Salinee Tavaranan, BGET Project DirectorTel: 055-542-068Mobile: 01-376-2027

www.bget.org

BGET effect?

0.5 min. Last month we conducted a 5-day training for 60 engineer and vocational education students. Right now their country has very little infrastructure. They want to know about solar and micro-hydropower to use to help rebuild their country, when they eventually are safe to return.0.25 For those not familiar with micro-hydro, heres a simple diagram. A small weir diverts water into a pipe. The water flows down hill and spins a turbine, making electricity.