What a way to celebrate the year end!
We are happy to share our paper, written by Dedy Haning, Erna Megawati Manna and Gus Firman, entitled “Pre-Feasibility Study: Microgrid Solar Solution for Indigenous Village (Kampung Adat) Ubu Oleta in Sumba Island, Indonesia“, has been published in the 2021 IEEE International Power and Renewable Energy Conference (IPRECON) – IEEE Xplore.
You can access the paper here: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9640674 (DOI: 10.1109/IPRECON52453.2021.9640674)
SREG is happy and proud to be part of this grant project with Tim Frodsham. The project is a training program to build local capacity in renewable energy technology on Sumba island with the title “REWIRE (Renewable Energy Workshops to Assist Indonesia’s Rural Electrification)”. The announcement is available on: https://www.foreignminister.gov.au/minister/marise-payne/media-release/grants-further-enhance-australia-indonesia-links
REWIRE (Renewable Energy Workshops to Assist Indonesia’s Rural Electrification) is a collaborative one year project between the Murdoch University with Sumba Renewable Energy Groups (SREG) (a grassroot energy access initiative) and RAKARU (a startup company that focuses on delivering green energy to remote communities). The project aims to add a new power source into the existing two micro-grid PV systems in two traditional hamlets in Sumba island of Indonesia. The main approach is technology transfer through capacity building programs to ensure that the local communities are equipped with skills to use local materials, install and operate an affordable and reliable small renewable energy system for their own benefit. The project promotes Australian expertise, with appropriate designs developed by Tim Frodsham for his Masters Dissertation in Renewable and Sustainable Energy, at Murdoch University. These include: small hybrid wind & solar electricity generators, smoke reducing firewood cookstoves, and solar cookers.
Nearly 500 villages located mostly in Eastern Indonesia are still in total dark despite the Indonesian electrification ratio has reached 99% as reported in 2020 data from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (MEMR). This number is not include about 8,500 villages that are currently electrified by non-National Electricity Company (PLN) and receive power less than 24 hours. The numbers are different from one minister to the others but we all agreed that achieving the remaining 1% with business as usual strategy is going to be a difficult task.
From a utility point of view, Eastern Indonesia, including 73 out of 96 districts/cities in the regions of Moluccas, Papua and Nusa Tenggara that are categorized as underdeveloped, shares the same challenges: difficult-to-access geographic setting leads to fragmented electricity grids, low affordability, slow demand growth and expensive fuel to ensure continuous service of electricity. Therefore, we must look for local solutions – and one of the solution is something that we all share – solar power.
In the past 10 years, the Directorate General of New Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation has made remarkable progress by installing more than 700 Photovoltaic powered mini-grids all over Indonesia including eastern Indonesia. The impact of these community-operated decentralized power systems at accumulated scale is job creation, increased energy resilience, improved livelihoods and increased productivity. More importantly, this proves a promising approach as it is independent of a grid connection or expensive fuel. The lessons learned from this program, however, need to be accounted for. Among them are: continuous funding, safeguarding of operation and maintenance and institutional development within the community. These elements are crucial to ensure a full lifetime of technology and alleviate energy poverty in Indonesia.
The rural economy in eastern Indonesia is mainly subsistence-based with limited cash availability and they also suffered from lack of access to water and sanitation or if they have agricultural resources, they lack access to the market. Even if the power grid arrives, they cannot necessarily afford the connection fee. Therefore, the policy should aim to not only to address electricity by itself but an integrated approach of all above-mentioned aspects for these communities to ease such expenses to grow their economy to a certain level. The rule of thumb is: when people have more income, the electricity demand will also increase.
Thus, over-dimensioned grid extension, low-quality pre-electrification or community energy systems – what is the right approach? The newest developments of 2020 might lead us to new solutions and new opportunities altogether.
Growing giving culture and Energy start-up companies
In the past ten years, we have seen two great phenomena. The first is a growing interest of millennials who want to contribute directly to community through energy solutions. The second is being a growing giving culture in Indonesia through several crowdfunding platforms for various causes including providing basic services to remote, secluded and off-grid communities. As a strong indication of increased giving culture, Indonesia was ranked the top in the World Giving Index for the first time in 2018.,
More and more impact investors, philanthropic organizations and gas and oil companies have paid attention to growing clean energy startup ecosystem to serve rural communities. We have seen a growing number of energy startups. Many of these are intensively looking at finding clean and innovative solutions to electrify secluded off-grid communities. The common pattern is that most of them have access to blended financing schemes and are willing to work with local communities to match their ability to pay.
The lesson drawn from providing energy services to the off-grid community is that it is difficult to realize the value of electricity but appliances and machinery for productivity or entertainment. The only problem is that the adoption of modern technologies means upfront investment, and not all can afford this. This raises several concerns: How can we address these challenges? What kind of services do people need? Can people afford it? Which model is more suitable: leasing or ownership model; or decentralized or centralized system? The point is we need to better understand the community needs. A conventional utility company seems to abandon these issues, but startup companies normally are working through this logic.
Therefore, the remaining question is how can we nurture these startups, who present new jobs, and allow them to penetrate more remote and secluded communities? This lays the opportunity for the government, instead of becoming an active project developer like in the past, the same amount of budget could be allocated to opening the market for these companies, thus helping them to penetrate more secluded communities and create what I like to call “a grid-ready costumer” instead of expanding the grid to serve a very low energy demand.
I’d like to end this article by bringing us through a memory lane around the year 1979. The Village Unit Cooperative or Koperasi Unit Desa had a very important role in rural electrification. Back then, it was through diesel deployment. Both the Ministry of Mining and Energy and the Ministry of Trade and Cooperatives worked hand-in-hand with PLN in making this program sustain – e.g. by adding training and safeguarding the whole process. The project failed to retain its success due to expensive fuel cost and affordability of these communities toward tariffs. Now, though, with renewable energy, especially PV, there will be no fuel cost and affordability can be addressed by providing a different mode of payment, such as daily payment, using pay as you go, leasing models or other business innovation that only startups can provide. The other opportunity lays with the availability of the village fund and the village owned enterprise (BUMDES). The answer to the rural development through energy provision might be in the form of supporting startup companies by allowing them to work with BUMDES and PLN, as well as to ease the permits and licensing and loan facility to allow more growth.
Taken from: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/re-inventing-rural-electrification-eastern-indonesia-enhance-haning/
Written by: Dedy Haning
During our time at Murdoch University on Renewable Energy Technologies in Eastern Indonesia through a Short Term Course Award by Australia Awards Indonesia, we developed this project to provide a clean energy solutions to secluded and remote customary villages in Sumba island. Customary Villages in Sumba have a significant role in keeping communities’ culture but cases of fire happened every year due to the use of kerosene lanterns and open fire cooking inside the house. We aim not only to provide a demo project to this community but eventually, we are hoping to bring our case to government including the national government to scale up such initiative.
We managed to provide electricity through PV to 50% of this customary village by the end of the course. Yet, more work needs to be done including providing improved cook-stove and water and sanitation solutions. Check our works here: https://www.instagram.com/solarprojectsumba/ or https://www.instagram.com/p/CEEw6pVl-Su/?igshid=1v7yayp474vlp
Lets help this community by making a donation through below link. We believe, any size of your donation will give impact to bring clean energy solutions to remaining 1% communities in Indonesia that are living far from the national grid.
Make your donation here: https://kitabisa.com/campaign/kampungadat
https://sregproject.wordpress.com/2020/09/04/daily-life-at-kampung-adat-ubu-oleta-west-sumba/
We found a video by a visitor who visit the project location on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSkiKzmZF6Q
Text: Dedy Haning
JOIN US TO CONTINUE BRING CLEAN ENERGY SOLUTIONS TO TRADITIONAL VILLAGE OF UBU OLETA IN WEST SUMBA, SUMBA ISLAND, INDONESIA IN PHASE II
Make you donation here: https://kitabisa.com/campaign/kampungadat
Read the story here:
From Waikabubak, we can drive or ride towards Lamboya. At a junction, take straight to the less maintained road, toward West Lamboya district. The road to the left is the road to Nihi, the world’s best hotel next to the heavenly coast of West Sumba. Along the way, we will be passed by villages and several traditional villages. The condition of the road is varied. At some point, the road is already damage with deep hole. After 90 minutes of driving with hilly roads, we arrive at the intersection between the road to the Weetana Village Office and the Kampung Adat (hamlet). Access to the location is relatively good with paved roads. However, the asphalt road to access the village, already in bad condition and surrounded by wild grass.
Figure 1: Kampung Adat Ubu Oleta
There is only one entrance to the village. The sign is big banyan tree with roots dangling and one big home in the left. Some grave stone built in Kampung Adat Ubu Oleta. This village is the main village for people of Gaura and Weetana where priests (Rato) and traditional elders live. One of the functions of traditional village is a place for community to carry out various traditional rituals such as the ritual of death, birth, calling ancestral spirits, etc. There are 7 Kabisu (tribes) in Ubu Oleta. Each house in the traditional village represents these Kabisu. The 7 Kabisu are (1) Ubu Oleta, (2) Ubu Ada, (3) Ubu Moto Deta, (4) Adaha, (5) Ubu Legera Deta, (6) Ubu Wawa Ubera, and (7) Ubu Moto Wawa. Ubu Oleta consists of 38 families with a population of 322 people. Each house consists of about 2 – 3 families.
In one of the houses which painted green and blue, there is a terminal full by mobile phone chargers belong to villagers. They have electricity since the microgrid solar system was installed at Ubu Oleta in January 2020. Microgrid solar system was built based on cooperation between the community and PT. Resco Sumba Terang (RST) which was initiated by Sumba Renewable Energy Group (SREG). RST itself is a local company that focuses on renewable energy development for remote communities who are not yet connected to the national grid. Unfortunately, due to some limitations, only 7 houses are connected to the microgrid solar network. There are 7 more houses that are not connected yet to the network, and still rely on lanterns or lamps that are connected to motor batteries as a source of lighting.
At the same house, Mama Fira and her families live and storing paddy in two big woven sacks. This paddy can last for more than a year of consumption for two or more families, and can be used for rituals such death or marriage. To make paddy become rice, Mama Fira and her neighbors first grind the paddy. Do not grind too smooth, she said, the important thing is the paddy is separated from its skin. The grind result brought to the terrace of big house, then sifted and sorted. After that, the rice is stored in private woven sacks (which are smaller than paddy woven sacks), to be consumed for two days.
Figure 2: Women grind the paddy
Before rice can be cooked, Mama Fira first heats the water in the wood stove, in the centre of the big house called Ubu Legera Deta. This big house is crowded when there are riituals such death or wedding dowry (belis). Mama Fira gets water from a big plastic tube in the patio.
The water in the plastic tube is collected by the women for cooking, washing dishes and bathing. Almost every morning, they walk to the spring below the cliff to get water. Because of the terrain were difficult and steep, they brought home a bucket that can be put on their head. Both hands must be free, so they can reach a tree branch or the edge of a cliff to keep their balance.
Figure 3: Dish washing area
The Matawe Hatadala spring is the only source of clean water used by villagers beside rain water. From Ubu Legera Deta, villagers walk about 600 meters down the cliff and about 60 meters down the road of the hamlet. Villagers usually bring two buckets of 10 liters. This is enough for a few days, if it is used wisely, do not wash clothes and choose to bathe in the river. Mama Fira once brought his two years old son to the spring. “But that is enough for once because too dangerous,” she said while smile.
Figure 4: Matawe Hatadala spring
While waiting and chatting, the rice is put into the cooker when the water is warm but not yet boiling properly. Mama Fira also has set up a pot containing pig food, chopped leaves were boiled (again, it requires water from the spring), then it left overnight. This pig food will be mixed with cooked rice.
A few seconds later, Mama Fira brought a large coconut shell from outside. She ladles water from the cooker, so the rice is cooked properly. Rice stew, can be drink or used for enhancing nutrition for livestock and people. It is also good for breastfeeding, she said, and saves water usage, no need to boil water again.
“How if the water from spring is not enough?”
At that time, neighboring hamlet was holding a feast of death. The community were borrowing reservoir of 1,000 liters, to meet the needs of water during 7-10 days, depends on the length of time the ceremony performed. Water truck will come at least 2-3 days to fill it up. It costs IDR 300,000.00 to fully fill reservoir.
“Usually from the private sector, they get water from other villages. It normally run out within 3 days, especially if guests are many”, she said.
She hastily added, “But that is not for bathing or washing clothes. If someone dare to use it for bathing, that is insolent!” She said while laugh.
Story: Chairumi Tyas Satiti
Photos: Chairumi Tyas Satiti / Gus Firman
Translator: Erna Megawati Manna
Do you still remember our project to bring electricity for Ubu Oleta in West Sumba? Let us remind you, kindly open this link: https://sregproject.wordpress.com/2019/08/16/sreg/ or this one: https://kitabisa.com/campaign/sumbabercahaya
Thanks to all our valuable donors, Ubu Oleta community and our team, we manage to deliver the electricity for the community up to 7 houses.
Check our work here:
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 1 & 2: The community of Ubu Oleta is working together to build the power house
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Figure 3: Power house
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 4 & 5: PT. Resco Sumba Terang (RST) is installing the solar
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Figure 6 & 7: The community of Ubu Oleta is enjoying the electricity
Photos: Village Head of Ubu Oleta & Gus Firman
During post-course of Australia Awards Indonesia “Renewable Energy Technologies in Eastern Indonesia” on 16 January 2020 in Surabaya, East java, SREG was awarded as The Best Group Presenter for our project “Microgrid Solar Solution for Kampung Adat Ubu Oleta in Sumba Island”
Thanks to Ubu Oleta community, Murdoch University and Australia Awards!
JOIN US TO BRING CLEAN ENERGY SOLUTIONS TO TRADITIONAL VILLAGE OF UBU OLETA IN WEST SUMBA, SUMBA ISLAND, INDONESIA
Make you donation here: https://kitabisa.com/sumbabercahaya
While the Indonesian grid continues to expand toward off-grid communities, Sumba kept its unique challenge of scattered communities living between valleys and rolling hills, making the national grid expansion financially expensive. These communities live in a typical compound called Kampung Adat, retains its charm of the traditional vernacular houses, megalithic tombs, natured dyed weaving known as Ikat, and beautiful savannahs. Unfortunately, these hamlets are still difficult to access and vulnerable to fire hazard due to the use of kerosene lamps for lighting and burning firewood. This demonstration project aims to provide the local community and government with a sustainable PV management learning. In doing this, we are working together with PT RESCO Sumba Terang (RST) for procurement, installation, and Operation and Maintainance (O&M) to ensure optimum system life-time and proper waste management.
Check out the village video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lqOZl63uf8
Where is the project location?
Ubu Oleta is a small hamlet consists of less than 40 families living near the edge of a beautiful cliff looking out to the ocean. Located 50 km away from the district’s capital of West Sumba. Majority of people here relying on the cultivation of agriculture products and herding. Despite being a small closed related hamlet, traditionally this humble hamlet has a significant role in customary system in this region as the gatekeeper to some important customary festive such as Pasola, an ancient war ritual showcasing Sumbanese men riding colorful decorated selected horses fling wooden spears at each other. This cultural richness has a huge potential to contribute to building a strong tourism sector and source of the economy if managed well. Google coordinates for the village -9.740833, 119.238333
Access to energy
This hamlet located ±10 km from the national grid, and due to a small number of houses, it is less likely to be connected to the grid in the near future. Currently, families here spend more than AUD$3 every month for kerosene to light their lanterns; while cooking is mainly relying on firewoods. Women and young girls are responsible to collect wood and ensure the lights are on in the house. Another big expense apart from energy is clean water. Currently, their options are either to fetch water from small natural spring water located not too far from the village or to buy water for AUD$ 150 per 5,000 liters.
Technology and business model
We propose a microgrid DC system that can connect up to 3 houses clustered together. With the current setting of the village Ubu Oleta, we will need at least three systems like this. However, this pilot project will seek funding to start with one system and extend it as the awareness of clean energy increases. A PAYGO system will be offered to the remaining houses. Each house in this pilot will have 3 lights as a basic package and fan or television as a premium package. Installation and O&M will be done by RST, an energy startup company based in Sumba. The community will have to pay a basic O&M service of AUD$2,5 monthly/house and lease for fan or television and PAYGO system to RST to ensure sustainability services.
Who involved in the project and their roles
Each of our team members will bring our expertise to the project:
The team members are receipient scholarship for Renewable Energy Technologies in Eastern Indonesia 2019, brought by Australia Awards Indonesia and Murdoch University
Budget and Fundraising
Your contribution will contribute to the technology component of AUD$6,784. The community will contribute local materials for civil and labor work will be donated by RST. Make your donation here: https://kitabisa.com/sumbabercahaya
To donate
The transfer can be made to: Bank Nasional Indonesia (BNI)
Account number 102106025 (IDR) Swift code: BNINIDJA
account name: Dedy Jekson Haning
Catch up with the project’s progress at Social Media
https://www.instagram.com/solarprojectsumba/
email: solarprojectsumba@gmail.com or sregproject@gmail.com
Proudly presented and supported by:
SUMBA RENEWABLE ENERGY GROUP 