Going Green

Enhancing Learning through Digital Education using Renewable Energy in Gibitngil, Medellin

Project Proposal

ForGibitngil, Medellin

Project Proponent

Project Partners

(Education Kindling)

(University of San Carlos – Affiliated Renewable Energy Center)

Vision

We dream big and we want communities to dream bigger. We aim to create communities of

digitally-literate, life-long learners that are critical thinkers, problem solvers, and leaders

of tomorrow’s digital and connected world.

Goals

• To make available modern learning technologies to children in remote areas;

• To set up a pilot demonstration facility for learning using solar technology; and

• To upgrade our educator’s skills in the use of ICT for education.

The Project aims to Provide:

• 50 laptop units to the school at Gibitngil, Medellin;

• Solar Technology for the Power Requirements;

• ICT Trainors Training to Administrators and Educators on the Island;

• Software for Classroom Applications and Lesson Planning;

• Enhancement Sessions for the local Parent-Teacher Association to ensure Support for the Project

• Upgrading of our educator’s skills in the use of ICT for education.

Who are We?

We are a non-government, non-profit research group that is committed to finding innovative alternatives to address poverty, exclusion and inequality in the Philippines, especially in the Visayas and Mindanao regions. Our group is composed of academics, development practitioners, and a network of grassroots organizations who have accumulated extensive experience and expertise in action research and development work.

Who are We?

eKindling (Education Kindling) is a Philippine SEC-registered non-profit organization, with associates in East and West Coast, USA, whose mission is to bring technology-based, educational innovations to children, classrooms, and communities across the Philippines. To achieve its mission, the team provides appropriate technologies and educational practices designed for 21st century learning to schools and edu-initiatives serving underserved communities.

Who are We?

University of San Carlos – Affiliated Renewable Energy Center (USC-AREC) is an academe-based affiliate of the Department of Energy (DOE) which has been tasked to promote, develop, and implement projects using renewable energy sources, e.g., Solar, Wind, Hydro, & Biomass. This unit has been operating in Cebu and Bohol since 1992 and is in the forefront of rural electrification using renewable energy.

Roles

• As main Project Lead, Manages Project Implementation;

• Sets up and coordinates working relationships with Project Partners;

• Documentation;

• As Implementing Unit, commits time for the Entire Project Cycle;

Roles

• Conduct initial community assessment, specifically pertaining to infrastructure, and educator and local stakeholder capacity to support ICT-based educational deployment

• Coordinate fund raising activities with Municipality Leadership and Project Partners for procurement of 100 XO 1.5 Laptops and related programming for Gibitngil and Medellin Public Schools. 

•  Provide intensive training for students, educators, administration and parent support groups

• Implement Support Program to ensure effective deployment of ICT-based educational programming.

Roles

• Makes representation with the DOE for the supply and use of adequate number of solar panels;

• Installs the power system for the Gibitngil School Project;

• Provides technical training for Users;

• Periodically monitors system performance and rehabilitates faulty components as the need arises.

Roles

• Provides site for the installation of Solar Power System;

• Ensures the safety of the installation & equipment;

• Provides board and lodging to project staff in the course of on-site training and installation;

• Provide for a secure storage room especially if students do not bring laptops home; and

• Coordinates with the local school administrator and teachers to ensure cooperation and compliance

Roles

• Provide logistics re: Travel, Room & Board for Project Team to and from the target community;

• Provide linkage between Project Staff and the Department of Education in the District;

• Allocates funding for the purchase of the Balance of Systems (BOS) for the Solar Power System, e.g., batteries, wires, inverters, controllers, and etc.; and

• Coordinates with USC-AREC regarding power installation, maintenance and security.

Roles

• Coordinates shipment and customs logistics (i.e. brokering, customs at port of entry, delivery of hardware from port of entry to the target school);

• Coordinate and draft necessary paperwork for Customs, Department of Finance, and Department of Education;

• Provide funding for Value Added Tax for the laptops (if these cannot be given exemption);

• Allocate the sum of One Hundred Fifty Thousand Pesos (P 150,000.00) to A2D to cover management, documentation, manpower, and transport costs;

Roles

• Be available to provide advice/guidance on how best to deploy an ICT-based educational program in the communities; and

• Explore the possibility of providing funding for Wi-Fi through partnership with a telecommunications company through their CSR.

What is the XO Laptop?

What is the XO Laptop?

Hardware:• CPU: 433 MHz AMD Geode LX-700 at 0.8 watts, with integrated graphics controller;

• 1200×900 7.5 inch (19 cm) diagonal LCD (200 dpi) that uses 0.1 to 1.0 W depending on mode. The two modes are:

• Reflective (backlight off) monochrome mode for low-power use in sunlight. This mode provides very sharp images for high-quality text.• Backlit color mode, with an alternance of red, green and blue pixels. See below for details.

What is the XO Laptop?

Hardware:• 256 MB of Dual (DDR266) 133 MHz DRAM (in 2006 the specification called for 128 MB of RAM);

• 1024 kB (1 MB) flash ROM with open-source Open Firmware;

• 1024 MB of SLC NAND flash memory (in 2006 the specifications called for 512 MB of flash memory);

• Internal SD card slot;• Wireless networking using an “Extended Range” 802.11b/g and 802.11s (mesh) Marvell 8388 wireless chip, chosen due to its ability to autonomously forward packets in the mesh even if the CPU is powered off. When connected in a mesh, it is run at a low bitrate (2 Mbit/s) to minimize power consumption. Despite the wireless chip's minimalism, it supports WPA.[31] An ARM processor is included.

What is the XO Laptop?

Hardware:• Dual adjustable antennas for diversity reception.

• Water-resistant membrane keyboard, customized to the locale in which it will be distributed. The multiplication and division symbols are included. The keyboard is designed for the small hands of children.;

• Five-key cursor-control pad; four directional keys plus Enter .

• Four "Game Buttons" (functionally PgUp, PgDn, Home, and End) .

• Touchpad for mouse control and handwriting input.

What is the XO Laptop?

Hardware:• Built-in color camera, to the right of the display, VGA resolution (640×480) .

• Built-in stereo speakers .;• Built-in microphone .• Audio based on the AC'97 codec, with jacks for external stereo speakers and microphones, Line-out, and Mic-in .

• 3 external USB 2.0 ports.

What is the XO Laptop?

Power Source:• DC input, ±11–18 V, maximum 15 W power draw .

• 5-cell rechargeable NiMH battery pack, 3000 mAh minimum 3050 mAh typical 80% usable, charge at 0…45°C .;

• 2-cell rechargeable LiFePO4 battery pack, 2800 mAh minimum 2900 mAh typical 100% usable, charge at 0…60°C .

• 4-cell rechargeable LiFePO4 battery pack, 3100 mAh minimum 3150 mAh typical 100% usable, charge at −10…50°C .

What is the XO Laptop?

Power Source:• External manual power options include a pull-string generator designed by Potenco, and a clamp-on crank generator similar to the original built-in one .

• External power options include 110–240 Volt AC as well as input from an external solar panel

What is the XO Laptop?

Battery Charger:• Power options include batteries, solar power panels, pull-string generators, and clamp-on hand-crank generators, which make the XO self-powered equipment. 10 batteries at once can be charged from the school building power in the XO multi-battery charger.

Power Supply CalculationsA. Estimates of Power Consumption:

Power consumption of LoadsLoad Rated

PowerUsage hours

Power consumption

Usage hours

Power consumption

Computer (Laptop)

5 W 5 hrs 25.0 Wh 8 hrs 40.0 Wh

Total Power Consumption per day

1,250 Wh(25 Wh X 50 Laptops)

2,000 Wh (40 Wh X 50 Laptops)

Total Peak Load(Sum of Rated Power)

250 W 250 W

Power Supply Calculations

Rated Power 5 W 5 WUsage hours 5 hrs 8 hrsInsolation 4.0

Kwh/m24.0 Kwh/m2

Peak Sun Hours 4 hours 4 hoursOutput Efficiency of PV Array 80% 80%Charging Efficiency of Battery 80% 80%Required PV Array Capacity 488 w 781 wPV Capacity Per Module 50 W 50 WShort Circuit Current (Isc) Per Module

3.0 amp 3.0 ampSystem Voltage (DC side Nominal Battery Voltage)

12 volts 12 voltsNo. of Series Connections of PV Array

1 1

B. Calculation of PV Array:

Power Supply Calculations

Rated Power 5 W 5 WUsage hours 5 hrs 8 hrsRequired PV Capacity in Parallel 488 W 781 WNo. of Parallel Connections of PV Array

10 16Total PV Array Capacity 500 W 800 WMax. PV Current 33 Amp. 53 Amp.

B. Calculation of PV Array:

Power Supply Calculations

Rated Power 5 W 5 WUsage hours 5 hrs 8 hrsDaily Depth of Discharge 20 % 20 %Required Battery Capacity 6,250

Wh10,000 Wh

System Voltage 12 V 12 VRequired Battery Capacity in Parallel

521 Ah 833 AhNo. of Parallel Connections of Battery Bank

1 4Nominal Battery Voltage 12 V 12 VNo. of Series Connection in a String 1 1Required Capacity of Battery 521 Ah 208 AhAvailable Capacity of Battery 600 Ah 200 Ah

C. Calculation of Battery Bank Capacity:

Power Supply Calculations

Rated Power 5 W 5 WUsage hours 5 hrs 8 hrs

1. System Voltage

DC Voltage (Nominal Battery Voltage)

12 V 12 V

AC Voltage (Load Voltage) 230 V 230 V

D. Summary of System Configuration:

Power Supply Calculations

Rated Power 5 W 5 WUsage hours 5 hrs 8 hrs

2. PV Array

Capacity of PV Module 50 W 50 WNo. of PV Modules in Series 1 1No. of PV Modules in Parallel

10 16

Total No. of PV Modules 10 16Total Capacity of PV Array 500 W 800 W

D. Summary of System Configuration:

Power Supply Calculations

Rated Power 5 W 5 WUsage hours 5 hrs 8 hrs

3. Battery Bank

Capacity of Battery 521 Ah 208 AhNo. of Batteries in Series 1 1No. of Batteries in Parallel 1 4Total No. of Batteries 1 4Total Capacity of Battery Bank

7,200 Wh

9,600 Wh

Daily Depth of Discharge 17 % 21 %Total Ah of Battery Bank at System Voltage

600 Ah 800 Ah

D. Summary of System Configuration:

Power Supply Calculations

Rated Power 5 W 5 WUsage hours 5 hrs 8 hrs

4. Charge Controller

Operating Voltage 12 V 12 VCapacity of Charge Controller (PV Current)

33 A 53 A

Capacity of Charge Controller (Load Current)

21 A 21 A

D. Summary of System Configuration:

Power Supply Calculations

Rated Power 5 W 5 WUsage hours 5 hrs 8 hrs

5. Inverter

Continuous Capacity of DC – AC Inverter

313 W 313 W

Surge Capacity of DC – AC Inverter

1,000 W 1,000 W

Nominal Input Voltage 12 V 12 VOutput Voltage 230 V 230 V

D. Summary of System Configuration: