1. Monkey Point
Case Study
June 2009

2. Case study – The community of Monkey Point
• Rural community
• Only accessible by sea
• At least 2 hours rough ride from Bluefields

3. Monkey Point Population: slightly under 300 inhabitants
3 main ethnic groups:
Creole
Mistiso
Rama

4. Main economical resources:
Monkey Point
Main economical resources:
Mostly sea cucumber fishing
Fishing and agriculture (mostly subsistence)

5. Monkey Point - First installation
Initiative from community leaders in 2007
Installation of first energy system May 2007

6. Monkey Point – The 1st installation
System:
1 small building to house radio and energy system control panel
1 kW wind turbine
300 W solar panel
Energy produced stored in a 24V battery bank

7. Monkey Point – The 1st installation
Benefits for the community:
Electricity in one operator house
Radio in working order => communication with the outside world possible
Electricity in the school => possibility of night classes for adults (literacy and English classes)

8. Monkey Point – Beyond the 1st installation
Follow up:
Operator training
Volunteer presence in the community

9. Monkey Point – Beyond the 1st installation
Problems and limitation:
“Only” communal benefits
No paying beneficiaries
Weak organization of the community and energy commission
Little maintenance
Lack of interest in the system

10. Monkey Point – Preparing the second phase
The plan:
Installing individual home energy system
With rechargeable 12V batteries
A charging center to charge batteries and other electrical appliances (cellular, lamps, small rechargeable batteries, etc.)
Issues:
High price of the individual systems
Lack or bad organization in community and within the energy commission
Lack of capacity among energy commission members to maintain and operator efficiently system
Solutions:
Strengthening energy commission
Facilitating access to micro-credit to pay for individual systems

11. Monkey Point – Preparing the second phase
Process
Partnership with a local micro-credit organization ADEPHCA
Development of a new relationship between ADEPHCA and Kiva.org
Development of a new relationship between ADEPHCA and the community of Monkey Point
Election by the community of new members of the energy commission
More trainings on maintenance and operation as well as on organization and basic accounting

12. Monkey Point –The second phase
Time frame:
2 years – 2009:
Organizational preparation
Discussion, selection and approval of micro-credit candidates
Risk evaluation, technological studies and selection of the most appropriate system for THIS community
2 months pre-study: building and studying prototypes January-March 2009
2 months of preparation in the workshop March-May 2009
10 days of training April 2009
2 weeks of installation May 2009
1 additional week of training May 2009

13. Monkey Point –The second phase
Time frame:
2 months pre-study: building and studying prototypes January-March 2009

14. Monkey Point –The second phase
Time frame:
2 weeks of installation May 2009

15. Monkey Point –The second phase
Installation:
An additional 1kW of solar panel
A charging center

16. Monkey Point –The second phase
Installation:
9 families with 12V systems with rechargeable battery, 2 fluorescent bulbs, charge controller and 2 plugs for 12V appliances

17. Monkey Point –The second phase
Installation:
9 families with smaller sealed batteries recharged by an individual 50W solar panel, 3 LED bulbs and charge controller

18. Monkey Point –The second phase
Installation:
38 beneficiaries of LED flash lights rechargeable with a small solar panel

19. Monkey Point –The second phase
Strengthening of the energy commission:
4 new members
Technical and organizational training
Elaboration of a set of rules for the use of electricity (modality, pricing…)
Formalization of the commission by opening a bank account

20. Monkey Point – Current situation
Micro-grid for 4 buildings in the community: Radio house, school, charging center and communal house
Charging center :
Operated and maintained by the energy commission
Used by most families in Monkey Point
Set fees for charging of batteries and other electrical appliances
Micro-credit:
10 families benefiting from the micro-credit
Monthly payments managed by the energy commission
Creation of a communal fund with the sale of individual systems
Creation of an energy fund for the cost of operation and maintenance of the energy system in the community (production and distribution)

21. Monkey Point –Risks
Technical risks:
Failure of home energy systems due to poor maintenance from the owners,
Failure of energy system due to poor maintenance from the members of the energy commission (lack of will or lack of capacity)
Organizational risks
Energy commission unable to execute the organizational plan devised by them with blueEnergy help
Faults in the accounting and financial part due to lack of control and/or rigor
Pressure of the community on the energy commission to use collected funds for other matters
All risks could lead to a failure of the project and a non-sustainability of the system in the community

22. Monkey Point –Risks Partial solutions:
Regular presence of blueEnergy in the community to support the energy commission as well as owners of individual energy systems.
Constant effort of building the capacity and knowledge of the members of the energy commission, the owners of individual systems and in general, the whole community.
Work with the community to develop productive, income producing uses of the energy.