Our First Micro Power System

Since the Sept 2022, Rwanda, Malawi & Kenya Trip Recap posting, some things have happened! 

First off, at the Container Solutions Yard in Concord, California we built our first Micro-Power System! 

This system is as simple as possible and scaled to provide enough power to run a small grain mill for a couple of hours a day and light up a class room for young students to study. 

Why the grain mill?

In small rural African villages, that have no running water or electricity most of the villagers have a small plot of land that produces a crop they can live on. Often they grow corn, dry farmed and only that 1 crop each year. In order to make it into the daily food staple Maize it must be dried, ground and safely stored.  The drying happens in the fields, on the stalk, but the grinding requires a grinder that many villages do not have.  So each year they ship the dried corn to a “Maize Mill” where it is ground and bagged and returned to the village at a cost (money or part of the crop).  Having a communal mill in a village provides an opportunity for more food for the villagers or even possibly selling a portion of the annual crop!

Why a light in the school? 

In Malawi, Kenya, Rwanda, Zambia and Uganda (and other African countries) the scholastic achievement testing is national, without respect to factors, such as electricity that might impact a student’s ability to learn.  Since my first trip to Africa in 2017 I have witnessed impressive change and development in the cities.  Vibrant growth, development and capital investment are turning place like Kigali and Nairobi into world class cities.  While this is exciting and wonderful the rural parts of these countries are left unchanged and falling further behind in a fast changing world.   We purpose to be part of change that helps these rural children excel in school and see opportunities for education and all that comes with that.

The components for this Micro Power System were all purchased from Amazon!  Solar Panels, PV Inverter, Batteries, Battery Inverter and  controller all installed in a small 5ft by 8ft steel box.  The grinder is simple and suitable for a variety of crops.   It is our intent, as our programs scale up to purchase, assemble and supply these systems in Africa.

Thanks for reading this and please check back on updates and developments as we move ahead in our quest to improve the daily lives of rural Africa!