The Program begins with 4 days of classroom learning in Hong Kong, with participants from around the world, including Malaysia, Australia, Thailand, China and Belgium. Following these classes, participants will travel to Aceh, Indonesia to work in partnership with a local farmers cooperative and the UNDP to create a sustainable business plan for the cooperative.

It will be an incredible experience– check back for updates from Asia!

Two main types of solar power plants dominate the utility industry today, Photo voltaic power plants (PV) are large arrays of solar panels grouped together to produce electricity. These solar panels, very similar to panels you can put on your house, use light photons that react with a thin layer of silicon to excite electrons and produce electricity. Unfortunately, this technology is still rather expensive.

The technology many utility companies are now using is concentrated solar fields. This is a simpler, more cost effective option for solar power, and can even be more easily utilized in developing countries. Parabolic shaped solar concentrators are U shaped to catch, and reflect the sun into a single focal point. When these concentrators are aligned in a row, thousands of focal points create a line of concentrated solar energy. Placed exactly along this focal line is a tube receptor filled with fluid that is then heated to extremely high temperatures. This fluid can then be used by the power plant to create steam, and turn a turbine to produce electricity. A picture of a solar parabolic concentrator can be seen below.

Image 1: Parabolic Solar Concentrator (Photo from Greenterrafirma.com)

Recently there has been a new development in solar concentrating power using Fresnel lens technology. The Fresnel lens, first developed for light houses to cast a brighter beam of light, is now being used in place of parabolic concentrating troughs. By angling flat mirrors towards a single focal point, a similar focal line can be achieved. And, similar to the parabolic mirror, a receiver filled with fluid can then be heated and used to create steam. This steam then goes through the same turbine generator process to create electricity.

Image 2: Concentrated Solar Fresnel Array (Photo from csposi.org)

There are many benefits to this Solar Fresnel array over the traditional parabolic concentrator. Fresnel lens concentrated solar is much less expensive to build. They do not use the more expensive, curved mirrors to concentrate light. This is a very important aspect for Salud del Sol as a company because it is one of our main goals to promote projects that can be made in the regions that we serve. Parabolic reflectors drive up the cost of a concentrated solar project and they are not as prevalent in developing countries such as Nicaragua. Flat reflectors can be manufactured more easily and cost significantly less.

Another benefit to Fresnel technology over parabolic technology is the wind factor. Parabolic reflectors are larger and tend to catch the wind more easily. These wind gusts cause the focal point to shift, dropping the effectiveness of the solar concentration. A Fresnel array utilizes smaller mirrors which are typically closer to the ground and in turn catch less wind. Also, since the Fresnel mirrors are closer to the ground, they cast less of a shadow. With fewer shadows, concentrators can be put closer together and thus save space. If solar power concentrators interest you, there are many different resources online that can tell you more.

Some of my favorite sites are:
1. www.nrel.gov
2. www.solarbuzz.com
3. www.ases.org

Resources:
1. http://www.nrel.gov/learning/re_csp.html
2. http://greenterrafirma.com/
3. www.csposi.com
4. www.solarbuzz.com

Come to Nicaragua and engage your head, heart, and hands in the real work of developing countries. Our hands-on courses allow you to be immersed in the daily life of rural Nicaraguans by living with host families and working alongside local community members to create their vision of a model community through renewable energy and sustainable practices.

Discuss the theory behind solar energy and the challenges of development with your instructors and other course participants. Spend your days learning how to construct solar cookers, photovoltaic panels, and installing photovoltaic systems. Laugh along with your host family as you try to recall your high school Spanish, balance water on your head or make tortillas. Most activities and classes are held in the new adobe Solar Center. Housing will be simple, like that of a typical rural Nicaraguan family.

Explore a beautiful country and its culture while learning about renewable energy and sustainable development in the field. Our courses provide a unique travel experience that is educational, rewarding, and fun!

This 11-day course, offered twice a year, has been held by Grupo Fenix since 1999. It is a great introduction to the science and use of appropriate renewable energy technologies such as solar cookers, dryers and photo-voltaic systems. Dr. Richard Komp, an expert from the United States with over 40 years experience working with solar technologies, teaches the technical classes for the January version of this course and the July version is based on his methodology for fabrication of PV panels in developing countries. During this 11 day course participants will:

• Visit Suni Solar, a renewable energy business in Managua started by Grupo Fenix
• Build a solar oven with the local women’s group, the Solar Women of Totogalpa
• Listen to talks on Solar Dryers and Medicinal Plants
• Learn about solar cooking and eat the final product of your class!
• Install a PV system with local solar experts
• Make a solar powered battery charger

Also, the course includes various tourist activities such as a visit to nearby beautiful spots in the mountains of northern Nicaragua. If weather permits, we will spend a day exploring the Somoto Canyon and swimming in its natural pools. Also, at the end of the course we will spend a night at a rustic ecolodge in the Tisey Nature Reserve, which has hiking trails, fields of organic vegetables, a farming community that produces its own specialty cheeses and one of the best panoramic views in the country.

The course fee of $995 includes all food and lodging, with a $50 deposit to be sent to the nonprofit Skyheat Associates at PO Box 184, Harrington ME 04643 before December 15th to insure a place in the course, which has a limit of 15 participants and is often completely full. For more information, please contact thegrupofenix@gmail.com or look on-line at www.grupofenix.org for details of all of our programs.

Just right off the bat here, I should warn you that I have had a pretty productive week with the autoclave, so this blog is bound to be pretty boring

On the 27th, 22 elementary teachers arrived from California on a minibus packed to capacity and with a mountain of luggage on top. It looked like the sled from the Grinch after he steals all the presents and decorations. It was literally as if someone had dropped my elementary school into rural Nicaragua. And after they had settled in, it was even cuter. They were here as part of a Masters in Education class and worked with the students at Sabana Grande Elementary every morning on projects that related science and art. Because of this, they all wore nametags made of construction paper, hung around their necks with yarn, but they left them through lunch and all afternoon, when they had class at the Solar Center. Furthermore, whenever the professor wanted the attention of the group, she would clap out a pattern. The rest would repeat it, and then fall obediently silent. It makes me wonder what strange habits engineers carry into their personal lives. I guess I do carry a calculator in my purse…

On Friday, the teachers directed a “Sun Fair,” in which the kids sang songs and showed off to their parents what they learned all week. Each grade level presented a different project or song related to weather or energy. It was great. They sang “Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun” but it was called “Sol, Sol, Señor Sol Dorado” and “De Colores.” I cheered very loudly for my little sister Alexandra. After the younger kids performed, my older sister Vanessa and Luis Miguel, Donald and Maricela danced to one of the traditional Nicaraguan songs, all dressed up in beautiful silk outfits. Oh, I almost forgot! There was an absolute downpour all day. The irony was not lost on Adelina, who joked that I had better remember to wear my boots and raincoat to the Sun Fair.

Another good thing about having the teachers here for the week was the food. Typically, the volunteers walk a few kilometers to the house of one of the Mujeres Solares for lunch, which is always delicious. However, last week there were just too many of us to fit in one house, so fearless Dona Carmen and Dona Vidalia brought the food to us! It was like Thanksgiving every day at 1. Amazing. One day, Dona Carmen made pepper-crusted chicken in the solar oven that was so good that my mouth is actually watering just thinking about it. And speaking of cooking, I made something in my little solar oven yesterday! An egg, haha. But it was really good!

So you don’t get the impression that all I do is attend school plays and eat delicious food, I’ll say a little about the autoclave. All last week I did tests comparing the heating curves of the giant solar ovens and that of the Frankencooker. Looks like the Frankencooker heats up fast enough that it can take advantage of as little as an hour of sun, whereas the bigger ovens take up to 5 hours to heat up during days with variable sun. This week, I’m going to seal the insulated space to minimize the heat wasted by heating up the whole box as opposed to just the volume inside the parabolic.

So, things are going well down here. I’ve got a week and a half left, and if I didn’t miss all of you so much, I could stay for much longer. It’ll be really difficult to say goodbye to everyone, but also great to see my American family and friends again.

Picking up from last time….

Satrurday we went to the club, nothing to exciting there…  Sunday we went to watch one of our Nicaraguan coworkers play baseball, then went to a place about a 1/2 hour bus ride away from here that has waterfalls and the water is said to be holy and very good for your health.

This whole week we had 20 elementary school teachers at the Solar Center.  In the morning they would go and help at the school and then in the afternoon they would come to the Center.  They had a lot of activities for them this week.  We had a traditional Nicaraguan dance lesson for two songs.

This past week we also had a history lesson on Nicaragua.  It is so interesting because they had a Civil War not that long ago.  People in their 50´s fought in it.  Like for us Vietnam was recent, but for Nicaragua, not only were the men affected by it, the wives and children were also involved because it was fought in their backyard!

Last night we also had a ´despedida´ -going away party- for the teachers and also for Edwin.  Edwin is a Civil Engineer and lives in Sabana Grande and his contract at the Solar Center ended.  He helped in the production of Solar panels, but now he wants to get back into Civil Engineering.  They had many games to play and food to eat.  It really was a lot of fun because most of the Solar Women and their families came.  It was a great opportunity to hang out with everyone.

I am starting to have mixed feelings about the end of my trip.  I have gotten to a point where I can kid around with everyone and have some really good friends here, volunteers and locals included.  The guys that work at the Solar Center full time are basically like my big brothers.  Thursday they were putting up a trellice type of thing to support some type of fruit trees they just planted.  I was their little helper and I gave them wrenches and drills, it reminded me of home!  A lot of the women will come up and rub your back and are super sweet and we are now comfortable with each other.  A lot of the kids I can pretend fight with and joke around with.  I walked home with my family last night from the party because it was dark and I held my little sister´s hand while we were walking.  I really love the people here, they are very welcoming.  Looking back on my first days until now, I am surprised that I have managed to have relationships with soo many people soo fast here.  Even my Spanish has grown.  I still do not understand everything by any means, but I am getting to the point that somedays I can actually have conversations and communicate with people.  It is just kind of crazy, in retrospect, how fast time flew by!  The first couple days seemed to be too long and now the weeks are feeling a little too short!

Today we are planning going to a patron saint festival near here.  Tomorrow I am planning on going to church, watching a little baseball, and then go to town with my little sister and treating her to ice cream.

It should be a good weekend, but it will probably fly by once again!

- Maria

We went to Managua Sunday afternoon and suprisingly enough it was pretty quiet. Sunday was Nicaragua´s 30th anniversary of the Revolution, a pretty big day in their history. There were a couple more policemen out with huge guns, but otherwise everything was the same.

Monday morning we rode back to Sabana Grande in the back of a truck. It was a 3 hour ride and I loved it. I don´t think there is a better way to see Nicaragua than on the back of a truck. I watched the sunrise over the mountains in a truck bed…priceless!

Tim and Jim, other UD students, are here for the week and we also had 5 high school boys, so the Solar Center was full with people this week. Next week we are having 20 teachers from California come down for about a week as part of their masters program.

Wednesday Erin and I set out to try to buy a Daq Pro, which logs temperature because the one we currently have is not working correctly. We had no luck, so we decided to go to Matagalpa to a ´Chocolate Castle´. Sounds pretty easy to find right? …How many chocolate castles can be in this city? We got a taxi and told the driver where we needed to go. He wasn´t overly sure but he assured us that we would find it. The driver asked ´So you want to buy chocolate there´ and we said yes. He dropped us off in front of a supermarket that sold Hersheys chocolate. I laughed for a good 10 minutes here. This taxi driver had to think we were crazy… Two gringo girls that want to buy chocolate from a mysterious chocolate castle. The next taxi with some help from the post office got us there. Their chocolate making process was short but it was interesting to see.

Saturday, today, we went on a hike in Sabana Grande. We went back into a woods and there were a bunch of rocks to climb and small waterfalls. It was really beautiful. Tonight we are staying in Ocatol for the night and going out to eat then going to a local club. Tomorrow we are planning on going to a local baseball game, a couple of the local guys at the Solar Center play.

It is crazy how time is flying by! I really think I am going to miss it here. It has been fun to play big sister and be able to play freeze tag and Jenga.

Thanks to all of the workers and owners of Whole Day Café. Without such great service, such a generous donation could not have been made!

On Thursday, July 2nd, I was invited to speak at my hometown’s Rotary Club. I was asked to tell the Wadsworth Rotary Club about my experience in Nicaragua and with Salud del Sol, Inc. They were quite intrigued, and especially pleased at our past interactions with the Rotary Club in Ocotál, Nicaragua. The Nicaraguan and U.S. Rotary meetings are strikingly similar… from food and fellowship, to learning, service, and of course, song.

This could be the start of a fruitful partnership. Some members of the Club are traveling to Nicaragua this winter to do service. I will be helping them to prepare for their trip and identify valuable service opportunities in Nicaragua. I´m excited to see where this partnership goes.

We all went on vacation in Southern Nicaragua last weekend! First, Maria and I ate lunch at the Papa John´s in Masaya on Friday to fuel up for some power shopping. The town has two markets, the old artisan market in a colonial fort and a new market close to the bus station. The old market had really nice hand-made pottery and hammocks, along with souveneir Che t-shirts and FSLN coffee mugs. We spent awhile there mostly just looking around until the torrential downpour started. From there, we took a taxi to the new market. It was a really fun experience. The market is the size of two city blocks and is compeletely covered. Inside, it´s like a maze, with hammocks and clothing looping down into the skinny walkway like vines in a rainforest. And it was as dense as a rainforest too! We couldn´t ever see the end of an aisle, and the artisan section abruptly became the dry goods section, with huge canvas bags of rice, beans and coffee set up in the walkway. After we extricated ourselves Indiana Jones style, we took a bus to Granada.

In Granada, Maria and I checked into a really really classy hostel called Oasis. It had a pool AND lockers! And in Maria´s guidebook, there´s a section called Fine Dining. We were seriously hungry, so we read through and found a German place outside of town called Charly´s Bar and Restaurant. As it turns out, there really is a Charly from Germany, and he cooks great steak kabobs. Also, the restaurant is in a really sketchy neighborhood and Charly is really nice, so Charly´s best friend drove us back to the hostel when they couldn´t get ahold of a cab.

Saturday, TimandJim, Maria and I walked around touring the three colonial Churches. One thing that is different about the Churches in Nicaragua compared to those in the US is that they all have a Jesus casket. Honestly, there is always a Jesus mannequin inside a glass casket along one of the walls, usually next to the baptismal font. Anyway, the Churches were gorgeous, especially Iglesia Xalteva. It had been ravaged by pirates in 1753 and the outside still looked like it had recently taken a few cannonballs, but inside was painted light green, with all the white marble pillars covered in flawless carvings.

Sunday, all of us went on a zipline canopy tour in a rainforest! It was really cool. There were 14 platforms set up on a coffee plantation on the side of Mombacho Volcano, and we wore harnesses and flew to each platform. The scariest part of the trip was the ride to the tour, through the national park. There were 11 of us in the back of an old Toyota Land Cruiser bouncing up the side of a mountain for an hour. Very exciting.

On Monday, we returned to do some work. But, I have good news… The autoclave design is progressing! Anna brought us some new valves and tubes to make a smaller, more efficient autoclave, and the new insulated parabolic cooker reached 126 celsius on Monday. It was a very big day for another reason too. Three students at the Engineering University of Nicaragua (UNI) are interested in researching the autoclave as their thesis. This would be amazing, since we were so worried about who could carry on the research this fall and winter. Finally, this week I´ll be working on fixing our temperature logger since we couldn´t find a new one in Esteli (another story) and building a second prototype.