RERLQuarterlyUpdatesApril–June2018

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AlternativeEnergyPromotionCentreRenewableEnergyforRuralLivelihood

Outcome 1: KnowledgeSharingEvent:RenewableEnergyforRuralLivelihood (RERL) andNepal Micro HydroDevelopment Association(NMHDA) jointly organizedKnowledgeSharingEventon13 April 2018. The eventaimed to sharebreakthrough achievementsof RERL/AEPC in gridinterconnection of MicroHydro andRoles of Private Sector in promoting renewable energy in federal context.Speaking during the programme,Minister of Energy,Water Resources and Irrigation(MoEWRI)Mr.BarshaManPunwelcomedthefactthatamicrohydropowerplanthadbeeninterconnectedwiththeNationalGridandpromisedtomakenecessarychangesinthe policy to encourage similar interconnections all over the country. Moreover, heemphasizedthatrenewableenergyshouldnotbetakenasanalternativetothegridbutseenasacompletesolution forruralhouseholds inoffgridareas.Theevent includedpresentationsoftechnicalpapersandpaneldiscussionsongridinterconnectionofMHPsandprivatesectorsroleinfederalcontext. OrientationtoProvincialGovernmentsandMunicipalities:RERLsupportedAEPCtoorganizedorientationonREdevelopmentinthefederalstructuretorepresentativesofProvincial Governments, Parliamentarians of Provinces 4,6 and 7. The orientationincluded presentations on renewable energy technologies, status of AEPC supportedprojectsintheprovince,rolesandresponsibilitiesofprovincialandlocalgovernments.Provincialgovernmentsexpressed theirviews that renewableenergy is important forproviding clean energy access to rural people. AEPC is planning to organize similarorientationstoProvinces1,2,3and5incomingfiscalyear.Municipal Energy Plan: RERL has drafted integrated Municipal Energy Plan of 2Municipalities(i)Palungtar,Gorkhaand(ii)Mahankal,Lalitpurwithfocusondomestic,including clean cooking, lighting and operating household appliances, communitysystemsforstreetlighting,communitycenters,schoolsandhealthcentersandproductiveuses.RERLpresentedMEPpreparationmethodologyintheorientationtoMunicipalitiesofProvince2andJumladistrictorganizedbyAEPC.Aftertheorientation,theparticipantsrealizedtheimportanceofMEPandexpressedtheirdesiretopreparesimilarplansfortheir municipalities. As a result, the RERL has been receiving lots of demand fromdifferentprovincesandmunicipalities.

RERLQuarterlyUpdatesApril–June2018

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AlternativeEnergyPromotionCentreRenewableEnergyforRuralLivelihood

ChineseAmbassador’sVisit:Her Excellency Ms. Yu Hong,the Chinese Ambassador toNepalandMr.RenaudMeyer,Country Director of UNDPNepal visited SyaurebhumiMicro Hydropower Plant atNuwakot. Themain objectiveof the visit was to observeperformance of 23kW gridinterconnected microhydropower plant. Thedelegation accompanied byACDofUNDPNepal also visited the premises of theDistrict Coordination Committee(DCC)whereUNDPhadprovided3prefabricatedbuildingsforofficeuseandsolarPVsystemforlightingandoperatingequipment.Capacity Building of Government Engineers: Solar Power Expert of RERL trainedAEPCEngineersondesignof "MWScaleSolarPV".A totalof20participants receivedtraining covering ‘need of grid connected solar PV in Nepal’, selection of solar array,inverter,rowspacingcalculation,lossesinPVsystem,etc.Inaddition,RERLexpertalsoprovided training on "grid interconnection of MHP" and shared lessons from pilotinterconnectionofSyaruebhumiMHP.

RERLalsoprovidedtrainingon“MWScaleSolarPV"to14engineersfromNepalTelecom,Nepal Electricity Authority, Water Energy and Commission Secretariat and PrivateSector.Outcome 2: Micro Hydro: RERL provided technical assistance to AEPC to install 14 new MicroHydropowerPlantswith total capacityof558kWandbenefiting5,059households. Inaddition,RERL isalsosupportedAEPC torehabilitated9MHPgenerating259kWandbenefiting2,443households

PenstockPipeDamagedbyEQ AfterRehabilitation

RERLQuarterlyUpdatesApril–June2018

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AlternativeEnergyPromotionCentreRenewableEnergyforRuralLivelihood

MiniHydro:RERLissupportingAEPC/SASECtodevelopminihydropowerprojectsindifferentpartsofthecountry.RERLisprovidingtechnicalassistanceforsurvey,design,procurement, construction supervision, institution formation and strengthening,financialclosure,businessopportunityassessmentandbusinessplanpreparation.Theprojectsareatdifferentstagesofdevelopmentgiveninthetablebelow.

Captive Generation Solar Plan: RERL providedtechnical and financial support to Surya PowerCompany to connect its 1000kW captive solar PVsysteminNawalparsidistricttothenationalgrid.Thisis the first grid interconnectedcaptive solarplant inNepal.

Electric cooking: RERL has successfully lab tested low wattage electric stove withstoragefacilityincollaborationwithKathmanduAlternativePowerandEnergyGroup.RERL is also collaboratingwithGlobal Alliance for Clean Cooking (GACC) to promoteelectriccookinginmini/microhydrocatchmentsareas.Inthisregards,RERLisworkingwithPEEDA,CoventryUniversityandBristolUniversityofUKinRukumdistricttotestlowwattageelectricstovesandunderstandusers’acceptability.

Table1:UnderConstructionProjectsProjects kW HHs District

SimrutuKhola 200 1,386 RukumGiriKhola 200 1,840 JumlaPhawaKhola 500 2,093 TaplejungTaraKhola 394 2,200 BaglungUpperJunbeshi 250 615 Solukhumbu

Total 1,544 8,134

Table2:PipelineProjectsProjects kW HHs District

LowerBomKhola 282 620 SolukhumbuKhtayadKhola 500 3,200 MuguPatrasiKhola 500 2,500 JumlaTapKhola-II 303 2,671 KhotangThesoKhola 250 NA SolukhumbuLungKhola 500 NA PyuthanChuwaKhola 1,000 NA HumlaGhamiKhola 500 1,000 Mustang

Total 3,835 9,371

RERLQuarterlyUpdatesApril–June2018

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AlternativeEnergyPromotionCentreRenewableEnergyforRuralLivelihood

Photo Voltaic Pumping System: RERL is providing technical assistance to AEPC toinstallPVPSfundedbyKfW.Sofar,41PVPShavebeeninstalledindifferentpartsofthecountry. These projects are primarily for providing water supply for drinking andhouseholduses.EnergyforHealth(E4H):InclosecollaborationwithSNVNepal,RERLprovidedtechnicalandfinancialassistancetoinstall two 3kWp solar PV systems in health posts inRukumandSalyandistricts.Thesystemhasbeenprovidinguninterruptedpowersupplyforlightingandoperationofmedicalequipment.

InstitutionDevelopment:RERLissupportingtheusersofthe100kWGutuSolarMiniGrid, Surkhet, 25kW Olane Solar Mini Grid and 70kW of Saptame Solar Mini Grid,Panchthardistrictstoestablishspecialpurposevehicle(SPV,cooperative/company)tomanagetheirsystems.AEPC/SASECispromotingtheseprojectswithADBfundingandRERL has provided technical support for feasibility study, procurement and projectimplementation.

Outcome 3: CommercialOperation:TodemonstratefinancialviabilityofMHPs,RERLissupporting25MHPsinfivedistrictsforcommercialoperationwhereinthemicrohydroisseennotonlyasasocialinfrastructurebutalsoacommerciallyfeasibleenterprise.RERLsupportincludes communitymobilization, institutional strengthening and productive end usepromotion.AfterRERLintervention,monthlyrevenuecollectionofthe83kWDarnaMHP,Achhamincreased fromNPR.36,000 to80,000onanaverage.WithRERL support theMHP ispracticing computerized accounting system which has drastically improvedtransparencyandwillingnessamonguserstopaytheirbillsontime.Toensurethatwomendirectlytakeadvantageofaccesstoelectricity,RERLfacilitatedtoestablishwomen’scooperativeandengagemonthlysavingandcreditactivities.Further,RERL has carried out feasibility of lift irrigation systems to promote high valueagricultureinKailashKholacorridor.Outcome 4:

Training on ComputerizedAccounting System:To improve knowledge on accountkeepingofMHPmanagers,RERL has conducted training on “Cooperative Account Keeping” for 24 participants including 2 women from Baglung, Sindhuli, Morang, Solukhumbu, Mugu Achham and Jumla districts. The training was conducted between 19 and 28 May 2018. The training focused on operation of accounting software.

RERLQuarterlyUpdatesApril–June2018

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AlternativeEnergyPromotionCentreRenewableEnergyforRuralLivelihood

Trainingcumexposervisit:AEPC/SASEC/RERLorganizedtrainingcumexposervisitforMiniHydroDevelopersandofficialsofRuralMunicipalities.TheparticipantsvisitedSalleriChialsaMiniHydroProject,whichisoneofthebestmanagedcommunityownedproject inNepal,and learntaboutefficientmanagement includingreliableandqualityelectricity supply, appropriate tariff setting, timely revenue collection, maintaininginventory, timely consumer services and regular maintenance of the plant, etc. Theparticipantswere also orientated onMini Hydro Operation andManagementManualdraftedbyRERL.Altogether,21peopleincluding1womanfromRukum,Jumla,Baglung,Mugu,SolukhumbuandTaplejungparticipatedintheprogramme.

Orientation on Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV): RERL organized an orientation onformationofSPVfordevelopmentofthe422kWShantipurMiniHydroProject,Shantipur,Kailali. The orientation provided information on advantages and disadvantages ofdifferent institutional options suchas cooperative andprivate company.A total of 35MunicipalofficialsandmembersofUsersCommitteeincluding2womenparticipatedintheprogramme.onCooperative&CompanyActs.

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