Talks and Workshops

Local entrepreneurs must take charge of as many development operations as possible!

Efforts must be made to help with this. Technophobia, so common both North and South, is often part of the problem! How can any country develop unless their own people are directly involved in wealth creation?

Some Modern Techniques
These techniques range from solar pv techniques through solar cooking to wind turbines. Technical projects that have been introduced from the North tend to not be adapted for use in the South often having quite complex features as required for marketing in the North. These features often add little to the real value of the product and can increase its cost dramatically.

Low Cost Solar PV
Most commercial pv systems use an expensive panel material which is wrapped in an expensive frame (to keep out damp) to power an expensive controller to feed the electricity to the TV, lamps, radio, etc. It requires regular expert maintenance. The DIY Solar technique, as explained elsewhere, uses a low cost solar material, no special frame or controller and costs a tiny fraction - as little as $1 to power a radio! Entrepreneur Specials Solar charging cell phones in areas without mains electricity; solar powering cotton sprayers

Mini Solar Pumping
Low cost 12v pumps powered by solar pv panels.

Solar Cookers
Many Îamateurâ efforts have been made by North NGOs to introduce solar cookers but most suffer from serious snags. The Îbestâ need expertise in their usage. They could be of immense value to the poor in the sunniest countries if improved and introduced by suitable local entepreneurs. It is now possible, with certain modern products, to augment local materials so as to make simple self-assembly low cost but long-lasting solar cookers. They are of almost any size so can be used for large families during the day with the food stored in heat insulating boxes for the evening meal. Entrepreneur specials High speed solar cookers for restaurants also large scale solar bakers.

Wind Turbines
These are usually sold as complete installations with all parts manufactured in the North. Some are available now as self-assembly components so only the generator has to be imported! The rest can be manufactured or found locally, including the blades, with the power stored in locally-made lead-acid batteries.

Other Techniques
There are other equally useful and underused energy sources such as biogas, wood production, etc, etc that can provide enterprise openings without the need for much modern knowledge but are outside our present remit.

Summary
Our strong impression is that only a very small proportion of the population in most developing countries is concerned with anything other than very short term solutions. With so much development offered in the form of 'gifts', this is not really surprising, and explains why real development has often been so slow. Perhaps ways can be found to encourage those who have emigrated and showing initiative, to return? Overcoming this lack of long term initiative is far from easy but is the only way that real development will occur outside the most favoured parts!