As talked about in other posts, a big challenge to overcome during this project will be ensuring that it integrates well into the community as something which people want to use, is easy for them to use and will make a worthwhile difference to their life.
FSD, our host organization in Uganda, hinted to us that a way to ensure integration into the community will be to have people actively involved in the deployment and building of the solar nodes. Our device contains a few completely outsourced devices. For instance the solar panel, the deep cycle battery and the phone charging 12 V converters. Something that we have hand designed and built is the central control unit and the circuit which gives battery level readings as well as current flow from the solar panel.
What we have decided to do it take only one unit completely built, although not assembled, and then take the parts necessary to build another two units. While in Uganda what we aim to do is engage with the community in the assembly of the nodes and the building of the measuring circuit at the soldering level. We have bought 4 butane powered mobile soldering irons which we can use without electricity and teach people how to solder components onto a circuit board. No knowledge of how the circuit works will be required because there will be strong guidance given and strong diagrams which show where components should be placed on the circuit board.
It is very likely that we are able to find cheap and perfect LED displays of voltage
and current measuring devices which are even less prone to breaking but even with that available we are going to only take one fully built unit and make the other ones there. Worst case scenario is that no one in the community is interested in building the circuits and we just build them while we are there. There are a number of benefits of trying to build with the community.
Firstly the people who receive the power node will feel some ownership over the node which is beside a monetary sum that they may pay. This is really important for ensuring that the node is looked after correctly. This very interesting TEDxRiodelaPlata talk gives the results of a study which looked at what things motivate people to the work they are doing. We think that if people can feel some sense of accomplishment in building then they will have a much better attitude to the node and be more motivated for making good use for it.
Secondly the experience of building a circuit is important in itself. This task may excite some further curiosity about electrical engineering for some of the people in the community. This is definitely how I (Julian) became so interested in electronics and led to me studying electrical engineering. When I was a child my dad, also an electrical engineer, would make circuits with me to do random things. Something were just simple LED light circuits (can really amuse a child) or even a wireless Morse code detector I remember we once made from a wireless door bell set. (I was a very nerd child)
The other thing that comes with this experience is the higher chance of successfully debugging any issues that may occur with the node. The node is deigned to be as modular as possible and so very easy to replace broken parts. Being involved in the assembly will definitely help with this because then you will have a good understanding of how the components fit together but some further fixes could be made to individual units with soldering experience. If for instance just one component became loose on the circuit board or a wire detached the owner should be able to solder it back. If need be they can order an entirely new circuit board and if all goes to plan and our replacement system goes ahead then they will be able to do this.
The third benefit of having people involved in installation is that if the community really likes the node's benefits and demand is high, people might be able to build their own nodes if they find the right parts. The schematics will be easily available to them (as it is to the world) and if they retain their skills of soldering and are guided in obtaining the components it is hopefully possible. An incredible NGO called Barefoot College teaches women from "least developed countries" the basics of electronics so that they can implement solar energy units, water cleaning systems and other things in their home community. We hope that we have a similar education effect which has benefits well beyond the mini power node that we are building.
Teaching soldering in rural Uganda with butane powered irons will be an interesting challenge for me as a teacher and student of engineering. As James Bond said in The World is Not Enough (1999), "well, life is full of small challenges."
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