Case Study

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Mt. Abu has a population of approximately 18,000 people and another 30,000 live on its outskirts. A further 40,000 people live throughout the surrounding district in small, widely scattered, tribal villages. Poverty is high in the area and apart from tourism and its associated activities, most of the population survives on subsistence farming. The poverty is further compounded by a lack of public services such as roads, water and electricity.

Only one main road connects Mt. Abu to the rest of the state. Roads to outer villages are generally unsealed or non existent. Water is pumped from diminishing underground supplies. Grid, or mains, electricity is supplied only to the town and its immediate environs. This comes via an eleven kilovolt line from a large coal fired power station in Kota some 600 kilometres away.

Mt. Abu is only one of many places that gets its power from Kota. By the time it reaches the town, the heavy demand along the way results in an extremely overloaded system. There is simply not enough power to go around. To counter this, many people depend on diesel generators as back up, or alternative, systems. However, in the more remote villages people live entirely without power.

Each year, as the demand for electricity grows, the people of Mt. Abu experience increasing problems due to;

• Cost
  Electricity is expensive. People use it sparingly and much work, including industrial, is still carried out by hand.
• Maintenance
  There is a lack of skilled electrical workers to keep the system in good working order.
• Safety
  Poorly installed and maintained systems are a potential danger to human life.
• Unreliability
  Fluctuations in the mains supply and bad weather frequently disrupt services.
• Electricity theft
  People illegally wire into the mains and steal power placing even more strain on the supply.

While the lack of adequate electricity remains a major issue for this area, potential solutions can be found close at hand. The Academy for a Better World is located only a few kilometres from Mt. Abu. Run by the Brahma Kumaris, a group of people devoted to improving the world, the Academy attracts many international visitors and students.

Inspired by a vision of sustainability, the Academy also aims to be environmentally friendly. Its new building complex reflects this vision and incorporates the latest technologies in building materials, water conservation and reuse, organic agriculture, and renewable energy. These systems all work together to contribute to the Academy's daily needs and to reduce impact on the environment.

Mt. Abu and the surrounding district enjoy long days of sunshine all year around and, at 1,300 metres above sea level, also experience strong wind patterns. Since the Academy began in 1991, several international agencies have helped to research, design and install renewable energy systems based on the available solar and wind power.

Projects completed to date include;

• an impressive kitchen where up to 1,200 people can be fed from solar powered steam ovens
• solar hot water heating throughout the complex
• a thermal-solar-wind demonstration house that requires no mains power
• several small scale solar-wind combined systems.

In 1995 the Australian government helped to fund the development of a solar-wind-hybrid power system. This 'stand alone' system consisting of a 5 kilowatt solar array and a 2.5 kilowatt wind generator, is capable of a maximum output of 10 kilowatts (kw) of energy. That's enough power for 2 average, or 4 energy efficient, Australian homes. The surplus energy is stored in battery banks for use as needed. This particular system loads the Academy's emergency lighting, runs the computers and communications electronics, and operates some of the water pumps. However during the cloudy monsoon season, the Academy needs to boost the system from the mains supply as the wind alone does not generate enough energy to maintain its output.

Small systems such as these have many benefits. Not only do they contribute towards the total energy requirements of the Academy they also;

• serve as working models for use in remote areas throughout the world
• produce reliable power in the right climatic conditions
• provide cost effective energy once installed
• reduce greenhouse gas emissions - a contributing factor to global warming

Australia is a world leader in renewable energy research and technology. Continued developments in this area of work will help to bring power to the people of the world in ecologically sustainable ways.