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Table 1. Investment in a solar unit for one family; about VND 4 million after including transport from HCM city to An Giang province |
Flooding area close to border with Cambodia. They grow deep water rice during the flood and cassava after the flood subsides. No grid electricity; cassava stems are wasted and could be fed to gaotos.
Solar lighting for village
Feeding system for goats based on cassava stems and leaves
Gasifier stoves for cooking and production of biochar
The gasifier for village electricity and refrigeration and biochar.
Research
How to preserve the cassava stem (probably with
urea ensiling) (to be done in Nong Lam)
Production and use of biochar as soil amender (CRRD village site)
Taro/banana stem for Mong Cai pigs (if appropriate) (in CRRD village site)
Installation of one solar lighting system for a family in the village.
Demonstration also of the gasifier stove for cooking and making biochar
Planning of feeding trials with cassava stems as basal diet of goats.
Installation of solar lighting systems in ten households in Vinh Phuoc commune, Tri Ton district, An Giang province(3 July 2014)
There is no grid electricity in the flooded rice area where the Vinh Phuoc commune is situated. Some families use batteries and 12V strip lights, with the inconvenience of having to take (by boat or by motor cycle) the batteries to a source where they can be re-charged. There are obvious advantages from being able to charge the batteries in the family household.
Following the demonstration and training workshop held in the Vinh Phuoc commune on 19 May, 10 families requested the installation of the solar lighting system. The cost per household was estimated as USD 200 and it was öroposed that this would be loaned to each family to be repaid over 4 years at 0.5% interest per month. A complete solar lighting unit (50W panel, charger, battery, LED bulbs, cables and connectors) was transported by road to An Giang province (Tri Ton District) and from there by canal to the Vinh Phuoc commune. Four families participated in the workshop/demonstration. Due to excessive shade from trees adjoining the house, the solar panel was supported on a separate structure in an area close to the house where sunlight would be maximized. The solar panel was then connected via the charger unit to the storage battery and from there to the LED lights in the house. A recording unit was installed in the input line to the battery so as to monitor the energy received from the solar panel.
The installation was well received by the farmers, and their families, that took part in the demonstration. A proposal to install similar units in the houses of other families was discussed. The expected investment is about VND 4 million (USD 190) per family (see Table 1).
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Table 1. Investment in a solar unit for one family; about VND 4 million after including transport from HCM city to An Giang province |
If the loan of 4 million VND was repaid over 3 years at 6% interest per year then the repayment would be of the order of VND 103,000/month during year 1, VND 98,000/month in year 2, VND 93,000/month in year 3 and VND 88,000/month in the 4th and final year.
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