Today I caught up with my friend Michael O’Connell who is currently in East Timor teaching locals how to build and maintain solar power systems.
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| Mick with some of the locals! |
This is a fascinating interview about the current state of play of off-grid solar in one of our closest neighbours.
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| Mick’s students learning their trade. |
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| Adding the solar controller to the main board of an installation |
Please take the time to listen if you are interested in renewable energy, and to reflect a little on how we take electricity for granted here in Australia.Don’t forget that you are able to donate money to help progress this great work over on the Alternative Technology Association website [www.ata.org.au] where $250 can buy lights and charging facilities for a single home. Donations over $2 are tax deductible in Australia.Think of it as a Christmas present for a friend that you haven’t met yet!
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Until next time, stay green and keep keen!
Excellent Job Gav.
Even made me sound passable 🙂
You may be surprised to hear that those locals are, in fact, the Mercy Corps renewable energy project manager, in the middle, and one of the electrical/PV teachers from CNEFP (the vocational training centre.
The photo was taken in the town of Letefoho in Ermera district on our way back to Dili. Letefoho is in coffee growing country in the mountains to the SW of Dili and about 2/3 of the way into the high mountains where we performed the installation and training. In fact Letefoho (8°50′04″S 125°25′35″E) is not far from the tallest mountain in Timor Leste, Mount Ramelau or, more correctly, Tatamailau.
Cheers
Mick
Thanks for clearing that up Mick. I was going to ask, but it slipped my mind during post-production.
Great work mate!
Great; it’s an effort in right direction. Burning of fossil fuel has already played havoc with motehr nature. Renewable ways of generating power would reduce this menace.