I arrived back in Burma in December, fully hoping to take the first steps in building the Solar Roots Renewable Energy Training Center. But that proved to be difficult due to the local political situation in the Gorka village. The village headman and the Abbot were not seeing things eye to eye. I was advised to put my plans on hold until things cooled down. It was a salutary lesson for me in politics of religion and the lack of tolerance and trust still widespread in this country. We'll see what 2015 brings.
So I moved back into my old room at St Mathews Orphange Center and started doing trainings.
New Years was spent with the kids who delighted in the Kachin tradition of pounding sticky rice to within an inch of it's life, and then eating copious quatities of the resulting flattened glutinous stuff.
So I moved back into my old room at St Mathews Orphange Center and started doing trainings.
New Years was spent with the kids who delighted in the Kachin tradition of pounding sticky rice to within an inch of it's life, and then eating copious quatities of the resulting flattened glutinous stuff.
Then it was time to start trainings again. I began in SMOC itself with the same 5 brick stove that I had started to use in Haiti, passed to me by my good friends and mentors, Jon and Flip Anderson. Here we see Noh Noh chopping rice straw that will be mixed with clay to provide the insulation in the brick. Noh Noh has done trainings with me before and he generously provided the clay we needed. It looked good coming out of his rice field, it felt good when being mixed with the straw, but yet again, it proved to be of inferior quality and crumbled when heated to high temperatures. But that wasn't till later.....
In the next picture we see the mud and straw stove performing well - the downfeed working just as intended.
In the next picture we see the mud and straw stove performing well - the downfeed working just as intended.
The clay brick stove performing well on its first outing. Unfortunately, the clay did not hold up under the high temperatures.
In America, we play "Air Guitar", but at Naung Taung, U Pin Ya plays "Bamboo Guitar"! Naung Taung Monastery
In February I got an invitation via my good friend Jim, to visit Naung Taung monastery near Taunggyi. Jim had been training teachers there and told me that there was great interest in Renewable Energy and that the existing stoves were crude smokey affairs that should be improved. I made a preliminary visit and was very impressed by the Abbot and his commitment to progressive ideas and his dedication to improving the lives of his flock. He is ably assited by an irrepressible young monk called U Pin Ya.
Curiously, the young monks are actually a joyous and mischievious bunch, always ready to drop back into childish games at the least excuse. I wonder if they will turn into the wizen old fossils that one sees enshrined in faded photos upon the monastery walls?
One incident with the novice monks did get my ire however: they got into my suitcase one night to play with the tools and they set the combination lock so we couldn't open the case the next day. Unfazed, the bold U Pin Ya hunched over the case, listening to the the numbers tumble, like he was a Monte Carlo safecracker! Unfortunately, the whole lock was made of plastic and no clicks were heard. Later, another participant flattened a nail in imitation of a key and opened the case no problem!
In February I got an invitation via my good friend Jim, to visit Naung Taung monastery near Taunggyi. Jim had been training teachers there and told me that there was great interest in Renewable Energy and that the existing stoves were crude smokey affairs that should be improved. I made a preliminary visit and was very impressed by the Abbot and his commitment to progressive ideas and his dedication to improving the lives of his flock. He is ably assited by an irrepressible young monk called U Pin Ya.
Curiously, the young monks are actually a joyous and mischievious bunch, always ready to drop back into childish games at the least excuse. I wonder if they will turn into the wizen old fossils that one sees enshrined in faded photos upon the monastery walls?
One incident with the novice monks did get my ire however: they got into my suitcase one night to play with the tools and they set the combination lock so we couldn't open the case the next day. Unfazed, the bold U Pin Ya hunched over the case, listening to the the numbers tumble, like he was a Monte Carlo safecracker! Unfortunately, the whole lock was made of plastic and no clicks were heard. Later, another participant flattened a nail in imitation of a key and opened the case no problem!
U Pin Ya, also known as "The monk with the Golden Fingers", applies his skills to my locked suitcase.
Like Dante's Inferno, Naung Taung kitchen is a vision of Hell - oppressive heat with the air full of acrid smoke
The woodpile that keeps Naung Taung kitchen going. The small sticks at the back are the right size for our Rocket stoves, but no-one wants to chop up the big logs at the front!
I saw my time at Naung Taung as an opportunity to improve the existing stoves in their kitchen, so the first part of the training was dedicated to this task. We first put in a raised grate, then added some insulation to the inside of the stove, and finally connected a 6-inch chimney. All of these improvements cleaned up the emissions of the stoves and improved their fuel efficiency. One of the challenges in improving stoves in a Burmese monastery is getting the 'stakeholders' on your side. Unfortunately, the cooking is done by young monks who would much rather be listening to their mp3 player and who certainly don't want to expend any more effort splitting wood than they abosolutely have to. Only if the Abbot is present do my entreaties for a change in behavior get heeded, and of course, as soon as he leaves...
Two participants study the existing stoves we improved. This was a wonderful opportunity to test out Rocket stove principles
Young students prepare vegetables for everyone in the monastery - and that can be a thousand people!
An older monk helps a novice prepare the rice to go into the steamer.
U Panditta, a stove and mud house builder in his own right, next to our homemade kiln.
Novice monks prepare "Roman candles", made with straw and reeds, which they will stand upright and set on fire to celebrate the full moon during the coldest part of February. All evening, about 20 of these giants were burning at any given moment.
The redoubtable U Pin Ya, shows us yet another side of his many talents - chef! He whipped up a delicious potato curry in no time flat. Of course, it helped that he had the latest model of the Solar Roots Institutional Rocket to do it on!
Emmanuel Children's Home, Kalaymyo
Through a mutual acquaintance at SMOC, I was invited to visit Pastor Joel at Emmanuel Children's Home in Kalaymyo, which is in NW Myanmar, near the border with India. This is a remote area that is somewhat neglected by the central government, a fact that was made clear by the ubiquity of solar panels on many houses - the local power supply is completely unreliable. Joel has taken in a dozen orphans and abandoned children from the border area and he says there are many more, if he only had the funds to look after them. Until we arrived, (Hamish Lee, our New Zealand volunteer and myself), the children's home had only received electricity two hours per night from a local entrepreneur with a generator. This was expensive, as they had to pay a monthly fee per light bulb. Hamish, a recently graduated Mechanical Engineer, proved to be a great help, being open to everyone and a quick learner. Click here to check out his account of the experience.
Through a mutual acquaintance at SMOC, I was invited to visit Pastor Joel at Emmanuel Children's Home in Kalaymyo, which is in NW Myanmar, near the border with India. This is a remote area that is somewhat neglected by the central government, a fact that was made clear by the ubiquity of solar panels on many houses - the local power supply is completely unreliable. Joel has taken in a dozen orphans and abandoned children from the border area and he says there are many more, if he only had the funds to look after them. Until we arrived, (Hamish Lee, our New Zealand volunteer and myself), the children's home had only received electricity two hours per night from a local entrepreneur with a generator. This was expensive, as they had to pay a monthly fee per light bulb. Hamish, a recently graduated Mechanical Engineer, proved to be a great help, being open to everyone and a quick learner. Click here to check out his account of the experience.
The Hallelujah sunset greets the placement and installation of our 300W solar panel. Note the hand crank water pump is being operated to the left
Pastor Joel joins the construction team to finish attaching the ground wire for the lightning protection system.
Hamish makes some new friends with an impromptu song.
After Kalaymyo
On the way back from Kalay we visied a meditation center near Kanphyu village, which is about 40kms north of Mandalay, right on the banks of the Ayerwaddy River. A friend had contacted me about designing a PV system to replace the creaky old generator and I was delighted to oblige. Hamish and I stayed there a couple of days, measuring distances and counting lights and outlets. As it turned out, the monastery later decided to replace the diesel generator with a rice husk burning type of generator. I'll be very interested to see that in operation.
On the return journey, we took passage on a cargo boat going down the Ayerwaddy to Mandalay. At first it seemed that the boat would make it to Mandalay in less than the predicted 4 hours. But, since it took 2 hours just to leave the original location, and another hour to stop at inumerable little jetties to pick up more cargo, it was seven hours later that we waddled into Mandalay! But it was a memorable journey with very friendly and generous fellow passengers.
On the way back from Kalay we visied a meditation center near Kanphyu village, which is about 40kms north of Mandalay, right on the banks of the Ayerwaddy River. A friend had contacted me about designing a PV system to replace the creaky old generator and I was delighted to oblige. Hamish and I stayed there a couple of days, measuring distances and counting lights and outlets. As it turned out, the monastery later decided to replace the diesel generator with a rice husk burning type of generator. I'll be very interested to see that in operation.
On the return journey, we took passage on a cargo boat going down the Ayerwaddy to Mandalay. At first it seemed that the boat would make it to Mandalay in less than the predicted 4 hours. But, since it took 2 hours just to leave the original location, and another hour to stop at inumerable little jetties to pick up more cargo, it was seven hours later that we waddled into Mandalay! But it was a memorable journey with very friendly and generous fellow passengers.
The journey got off to a less than reassuring start, when upon boarding, we came across this scene of a diesel engine being rebuilt. However, this was only the bilge pump motor and not the main motive source..........and you don't really need the bilge pump unless the boat is sinking.....................!
On the boat a couple of Burmese guys challenged Hamish to an arm wrestling competition. I guess they were curious to see if the big guy was as strong as he looked. Guess who was winning this one!
Solar Pumping at Seya Peter's Farm
Another side project was the installation of a solar powered irrigation pump on Seya Peter's organic demonstration farm.
I bought a 12V DC pump locally and found that it worked well direct from the solar panel, but it tended to overheat. Lacking a sophisticated controller, the answer was to put a battery and charge controller into the system. This smoothed out the power supply and the pump ran cooler. Although it drove the cost up by another $175, it was worth it, as I am searching for water pumping solutions using locally sourced equipment.
The 300W panel is mounted on a manual tracker, which allows the user to follow the sun throughout the day, considerably increasing output.
Another side project was the installation of a solar powered irrigation pump on Seya Peter's organic demonstration farm.
I bought a 12V DC pump locally and found that it worked well direct from the solar panel, but it tended to overheat. Lacking a sophisticated controller, the answer was to put a battery and charge controller into the system. This smoothed out the power supply and the pump ran cooler. Although it drove the cost up by another $175, it was worth it, as I am searching for water pumping solutions using locally sourced equipment.
The 300W panel is mounted on a manual tracker, which allows the user to follow the sun throughout the day, considerably increasing output.
MSN employees tighten up a wire connector on the solar system. Mangrove Services Network (MSN)
Through Roger, my translator in Lashio last year, I was introduced to the good folks at the Mangrove Services Network, which works mainly around Bogalay and up into Rahkine State. The vast mangrove forests of the Ayerwaddy Delta have been cleared to make way for shrimp farms and to be converted into charcoal and it is MSN's mission to reverse that destruction. Their main thrust is to experiment with the many varieties of mangrove trees to find the most suitable ones for replanting and to demonstrate technologies and enterprises that locals could use as alternatives to cutting the mangroves.
One of MSN's more ambitious projects is a training center on an island in the middle of the Bogalay River. This "island", is actually 30 acres of mangrove trees with one one acre of high solid ground above the water line. They backfilled this high patch with sand and dirt and now with tree planted, it is becoming very stable and useable. They have a training center where classes are given in such subjects as tree planting, stove building and alternative income enterprises. Prior to our arrival, they used a diesel generator for electrical power, which was quite expensive as fuel had to be brought down river at a high cost. Also, they had to run the 10,000W generator even when the load was only half a dozen 60W bulbs! So, everyone was delighted when I offered to install a PV system that would cover all of their electrical needs, except when large scale trainings were being conducted.
Through Roger, my translator in Lashio last year, I was introduced to the good folks at the Mangrove Services Network, which works mainly around Bogalay and up into Rahkine State. The vast mangrove forests of the Ayerwaddy Delta have been cleared to make way for shrimp farms and to be converted into charcoal and it is MSN's mission to reverse that destruction. Their main thrust is to experiment with the many varieties of mangrove trees to find the most suitable ones for replanting and to demonstrate technologies and enterprises that locals could use as alternatives to cutting the mangroves.
One of MSN's more ambitious projects is a training center on an island in the middle of the Bogalay River. This "island", is actually 30 acres of mangrove trees with one one acre of high solid ground above the water line. They backfilled this high patch with sand and dirt and now with tree planted, it is becoming very stable and useable. They have a training center where classes are given in such subjects as tree planting, stove building and alternative income enterprises. Prior to our arrival, they used a diesel generator for electrical power, which was quite expensive as fuel had to be brought down river at a high cost. Also, they had to run the 10,000W generator even when the load was only half a dozen 60W bulbs! So, everyone was delighted when I offered to install a PV system that would cover all of their electrical needs, except when large scale trainings were being conducted.
With the solar panels, on a manual tracker to the left, MSN employees are stringing up new cables all over the training center property. Part of this year's Solar Roots activities was to bring over some US students to volunteer with us and experience Burma from a closer, more involved point of view. We recruited two graduate students from UC Berkeley, Mike and Lisa, and they stayed 3 weeks, both in Pyin Oo Lwin and down in the Delta. Our first job in the Delta was the MSN training center and the students had the opportunity to get some hands-on expeience with PV and work alonside the Myanmar people. It was great to spend a few days on the island, with everything so watery and green. Rainy season had begun and there were dramatic downpourings of rain that left as quickly as they came. Needless-to-say, the heat and the bugs were equally epic!
Kan Daw Village
After leaving MSN and the Bogalay region, Mike and Lisa and I traveled to Kan Daw, a Pwo Karen village, which is near Pathein, in the western part of Burma. This visit was arranged by my good friend and collaborator, Kehzer, who works for Alin Ain and specializes in setting up lending groups, as a tool in building community. I have worked with Kehzer and his groups in the Delta, several times before, but this visit stands out for the unparalelled warmth and generosity of the villagers in Kan Daw. A relatively prosperous rice-growing village, Kan Daw started a savings group 2 years ago and now it has over 100 members and is a key institution in stabilizing the community as it faces the challenges of the impacts of globalization, climate change and the encroaching modern world. I gave a two-day PV course, which Mike and Lisa helped with, and I demonstrated some of the new individual solar kits that I had recently sourced in Yangon. Previously, we had used a system that required the batteries to be brought to a central location for solar charging, but based on requests for individual home systems, I brought 10 units for distribution to savings group members. Like before, recipients pay back the cost of the system to the savings group and that money is used to buy more systems. Solar Roots provides the seed money for the first set and it's self-sustaining after that. I was particularly pleased to find a Myanmar solar company, (Asia Solar), in Yangon that assembles the kits in-county. Kehzer told me recently that, even before the first kits have been paid for, the community has decided to buy another 10 units - so pleased are they with the new solar lights and phone charger.
Kan Daw Village
After leaving MSN and the Bogalay region, Mike and Lisa and I traveled to Kan Daw, a Pwo Karen village, which is near Pathein, in the western part of Burma. This visit was arranged by my good friend and collaborator, Kehzer, who works for Alin Ain and specializes in setting up lending groups, as a tool in building community. I have worked with Kehzer and his groups in the Delta, several times before, but this visit stands out for the unparalelled warmth and generosity of the villagers in Kan Daw. A relatively prosperous rice-growing village, Kan Daw started a savings group 2 years ago and now it has over 100 members and is a key institution in stabilizing the community as it faces the challenges of the impacts of globalization, climate change and the encroaching modern world. I gave a two-day PV course, which Mike and Lisa helped with, and I demonstrated some of the new individual solar kits that I had recently sourced in Yangon. Previously, we had used a system that required the batteries to be brought to a central location for solar charging, but based on requests for individual home systems, I brought 10 units for distribution to savings group members. Like before, recipients pay back the cost of the system to the savings group and that money is used to buy more systems. Solar Roots provides the seed money for the first set and it's self-sustaining after that. I was particularly pleased to find a Myanmar solar company, (Asia Solar), in Yangon that assembles the kits in-county. Kehzer told me recently that, even before the first kits have been paid for, the community has decided to buy another 10 units - so pleased are they with the new solar lights and phone charger.
The ladies of Kan Daw village during their monthly savings group meeting where money is collected and redistributed to members who need capital for larger purchases or family emergencies.
Villagers learning about Tilt Angle and Orientation of PV panels.
The villagers of Kan Daw are Buddhist, all belong to the Pwo Karen group and are very active in preserving their language and culture. As part of their generous hospitality to us, we were given hand-woven Karen tunics and treated to a lively display of traditional Karen dances by the local youth. Mike and Lisa actually joined in and learned some of the more exotic moves!
Young Pwo Karen girls dance to the beat of the drum
Other Stove Projects
After the stove training at Naung Taung, I determined to upgrade the materials of the combustion chamber for increased longevity, so Hamish and I built an institutional-sized stove with an 8"X8" stainless steel combustion chamber. Later, this stove was installed in the SMOC kitchen and is undergoing testing as I write. Stainless steel may not be the final answer, due to it's relatively high cost and specialized tools needed to work it, but it's one more step in getting closer to the design that will really reduce smoke, reduce wood consumption and be affordable for locals to build.
Another material that I am experimenting with is made from a mixture of cement and rice husk ash in equal proportions. I learned about this mixture from the work of Alex Belonio in the Phillipines, though I have adapted the molding shapes. For some time, I have had difficulty producing clay bricks that were sufficiently hard to withstand the rigors of daily use in a stove and I'm hoping that this new mixture will be able to take the heat. Normally, cement is not considered a good material for stoves, but Mr Belonio assures us that by adding the rice husk ash, the cement can be made into a refractory (heat resistant), material. I used the same molds for the 5-brick stove mentioned at the beginning of this blog and plan to make up a few samples with thinner walls and get them out for field testing in January.
One exciting contact I made this year was with a group of potters who make large flower pots for export and who have great expertise in the area of clay and kilns. In their factories located in the Dry Zone, (near Shwebo), they are having difficulty with the cost and availability of wood to fire their pots. We have arranged to co-operate on our respective areas of knowledge next year - they will help me learn about clay and firing and I will help them find more efficient ways to fire their kilns, hopefully using rice husk as a fuel. It's going to be an exciting year next year and I hope you will follow our progress and support our projects.
After the stove training at Naung Taung, I determined to upgrade the materials of the combustion chamber for increased longevity, so Hamish and I built an institutional-sized stove with an 8"X8" stainless steel combustion chamber. Later, this stove was installed in the SMOC kitchen and is undergoing testing as I write. Stainless steel may not be the final answer, due to it's relatively high cost and specialized tools needed to work it, but it's one more step in getting closer to the design that will really reduce smoke, reduce wood consumption and be affordable for locals to build.
Another material that I am experimenting with is made from a mixture of cement and rice husk ash in equal proportions. I learned about this mixture from the work of Alex Belonio in the Phillipines, though I have adapted the molding shapes. For some time, I have had difficulty producing clay bricks that were sufficiently hard to withstand the rigors of daily use in a stove and I'm hoping that this new mixture will be able to take the heat. Normally, cement is not considered a good material for stoves, but Mr Belonio assures us that by adding the rice husk ash, the cement can be made into a refractory (heat resistant), material. I used the same molds for the 5-brick stove mentioned at the beginning of this blog and plan to make up a few samples with thinner walls and get them out for field testing in January.
One exciting contact I made this year was with a group of potters who make large flower pots for export and who have great expertise in the area of clay and kilns. In their factories located in the Dry Zone, (near Shwebo), they are having difficulty with the cost and availability of wood to fire their pots. We have arranged to co-operate on our respective areas of knowledge next year - they will help me learn about clay and firing and I will help them find more efficient ways to fire their kilns, hopefully using rice husk as a fuel. It's going to be an exciting year next year and I hope you will follow our progress and support our projects.
The institutional stove with the downfeed/ash drawer to the Left and the chimney adapter to the Right. A 36" wok sits atop the barrel and can cook a curry for 50 people.
The 5-brick stove made using a mixture of cement and rice husk ash.
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