IEEE Electrification Magazine - June 2017 - 13

For Madan and other communities in PNG, PV-based
microgrids have the following functions:
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deter crime through LED lighting in homes, schools,
and safe-community centers
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provide computer-based education at newly built
Rotary Women's Community Centers and light for
evening classes and empowerment programs
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enable children to study more productively by having
access to computers and electronic textbooks in schools
and after-school programs
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avoid health hazards associated with candles, kerosene lamps, and fuelwood
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improve the quality of life by offering jobs, better telecommunications, and entrepreneurial opportunities
Figure 9. The installation of a small PV array on a rooftop in Madan.
created by a microutility.
Due to frequent cloud cover and equatorial location, orientation in a
The Madan Medical Clinic and Birthing Center, which
nearly horizontal position provides optimum exposure. [Photo courtesy
of Na Wokabaut (Aarlie Hull).]
serves more than 10,000 patient visits and 5,000 vaccinations a year, is completely off-grid and only has a very
small amount of PV generation capacity installed (Figure 9).
However, this is insufficient for many of the critical medicommunity development programs, including ongoing
cal services that are provided by the clinic (Figure 10).
adult literacy, women's empowerment, and domestic vioThus, the clinic has been increasingly forced to turn away
lence prevention workshops.
patients and send them to other facilities. With reliable
However, all these improvements are still without any
electric supply and access to computers and technology,
power. The community centers, schools, and medical clinthe Madan clinic can offer the following services:
ic shut down at sunset, and the people return to their
xx
provide better after-hours emergency care
dark, smoky huts.
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refrigerate vaccines and sterilize instruments and
In response to the energy and educational needs of the
tools
Madan Community and surrounding area, IEEE Smart Vilxx
heat water and blankets for patients
lage is collaborating with Transform International to install
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run solar pumps for showers in pre- and postoperadozens of Sunblazer-3 solar microgrids and create a comtive care
munity-based high-speed wireless local intranet interconxx
provide medical staff access to digital reference matenecting the three community centers, 35 elementary/
rials, diagnosis information, computers, tablets, DVDs,
primary schools, and eGranary digital library. The wireless
and medical records.
community intranet is powered by stand-alone hybrid dc/
xx
improve patient education through digital workshops
ac microgrids at each of the network access points. The netand virtual instructor videos.
work and supporting solar systems serve as the foundation
The current program started in 2013 and has already
for computer-based learning, entrepreneurial and vocationdesigned and installed water/sanitation/hygiene systems
al training, workshops in health and water, sanitation, and
for several elementary schools. The
program has also built a rainwaterharvesting system on the Madan
Community Coffee Mill providing
more than 1000 m2 (10,000 ft2) of
capture area, three gravity flow
pipelines with a 3.5-km combined
length, 90,000 L of water storage
capacity, and distribution at three
newly built Rotary Community
Centers. Clean water is sold by
women entrepreneurs at a nominal cost to pay for maintenance of
(a)
(b)
the system. The program has also
built sanitation centers featuring
urine-diverting dry toilets and safe Figure 10. (a) The Madan medical clinic is unable to offer vaccination, trauma, and delivery services after dark without electricity. (b) Solar microgrids allow not only the medical clinic, but also
waste disposal. The community nearby community centers and schools to offer longer hours and more extensive programs.
centers also function as hubs for [Photos courtesy of Na Wokabaut (Aarlie Hull).]

IEEE Electrific ation Magazine / j une 2 0 1 7

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Electrification Magazine - June 2017