Abstract
Background
During the months of May through July in 2014, students from Humboldt State University in the Practivistas Dominicana Program are working in collaboration with Universidad Iberoamericana (UNIBE), Collectivo RevArk, Ghetto2Garden, and the community of La Yuca. Both Ghetto2Garden and La Yuca are small communities located near the city of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. A group of five students consisting of Noah Coor, Jackson Ingram, Emily Klee, Diego Miranda, and Jeff Mosbacher are designing a project to provide solar energy that will power the electricity needs of both communities. In La Yuca there is currently a small solar panel that provides power for lights in one of the five schoolrooms, however it is not functional. The other four schoolrooms are powered by the grid. In Ghetto2Garden power is needed for lighting, sockets, refridgerator, and a waterpump.
Problem statement
The objective of this project is to design and implement an alternative energy system that can produce power for the schoolroom in La Yuca. Also, a separate system will be designed for Ghetto2Garden to supply power for refrigeration and lighting.
Literature Review
Here is a link to a review of the literature pertinent to the 2014 alternative energy project. This project is located in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, specifically, La Yuca and Ghetto2Garden.
Criteria
The following table designates our criteria for completing our projects weighted on a scale of 1-10, with 1 being of little importance and 10 being of the highest importance.
| Criteria | Weight | Constraint |
|---|---|---|
| Durability | 9 | Systems must be able to withstand the various weather conditions of Santo Domingo |
| Functionality | 10 | Must be able to power the clients needs and store excess electricity |
| Cost | 9 | Must not exceed our project budget |
| Material Locality | 6.5 | Materials must be locally available in Santo Domingo |
| Educational Value | 5 | System is easily understood for those interested in learning about the system |
| Safety & Security | 8 | Must be a well protected system from theft as well as any possible physical harm to members of the community |
| Reproducibility | 6 | Must be easy enough for community members to replicate in their own setting |
| Ease of Maintenance | 8 | System must require little maintenance and be easy to understand and work with |
| Aesthetics | 5 | Systems constructed in a visually pleasing way that is accepted by the community |
Timeline
The following table outlines the tasks and dates for the project.
| Date Proposed | Task | Photos | Date Completed |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 8th | Meeting with Osvaldo in La Yuca to tour the La Yuca schoolroom and view the current PV system. Looked at PV system and tried to ascertain what was wrong and how the system could be fixed. Viewed the rooftop of the school which will eventually be the location of the future PV system. |  |
June 8th |
| June 10th | Met with one of the coordinators, Ivan Tarrazo, for Ghetto2Garden to discuss the energy needs of the company and the projects details. The director wants to power a refrigerator, a water pump, and lights and fans for each shipping container. Gave the coordinator a Kill-A-Watt meter in order to gather information about the refrigerators energy usage. Talked briefly about system security and location. |  |
June 10th |
| June 12th | Went back to La Yuca to talk with teachers at the school to learn about their energy needs. Learned that the electricity they get from the city was free, and that a PV system was not necessary to power the whole school. However, the teachers wanted a system that would provide backup power for when the power goes out. Took pictures of the classrooms and learned that each classroom required at least one light and two fans. Took measurements of the rooftop. Set up a meeting with the director of the school to discuss her opinions on the future PV system. |  |
June 12th |
| June 12th | Addressed the issues regarding the existing solar power system. Found that the wire to connect the panel to the battery was not connected, and once rewired, the system began to work again. Took apart several loose wire connections and rewired them. |  |
June 12th |
| June 13th | Worked on sizing the PV systems for La Yuca and Ghetto2Garden. |  |
June 15th |
| June 21st | In coordination with the La Yuca community, we sought out and bought the necessary materials for the system. | Picture needed | June 28th |
| June 24th | Install and prepare all the necessary parts of the PV system including the batteries, inverter, charge controller, and AC wiring. | Picture needed | June 27th |
| June 25th | Install PV panels on the roof of the school room with Jose's help. | Picture needed | June 25th |
| June 27th | Connect wiring and system parts as well as adding finishing touches. | Picture needed | June 28th |
| June 28th | Final checks and testing of the system and labeling of system parts. Also, work on the presentation and video. | Picture needed | July 1st |
| July 3rd | Presentations. | Picture needed | July 3rd |
Budget
This is a super rough budget for the renewable energy project for both the La Yuca school and the Ghetto2Garden site. A separate budget for operation and maintenance costs will be added later.
| Material | Quantity | Unit Price (RD$) | Total (RD$) | Total (US$) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 140 Watt Solar Panel | 2 | Donated | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| 255 Watt Solar Panel | 2 | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| Charge Controller | 2 | 5,400.00 | 10,800.00 | 248.39 |
| 6V Battery | 2 | Donated | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| 6V Battery | 4 | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| Inverter 1.5 Kw/ 24V | 1 | Donated | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Electrical Cable | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| Electrical Tape | 1 | 176.00 | 176.00 | 4.05 |
| LED Lights | 6 | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| Fuses | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| Disconnect Switch | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| Total Cost | $35,064.00+ | $806.45 | ||
How to recreate
Step-by-step instructions of how to recreate your own solar PV system.
| Materials you Will Need: |
|---|
| 1. PV panels |
| 2. Batteries |
| 3. Inverter |
| 4. Charge controller |
| 5. Fuses |
| 6. Electrical wire |
Part 1: Sizing the System
Part 2: Assembling the System
Final Design
