Keeping The Power On

The day the solar equipment arrived.

Back in 2014, while working as a volunteer at a monastic school in Nepal, Michelle Welsch noticed how often power blackouts occurred. Each day for up to sixteen hours, the power just went off. Electricity provided by the government grid was unreliable.

That means no power, especially during the colder and darker months from October to July; power was severely restricted. Locals had to rely on newspaper announcements and downloaded apps to find out the hours when there would be no power and rearrange their lives accordingly.



At first, Michelle suggested utilizing generators. But there are some problems with generators. For one, they rely upon unsustainable fuel resources. For another, they have to be placed so that the emissions don't overcome the humans using them. Specifically, these generators produce carbon monoxide, and keeping them in an enclosed area, away from the elements, can asphyxiate whomever happens to be in the building. So, this was ruled out.

So, Michelle and her team consulted solar power experts in Nepal and the US. The experts were able to develop a hybrid solar power model that utilized the grid when it was on, and the power provided by the solar cells when it wasn't. With this system, the monks could provide solar power for up to two days of electrical blackout, allowing the school to operate less expensively. What had been previously spent on using candles and flashlights could be used to pay teachers, once paying for the solar infrastructure was covered.

They partnered with GHAM POWER to provide the equipment and training. Funding was provided through INDIEGOGO. The fund-raising was a success and solar power with a load shedding feature was installed. No longer do students have to walk the halls with only candles and flashlights as their only light source. Students can walk the grounds and the lights remain on. They show smiles of appreciation for those who contributed to funding their solar grid and keeping their power on.

Michelle Welsch

Meanwhile, Michelle has continued her work in Nepal. She has become co-founder of KHATA: LIFE, dedicated to helping the people of the Kaski community continue to build through various leadership and educational projects. Besides funding some of the teachers and students, this organization maintains classrooms, provides a Dental Clinic for students, built a Learning House, and offers seminars for aspiring leaders and entrepreneurs.

The services accommodated by The Learning House.

Thanks for information from this article on Pollination Project: http://thepollinationproject.org/grants-awarded/michelle-welsch-bringing-light-to-matepani-solar-for-school/; and the above links.

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