Solar Programs

At the Cure Salee we set up a stand to show the products of Nomade Energie.  Arnold explained the potential, charged some cel phones and sold two “Unite to Lights”.  We were visited by two cabinet ministers and thanked for our work.  Its a start.

Trying to put more into the hands of the students and local staff, we had a meeting–most of the Wodaabe came, but only a couple of Tuareg.  The Wodaabe who came were asking for a per diem, which we had given the first two trainings.  It always went against the grain for me because we […]

Four of the solar students showed up at the center–we are really in the middle of nowhere–and installed the electric system. They worked for four days according to Rich’s plan and got it done. We now have lights, plugs, and ICE! Because our materials did not get through customs in time, they did not have […]

Before we left Agadez our final step was to hang the NOMAD ENERGIE SOLAIRE sign in the office.

The students got their diplomas today.  First we chose the best panel and awarded Djabo the solar T shirt for doing the best job.

Today was the final day of the program. It actually worked out OK that the materials to make the large panels never arrived–they are still in customs limbo–but we got our NIF–so maybe someday they will be liberated. Because the students weren’t focused solely on making panels they learned a lot of other things. Like […]

Our biggest challenge to date, besides customs of course,  has not been teaching the concepts of solar energy, but instilling the idea of straight, square or precise.  I decided to try to clean up one of the panels and make it prettier so they could see the difference.   So they set to sanding, filling gaps […]

I spent the day in various offices trying to get our shipments of solar equioment which had finally arrived in Agadez.  After some seven offices (this after paying $500 to a customs clearing agent in Niamey to do it) we got the packages released on condition that we complete our NIF which we have been […]

The first rice cooked in the solar oven was sampled by all.  Pretty good.

The solar ovens were put to work today.  The small one cooked a pot of rice and the big one a solar panel.  The students could not believe how hot they got without even any solar cells used–just glass, wood, insulation and metal.   Cooking a 65 watt panel  

A generous donation of 100 solar lights from Unite to Light in Santa Barbara, CA. will lead to some new businesses for the nomads.  We distributed them to each of our students for which they signed an agreement to pay.  They will do a publicity campaign with these examples and take orders for more.  The […]

The crew happily displays their new potential businesses.  The panels which they are paid $5 each to make they can buy for $10 and resell for $15 or they can use them to earn money by charging cell phones for friends.          

The solar ovens are nearing completion and we will find out today about our customs deal — we are hoping for transit papers so we can clear customs in Agadez. The new challenge–as we wait for Dr. Skankey and the medical volunteers to arrive–is an Air France strike.  oh well…..

After 10 days straight of very hard work, we decided we all needed a break.  We took the opportunity to go out to the garden for another picnic and at the same time figure out why the solar pump stopped working.  Usually solar systems as simple as the one installed in the garden are very […]

We are still waiting for our shipment to clear customs.  It is going through a whole new set of traumas, after we had an agreement, they changed their mind and told us the amount would be about 70% of the value of the merchandize PLUS shipping costs which would mean we would be paying almost […]

The last couple of days have been full of challenges as usual.  The first was we got word that our nurse at the clinic had an accident on the new motorcycle and had to be evacuated to Agadez unable to walk.  Then Dr. Komp woke up sick and could not go to the teaching program.  […]

Today the group had to learn some carpentry in order to make the solar ovens.  Finding decent wood was a challenge, but we have two ovens half way done.  One will be used for baking our large solar panels with a new method and the other will be half the size and will be used […]

We have a small space in central Agadez, right across the street from the grand 16th century mosque.  We have set up the front room as an office, the middle room for the sorting, soldering, The inside room is for sorting, cutting cells and soldering. the next small room for storing equipment and stock, the […]

The first afternoon they sorted cells.  The boxes of cells arrive with some broken so we make use of every bit we can.   We explained the need to be careful of wasting cells–not to break them or to find the best use of the broken ones.  The smallest can be used in Cell phone chargers, […]

Dr. Rich Komp our solar energy expert and Sol de la Torre Bueno a stalwart foundation volunteer arrived by plane from Niamey on the Friday flight.  I say this with some pride because it was almost a week of work to get accepted to use the humanitarian flight service of the United Nations.  Now that […]