Download final report - Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Urban, Un-electrified Community
Upon our initial visit to the Barcelona community, we assessed the community’s
energy sources and uses to determine what technologies should be emphasized during a
later visit. We found that the community was not electrified and was relying on costly
fuels, such as wood and propane. We were told that community members were spending
approximately N$130 every two weeks on propane used for cooking three meals a day
for five to six people. No energy was used specifically for heating in the homes. Most of
the homes in this community were shacks made from metal, tin, and other gathered
materials. The community profile created using data collected from this visit can be
found in Appendix F.
From our findings, we believe that cooking technologies and small solar home
systems may be options for this community. Since this is a residential area, the majority
of energy consumed goes towards cooking and lighting. Community members also
expressed interest in having appliances, such as a refrigerator and a television, which
indicates that the homeowners may be interested in solar home systems. While these
individuals may not have a lump sum of money to purchase these technologies, they
should be presented in tandem with financing options. Energy technology financing
loans may be an option for people in Barcelona because the community members
revealed that they have bank accounts. Although we are not able to return to the site to
perform a demonstration with the trailer, the information we have collected could be
useful for future demonstrations.
New User Demonstration
After we compiled the user manual and we implemented some recommendations,
the trailer was taken by representatives of the Namibia Renewable Energy Programmes
(NAMREP) to a trade show in Ondangwa, Namibia. This demonstration was performed
by members of NAMREP without the assistance of our liaison or our team members. We
gave a training session to NAMREP before they took the trailer to ensure they knew how
to use all of the equipment, a copy of the user manual was also supplied.
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