Mods not sure if this is the correct forum if not please move it.

Alternative Energy for Orphaned Children Suffering with HIV/AIDS.

A friend of mine that works at the Camillain center has asked me to put this on Thai Visa any info you can give would be great.

I am a volunteer at the Camillian Center Rayong. This Catholic center cares for Orphaned Children Suffering with HIV/AIDS and adults in the last stages of the infection. We also have a farming community in the Rayong area that helps adults suffering with HIV/AIDS rehabilitate themselves back into the Thai community while providing fresh farm produce for the center.

Farther Giovanni has asked me to look into the possibility of alternative energy for the farming community in order to save costs. We already have methane collection and storage facility set up for which the pigs supply the raw material. Now we are looking into saving money on the electricity bills. Once a reliable cost saving system is set up on this site the lessons learned will be applied to the other two sites.

As far as I can see the way to do this is with Photovoltaic cells (PV cells) so as I am not an electrical engineer or scientist I am asking for the Thaivisa members help with any advice they can give on PV cells or indeed any other form of alternative energy that can be set up in a farming community at as lower cost as possible from materials available in Thailand.

Please contact me via email or PM with any advice you can give on alternative energy.

Perhaps you might like to consider wind generation.

Cobra are looking to list some time in the future, and need other businesses beyond just making surfboards, car parts and windsurfers.

Look them up; located in Amata; I know they are working on low wind speed wind generation. That would be possible for your area. I would think you would aim to offer yourself as a test facility and get the equipment for free.

Solar is another option. Try Solartech. You might like to look at eliminating electricity from processes where it is not needed; e.g. use solar for water heating directly rather than for electricity to run water heating.

Can you please give us an idea of what their current energy usage is:

Types of apliances used;

Water pumps; AC units; Water Heaters etc.

To specify alternatives it is first necessary to know, alternative to what?

As a first comment I doubt that photoelectric cells are the answer to the problem, but I'll have a better idea once I know what energy sources are being used right now.

What kind of agricultural products and wastes are being generated? Animal fats and vegetable oils could be used to produce biodiesel. Waste cooking oils could also be procured from the surrounding community.

The biodiesel could then be used to fuel a genset to provide part of your electricity needs or to fuel vehicles.

I will pass this info onto Camillian center and get back to you with more details.

Cheers Tony