[Peripherals] Alternitive Power for Developing Countries

Mon May 5 22:13:22 EDT 2008

Javier,

The solar panels are just an option, but surely the best way is build a
device that can provides the proper energy to an XO;  In fact, that was part
of an original idea.  In the COS, we still search for the best way to help
with that, specially after the problems with potemkos or other equipments.
Is not a hard way only needs dedication.

Greetings,

2008/5/6 info at olpc-peru.info <info at olpc-peru.info>:

>  Hello Alfonso,
>
> According to all the information from 3 or 4 different solar pannel
> manufacturers you will get JUST 5% to 20% of the intended total energy when
> you use the solar pannels in "not full sunny" days.  That means a huge extra
> cost to provide enough energy to the XOs: we will need to multiply the
> number of solar panels from 5 to 20 times to guarantee that we will reach
> this or that energy level.
>
> In thousands of our towns and villages, that are located over the 3,500
> meters altitude, there are 4 months that are reported (by the machines that
> read this data) as "100% cloudy".
>
> The best recommendation that I have found is to measure the total light
> (sun) in a given period of time: months. (our worst time, and our worries,
> are centered from December to March).  That is a reason why I am building a
> list (that will be a public list) with this info because I think it will
> help many people that needs to take poltiical decisions.  This list will be
> updated weekly and data will be colected.  In this way we will learn how
> much sun exist in every one of our 80,000 villages and towns located in our
> whole country (well.... in fact the measurement can be done for ANY
> worldwide location, if someone needs that I build extra data for some
> location, just tell me).
>
> Regards,
>
> Javier Rodriguez
> Lima, Peru
>
>
>
> Alfonso de la Guarda wrote:
>
> Hello,
>
> In the COS (www.cos-la.org), we are working some months ago in some
> options for that, specially with a portable solar panel trying to reduce
> their cost (about 60 dollars each).  The device -commercially available as
> cell charger- is really small and can charge the XO without any problems.
> In a field test in Junin and Arahuay (Perú) the panels works great, in fact,
> in the recent event of FLISOL in Huancayo (Junin-Peru) for the OLPC project,
> we test the solution (commercial) between 3400 mts and 4500 mts (Ticlio).
> Antonio Ramirez, Carlos Reinoso and who writes now are working in our breaks
> on this task (reduce the cost for about 25 dollars each).
>
>
>
>
> 2008/5/5 Caryl Bigenho <cbigenho at hotmail.com>:
>
> > Hello Javier Rodriguez and, all the other folks on the peripherals list,
> >
> > After seeing the creative things Arjun Sarwal is doing with cow-power in
> > India, I started thinking of other possibilities. I remembered my
> > grandmother's old treadle sewing machine and how excited she was to have it
> > electrified.  Later, I saw many being used 35 years ago in regions in the
> > Yucatan where there was no electricity.
> >
> > Here is a link to a picture of what they look like.  It is the one on
> > the left.
> >
> >
> > http://www.sil.si.edu/DigitalCollections/Trade%2DLiterature/Sewing%2DMachines/
> >
> > Many of these machines still exist.  i see them at estate auctions every
> > summer in Montana.  There must be thousands throughout the world.  I have
> > twice tried bidding on just the treadle mechanism of one on ebay. I lost out
> > on the bidding for both, but have hopes of finding one in Montana this
> > summer.
> >
> > When I get one, I intend to try to set it up as a combination desk/power
> > source to run an XO.  If it works and doesn't cost too much to set up, it
> > might be something that could be replicated all over the world where these
> > old machines still exist...some probably still being used without
> > electricity.
> >
> > Javier, have you seen any of these machines in rural Peru?  Are they
> > still being used to sew?  Would there be a need to try to design it to
> > continue to be used as a sewing machine but to generate power at the same
> > time?
> >
> > It might also be possible to manufacture a similar mechanism, at a
> > modest cost.  But, the idea of recycling the old ones has a lot of appeal. I
> > was also wondering if an old automobile generator could be adapted to work
> > with it.  Perhaps it would require too much torque to work.
> >
> > It may be just a crazy idea, but if cow-power works, maybe this will
> > too. If and when I do this project, I will probably need some advice from
> > you folks.  Any suggestions for starters?
> >
> > Caryl
> >
> > BTW, Could AJ's Cow-power generator be adapted to run on Llama power?
> > How about donkey power?  Goat power?
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Peripherals mailing list
> > Peripherals at lists.laptop.org
> > http://lists.laptop.org/listinfo/peripherals
> >
> >
>
>
> --
>
> --------------------------------
> Alfonso de la Guarda
> COS
> www.cos-la.org
> www.delaguarda.info
> Telef. 97550914
>
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>

-- 

--------------------------------
Alfonso de la Guarda
         COS
   www.cos-la.org
www.delaguarda.info
  Telef. 97550914
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