Bhutan (1993)


In October 2003, the Solar Electric Light Fund (SELF) helped to advance the twin goals of environmental conservation and improved living conditions by working with local partners to bring clean, reliable solar energy to 151 Phobjikha homes, a community health clinic serving 4,000 area residents, and the education center of the Royal Society for the Protection of Nature, a local environmental group.

Deep in the heart of the Himalayas, the land-locked country of Bhutan is an environmental and cultural Shangri-La.

With colorful prayer flags fluttering atop ancient monasteries and age-old traditions passed down through the generations, Bhutan is the world’s sole surviving Buddhist Kingdom, and is home to nearly 600,000 people.

The Royal Government of Bhutan is taking a very active role in developing the country at an appropriate pace, hoping to avoid some of the cultural and societal changes that have destabilized other developing countries. The King of Bhutan, His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck, has Due to a lack of electricity in Phobjikha, families are forced to cut trees and brush for fuel, slowly destroying the habitat of the beloved cranes. Lack of electricity has wider implications as well. Burning wood chips, kerosene lamps, and candles also threatens human eyesight and lung health, and creates a serious fire hazard in homes.

The 500 families that inhabit Phobjikha Valley longed for the improved quality of life that electricity could provide, yet they are faithful protectors of the natural wonderland they call home. Stringing the national electrical grid to the Valley would mar the region’s currently unscathed landscape and endanger the Black-Necked Cranes.

In October 2003, the Solar Electric Light Fund (SELF) helped to advance the twin goals of improved living conditions and environmental conservation by working with local partners to bring clean, reliable solar energy to 151 Phobjikha homes, the community health clinic, and the education center of the Royal Society for the Protection of Nature.

The project was made possible by the generous support of the V. Kann Rasmussen Foundation, the International Foundation, the Summit Foundation, Geographic Expeditions, Dar Williams, Colin and Anne Phipps, Elaine Seiler and numerous other individual donors, many of them past visitors to Bhutan.

PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION

As with all SELF projects, two critical components were put in place to ensure the long-term success of the program.

First, the solar home systems were not donated to families free of charge. Instead, SELF provided the seed capital and mechanism for families to secure small loans for purchase of their solar home system. These microloans instill a sense of pride and ownership that is impossible with give-aways.

Sixteen families chose a six-light system, powered by 75-watt BP Solar panels, and the remaining families opted for a four-light system, powered by 50-watt BP Solar panels. The price of the six-light system was Nu 21,500, or about $475, and the four-light system cost about Nu 16,500, or about $365.

With the assistance of microloans, the monthly payments are nearly identical to what families previously paid for kerosene, candles, and batteries. Approximately 25% of the price was due upon installation, with the balance to be paid over three years at an interest rate of 7%, well below rates typically offered through microloans. And if families choose to pay the balance within the first year, no interest will be charged.

Second, SELF, along with its local partners Tshungmed Solar and SELCO-India, trained local men and women in solar technology, installation, and maintenance, thus ensuring that even after SELF’s departure, the high-technology project can be maintained over time. Local teens, including two young women, were taught how to care for the batteries and keep the panels clean of debris.

The training not only enhances the sense of pride and ownership in the project, but also builds local capacity and creates jobs.

In addition to solar home systems, a 750-watt solar system was installed at the education/information center of the Royal Society for the Protection of Nature (RSPN), a Bhutanese conservation NGO that will provide ongoing local support for the project. RSPN will now be able to run lights and computers in the education center.

Phobjikha’s small health clinic also has a new seven-light solar system, allowing people to receive medical care whenever it is needed, day or night.

PROJECT IMPACT

The expected benefits of this project will be far-reaching. First, the people of Phobjikha will no longer be subjected to the dangerous, choking fumes of kerosene lamps and candles, and there will be no more laborious hours collecting mebshi (wood used for lighting).

Clean, bright light also opens the door of opportunity. The women of Phobjikha Valley have expressed delight at the ability to stitch embroidery, weave, or produce other income-generating goods during the evening hours, or simply to enjoy brightly-lit family time.

Children will benefit, too, with much better conditions for studying. No more squinting by lamplight to complete the day’s homework. And no more inhalation of smoke to read a book.

At its now solar-powered headquarters, RSPN can monitor the Black-Necked Cranes with computers, rather than pen and paper. And lights at the center provide the community with a gathering place to socialize in the evenings and learn computer literacy skills.

The entire community will benefit from the newly electrified health clinic where healthcare can now be given even on overcast days, and emergencies or night-time births can be handled under the vivid glow of an electric light bulb instead of the dim flicker of a kerosene lamp.

Electricity in the Phobjikha Valley is a small but vital component of a larger strategy of conservation and development in Bhutan, and this project will serve as a model for electrification of other villages, both in Bhutan and elsewhere in the Himalayas.