| NSTDA and six agencies install solar cells to increase access to education in remote areas | | | |
The National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA) installed solar panels at 36 hill tribe learning centers that are part of a project by HRH Princess Sirindhorn to expand learning opportunities for schools in remote areas with no electricity. The NSTDA also joined six other agencies in a project to make sure that the solar cells will be well maintained and used efficiently to develop education in an integrated way.
The solar panels developed by the NSTDA are a hybrid between amorphous silicon technology and thin film silicon crystal technology. They produce three megawatts of power a year, or enough to power six 11-watt light bulbs for 12 hours a day and a 21-inch TV for one hour a day. They can also power a DVD player or satellite dish for educational use during the day time while storing power in a battery to use for evening classes for adults. They can also be used to power short wave radios and the community’s alarm system.
To make the project more complete, the NSTDA has also coordinated with six agencies that will help maintain and oversee use of the equipment after it is installed. The Basic Education Board and the Non-formal Education Management Office will check to see if the equipment is used efficiently. The Science and Technology Teaching Promotion Institute is preparing a course module about solar cells. The Department of Alternative Energy Development and Energy Conservation, the Industrial Technicians Vocational Education Office and King Mongkut’s Institute of Technoloogy, Thonburi, will all help maintain the solar cells and train the teachers and students how to maintain them.
The 36 learning centers that are under the care of HRH Princess Sirindhorn’s project consist of 17 centers in Tak Province, 17 in Chiang Mai Province, and 9 in Mae Hong Son Province. Now about half of the solar panels have been installed for a cost of Bht 100,000 per center. This is only half the cost of using imported equipment. The newly developed solar cells have a useful lifetime of up to 20 years.
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