This manual is the tool by which we've been teaching the Lwemode Youth Center how to install their own solar technology. We've written the manual for this incredibly specific purpose; it's not intended to function as an engineering textbook. Some sections have been oversimplified and streamlined. What the manual aims to do is teach Ugandans who have experience and interest in electronics, but no traditionally taught understanding of the field, the things that you need to know to understand how solar technology functions, how it can be used at a micro-level, and how to install it safely and adequately.
At the end of our small course we hope that members at Lwemode will be able to construct circuits from diagrams and know some important facts about current and voltage so that they can make judgments about their system and the safety of setups. The types of judgments we are talking about is how long it will take them to discharge their battery given a specific load or how much they need to conserve considering they have a cloudy day for instance. Safety wise we want them to understand the importance of a using fuses for example. While speaking to a member they told us that they "fixed" a fuse by replacing the blown wire with some random wire he found. Although things would have worked it is not safe practice and these sort of distinctions we think are key.
The manual is constantly updated as we work through the material with the members of the Lwemodde Youth Center and we've translated a copy into Luganda as well. We're currently working on developing a Computer Resources manual and translating that as well. These links reflect the most updated versions
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