Our Plan
In considering constructing a micro hydropower plant as a renewable source of energy for an off-grid area, the first step that should be taken is to survey the need and viability of the project. Talking to the local people and authorities to see if they need a power plant or not and what they think about the project or public hearing is not required by law; however, it is a very crucial and necessary step that should not be neglected. Otherwise, the project may be constructed without any need of the local people. Also, the survey step includes exploring the water source that will be used in the micro hydropower plant. Before constructing a micro hydropower plant, the project team has to assess its ability to produce power – to see if there is sufficient water flow with sufficient strength.
The next step is to secure a fund to run the project. Funding can come from many sources such as NGOs or international organizations. Corporation is a good source of funding. Many corporations nowadays have a CSR program that can fund a project.
The third step after acquiring the fund is to apply for permission from the local administration, and if the project site is located in a national park or preserved area, permission from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation is also needed.
Next step is constructing the micro hydropower plant. The construction process consists of three parts: civil works, mechanical and electronic works, and electric power transmission grid installation works. This process in average takes about eight months, but it can vary from project to project depending on the geography and the difficulty of the location.
After the construction of the power plant is complete, before starting the operation and selling electricity to the local people, the project team will have a community electricity committee set up as an organization that will be in charge of the power plant. This committee will be responsible for monitor and control the usage of the electricity of people in the community as well as maintain the power plant and collect the revenue. Some of the collected revenue will be saved for the maintain expense of the power plant in the future, and the rest will be donated to the local school and community to be used to improve local public services especially education. It is important to educate the local people to understand the significance and the cost of natural resources that they have been using, and the plausible effects that can happen if they carelessly use them.
After the committee was set up, the operation then can start to generate electricity to the local people.
Our Business Model
After we get a fund to run the project,
- we will use the fund to build a micro hydropower plant.
- Then, the micro hydropower plant will generate electricity, and we as part of the community electricity committee will sell electricity to the local people, and
- we will get the revenue in return.
- We will use some of this revenue to pay the maintain cost of the micro hydropower plant,
- and some to donate to the local school and community to use to improve local public services in order to better the living quality of people in the community.
- For the investors, they will get carbon credits in return for their contribution to the project.
