Why
Many communities are not yet reached by the electricity grid.Lighting provides significant social and economic benefits.
Many of these communities use lighting technology that are potentially harmful, eg kerosene.
Solar lighting offers many benefits. Technology is mature, cost-effective and continuing to improve.
Suitable solar lighting products are available in Indonesia. There are many examples of successful introductions of solar lighting to communities in Indonesia and elsewhere.
What
The guide below is for individuals or groups interested in introducing solar lighting (at individual household level) to a community in a sustainable manner.
That means it will cover solar lamps or solar electricity units for individual houses. The guide will not cover the following, which are potentially more complex organisationally and financially:
That means it will cover solar lamps or solar electricity units for individual houses. The guide will not cover the following, which are potentially more complex organisationally and financially:
- solar street lights
- whole of village solar lighting
A diagram showing a sample supply chain...
How
The general steps for instigating and implementing a solar lighting project:
- identify the target community
- obtain involvement from a community that has successfully implemented the project
- verify that the target community wants the project
- secure seed funding to set up the supply chain and to promote the initiative to the target community
- establish local champions and potential partners
- secure the supply chain
- assist the partners to set up viable businesses supplying and supporting the technology
- promote the initiative to the target community
Identify the target community
Some key aspects of communities (eg villages or hamlets) that would be viable project targets:
- the community, or a significant section of the community, do not have access to electricity and unlikely to get access in the next five years or more.
- the community is big enough to support basic commerce, eg has a regular market, kiosks; or alternatively members of the community regularly trades at nearby markets and kiosks (Note that a different style of project, not covered by this guide, would be required for very isolated communities without an existing commerce network).
- members of the community regularly spends money on some form of lighting (that do not use solar energy), such as kerosene and candles
You may be part of such a community, or the diaspora of such a community.
You may already be aware of a potential target community, eg from a request from a member of a target community, from your own experience or from a community development organisation working in Indonesia.
If not, you can identify potential target communities by looking in regions that are not accessed by the electricity grid, and unlikely to be accessed in the next five years or more. Electricity generation master plans, such as MASTER PLAN PEMBANGUNAN KETENAGALISTRIKAN 2010 s.d. 2014, are useful resources. Articles on lack of electricity, such as http://www.mugniar.com/2014/10/pln-antara-krisis-energi-dan.html and http://kupang.tribunnews.com/2014/10/12/warga-mego-masih-pakai-lampu-pelita are also useful. We have listed some potential target regions on our website (??).
Once you have identified a potential region(s) for your project, you will need to identify potential target communities in that region. Possible ways to do this:
- contact local authorities
- contact local NGOs or community organisations
- talk to someone from the area
- visit the region
Obtain involvement from a community that has successfully implemented the project
Identify communities that have successfully implemented the project and are willing to assist. Some of these reference communities, including the contact details, are on our website (?).
Consider securing the following with the reference community:
- willingness to share their experiences with the target community as they embark on setting up their project
- willingness of a community leader or influencer to share their experiences with the target community and potentially to accompany project coordinator in visits to the target community
- willingness of a technology partner (vendor) to share their experiences with the target community and potentially to accompany project coordinator in visits to the target community
Verify that the target community wants the project
The project will only succeed if there is interest from members of the community.
You will need to explain the project and its benefits to the community. Arrange community meetings to show and tell. Bring a hands-on person from a community that has successfully implemented the project to talk and answer questions. Hand out flyers.
You will need to get buy-in from community leaders and influencers.
Verify that there are people who would be interested in being the sellers/suppliers of the technology.
There will be costs associated with this activity:
- travel for you, the project coordinator
- travel for a resource person from a successful project
- promotional material
- technologies for show and tell
You could postpone the bulk of this activity until after funding has been secured, as part of the activity to promote the activity to the community. In this case, you could reduce the pre-funding activity primarily to verify the suitability of the community (meets the viability criteria, there is interest, etc), without organising major meetings or involving a resource person.
Alternatively, you could try to secure funding for a feasibility study, which is essentially what this activity is.
Secure seed funding
After initial set-up, the project is intended to be self-sustaining. Users will pay for the technology from people who sell the technology products locally. The vendors will source the products through the supply chain established as part of the project set-up.
Seed funding is required for:
- promoting the project to the community
- identifying and establishing local champions and partners
- setting up the supply chain
- training the vendors and assisting them to set up viable businesses
- seed money or loan for the vendors to purchase the initial stock
Estimate of how much funding may be required: ........
One week on location?
- travel for you, the project coordinator
- travel for a resource person from a successful project
- catering for any meetings
- ??
Possible sources of funding:
- Foundations/NGOs/groups in the technology/energy/solar light area, eg http://kopernik.info/project/light-up-kalimantan-indonesia-one (priority for following up), http://www.brighterlite.net/faces/pages/www/jsp/Article.jsp (Norwegian based initiative), http://self.org/archive-indonesia/, http://www.ata.org.au/news/solar-lighting-in-remote-indonesian-villages, http://www.differgroup.com/Portals/53/images/Indonesia_overall_FINAL.pdf
- Companies that produce solar lighting, eg Panasonic, http://www.indonetwork.co.id/PT_GEN_MANDIRI/1986280/lampu-jalan-tenaga-surya-gen-ssl-409.htm
- Companies with potential CSR interests in solar lighting, eg http://www.cargill.com/connections/project-light/, http://hariansib.co/view/Marsipature-Hutanabe/37028/-10-Lampu-Tenaga-Surya-Dipasang-di-Desa-Teluk-Meku.html#.VJZmEBkssA
- Non-profit organisations focusing on rural development projects in Indonesia, eg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nusantara_Development_Initiatives (although http://nusantaradevelopment.org seems dead/hijacked)
- Philanthropists, private donors
- Crowd funding, eg ??
Sample proposal for funding ...
Establish local champions and potential partners
Get buy-in from community leaders and influencers. They will help to spread the word about the project and to accelerate acceptance of the project. You will need to convince these people of the benefits of the project to the community.
Identify people who would be interested in being in the business of supplying and supporting the technology. They could either be existing traders or someone who would like to run their own business.
The potential partners should be people who are perceived positively by the community, eg trustworthy, hard working, good business person, etc. Secure their interest to be vendors for the technology. You will need to convince the potential partners of the business viability of supplying and supporting the technology. You will also need to assure them that they would be capable of picking up the skills required for the business.
For this activity, it would be useful to have a hands-on person from another community that has successfully implemented the project, to talk and answer questions.
Secure the supply chain
An initial inventory of products would be put in place on project setup, to meet anticipated initial demand. The ongoing supply of products is required to meet the requirement of:
- new users
- existing users expanding their use of the products
- replacing unserviceable products
- supplying additional types of products not initially provided
It is important that a reliable supply chain and support network is established. The nature of the supply chain will be determined by the transport and commercial networks available in the location of the target community.
The first tier suppliers of the products are wholesalers or distributors in major cities, or organisations that operates to supply technology products to community development projects, such as kopernik.info (need to find if there any other organisation such as Kopernik).
There are clear benefits in using organisations such as Kopernik:
- they have pre-selected and tested the products, including verifying the suitability of the products
- they have an established supply chain from either wholesalers, distributors or manufacturers directly
- they have skills and knowledge in the support and maintenance of the products, and would be able to train others to do this
- they have experience in setting up similar projects, and would be able to provide advice
Of course, this does not preclude you from securing an alternative first tier supplier. However, it does mean that you will need to:
- select and test the products, including verifying the suitability of the products
- secure skills and knowledge in the support and maintenance of the products
If there are suitable distributors (for your selected first tier supplier) that are geographically closer, you could use them as your primary product supplier.
Obtain commitment from the supplier to supply products for the anticipated level of demand from the target community in a timely manner.
You will then need to establish the transport of the products from the supplier to the location where the local partners will set up their businesses. Examples??
Assist the partners to set up viable businesses
It is likely that the tech partners will need funding for their initial inventory. Can be through donation, loan or a mix. If you are offering loans, you will need to set up mechanisms for repayments -- this may be something that can be arranged in partnership with the supplier.
Train the partners in the use and support of the products. Brief the partners on how to inform customers of the benefits, usage and care of the products.
Provide the partners with the details of how to order additional stock from the supplier. Payment methods. Delivery options. Provide suggestions of the level of inventory to keep. Provide suggestions on how much to charge for the products.
Give details of how to obtain second level support for the products.
Train the partners in the use and support of the products. Brief the partners on how to inform customers of the benefits, usage and care of the products.
Provide the partners with the details of how to order additional stock from the supplier. Payment methods. Delivery options. Provide suggestions of the level of inventory to keep. Provide suggestions on how much to charge for the products.
Give details of how to obtain second level support for the products.
Promote the initiative to the target community
Although a flyer may be useful, show and tell events (especially with catering) are the most effective. As previously mentioned, get the involvement of local community leaders and influential people. And get the involvement of partners from a reference community.
Demonstrate how the technology/products work. Explain the benefits, including how it would replace their existing lighting methods (eg kerosene, candles).
Introduce the technology partners, where people can purchase the products. Provide products for sale at the events.
Make sure there is opportunity for people to ask questions and voice concerns.
Demonstrate how the technology/products work. Explain the benefits, including how it would replace their existing lighting methods (eg kerosene, candles).
Introduce the technology partners, where people can purchase the products. Provide products for sale at the events.
Make sure there is opportunity for people to ask questions and voice concerns.
