240 Watt solar panels

Solar System:

is a “stand alone” system designed to be used independent from Tanesco relying solely on solar power to charge the batteries.  Each solar option is sized for a specific load.  The solar system generally includes the solar panel(s), charge controller, batteries, inverter and lights, plus the wires and other installation accessories.  The cost includes installation accessories and labour up to the main switch only.  If wiring does not exist in the house the customer must either install the wiring or ask us for the additional cost for wiring.

charge controller (left) regulating the solar energy to the battteries

Solar Back-up Systems:

are systems that use both solar power and Tanesco to charge the batteries.  The system automatically switches to the batteries when the Tanesco power is cut.  The solar panels provide charging to the batteries during the day thus saving the battery capacity for the night.  The solar back-up system generally includes solar panel(s), charge controller, batteries, an inverter/charger, change over switch, lights, plus the wires and installation accessories.  During the installation the technician organizes the main switch between loads that are powered with “Tanesco ON” and loads with “solar back-up ON”.  If the house is only single phase an additional main switch will need to be installed for the solar back-up system.

Inverter/Charger turns on automatically when the power cuts

Back-up Systems:

are the same as the solar back-up systems but without the added power supply of the solar panels to charge the batteries.  Therefore, when the Tanesco power is cut the back-up system will only have the power available in the batteries (total 6-8 hours) for use during the day and during the night.  While the cost may be less than the solar back-up system the back-up system does not provide “free” power during the day and has more wear and tear on the batteries.

Inverter/charger sitting on top of the battery box

There is no need to dread going home because you know the power will be cut and you don’t want to sit in the dark…you can buy a backup or solar-backup system.

Before I installed my solar-backup system my life was miserable.  The worst part of it was knowing the power was going to cut and trying to decide what to do while I waiting for it to come back on…that is until I learned about installing a backup system.

I first started with a Barefoot Power 5w PowaPack.  It was a simple, “plug and play” system with four lights, phone charging and it could also play a small radio.  I put two lights in my living room, one in the corridor and one in the kitchen.  The PowaPack ensured we had a nice bright light at night for less than 200,000 Tsh.

After installing the PowaPack I decided to install a 15w Home Lighting System to provide security lights outside of the house.  I installed the panel on the roof, the two tube lights on the outside walls under the facia board away from the rain, the motion sensor light near the gate and the additional two LED lights in the two bedrooms.  It was very comforting to have lights on when the power was cut as it let everybody know that we were home.  For less than 400,000 Tsh the system was worth the money.

15w solar panel and tube light with switch wire

This year I finally decided to invest in a larger solar backup system.  This system was much larger than my previous systems, having a 1500w inverter/charger with 400 amp hours of battery back.

240 Watt solar panels provide charging during the day

the charge controller indicating the solar is charging the batteries and the status of the batteries

The benefit of the solar backup is that the 240 watts of solar power allows us to use power all day while keeping the batteries topped up for use in the night.  The inverter/charger is integrated into my main switch so when the grid power cuts the system automatically switches over to the backup system with no interruption in the power supply.

Inverter turns on automatically when the power cuts

Charger automatically charges the batteries when the power comes back on

The solar backup system is powerful enough to run my outside security lights, lights inside the house, ceiling fans, 32” T.V, DSTV, DVD player, two laptops and internet modem.

The power cuts is no longer an issue at home. In fact, I rarely notice when the power is cut.  We also installed a slightly larger system in our office and work is no longer disrupted.

Inverter/charger sitting on top of the battery box

Whether it is a smaller system to provide some light in your home or security light outside, or a larger system to be integrated with your current A/C grid connected system I hope my story has helped you realize that you don’t have to accept darkness.  You can invest in solar and solar backup systems.

The PowaPack Junior 2.5 W is just like the PowaPack 5W but half the size.  It is ideal for small shops and one bedroom apartments that do not need four lights to light up the space.  The Jr is also half the price making it more affordable to low income families and small business that don’t want to spend a lot of money to good good quality light.

The PowaPack Jr. 2.5W comes with a 2.5W solar panel, battery pack, 2 LED matrix lamps (with 2m wire), 2 extension wires, two switch extension wires and pins for charging a variety of phones.

Like all other Barefoot products the PowaPack Jr has 6 months warranty on the lamps, batteries and LEDs and 1 year on the panel.  ARTI-TZ is an official warranty and service centre for Barefoot products.

World Bank visitors Waqar Haider, Sector Leader – Sustainable Development, and Jing Li, Economist for the Africa Energy Group, meeting charcoal briquette producers

ARTI-TZ  welcomed visitors from the World Bank responsible for the Biomass Energy Initiative for Africa (BEIA).  Waqar Haider, Sector Leader – Sustainable Development, and Jing Li, Economist for the Africa Energy Group, conducted the first visits to monitor the progress of the BEIA project in Tanzania on the 15^th and 16^th of August.  The project, “Production of Charcoal Briquettes in Tanzania” recently completed training & equipping 360 people in 12 villages in Bagamoyo District, the first of four Districts to receive the training.

Nachiket Potnis, Executive Director of ARTI-TZ, Kennedy Mremi, Lead Trainer and James Mariwa, Trainer, joined the World Bank visitors.

The first day activities included a visit to the World Bank’s country office and the offices of the Rural Energy Agency (REA) in Dar es Salaam and to the villages which have already received training in Bagamoyo District.  During the village visits the team was able to meet village councils and participants that have already received training.

Waqar Haider watching as a charcoal kiln is being fabricated

On the second day, Nachiket accompanied the World Bank team to Mlandizi Village in Kibaha District where a training was in progress.   Visiting a training in progress allowed the team to see the training methodology first hand.  Mr. Haider and Ms. Li provided valuable encouragement for the progress made with the trainings and constructive comments that will certainly help guide our team as we work towards the commercialization of charcoal briquettes in Tanzania.

Jing Li photographs participants fabricating kilns

The visit concluded with a visit to the ARTI-TZ office in Mbezi Beach, Dar es Salaam where the ARTI-TZ  team had time to discuss with Mr. Haider and Ms. Li on ways the commercialization of charcoal briquettes could be further invigorated.  From the discussion the main priority was to ensure trainings prioritized business skills for the villages producing briquettes.  It was suggested to encourage some producers to play an additional role as “District Champions” to help coordinate producers and to help make those producers viable for larger partners.  ARTI-TZ reaffirmed its commitment as an innovation broker tasked with tackling bottlenecks in the value chain, particularly with creating briquetting capacity and generating consumer demand for charcoal briquettes in urban areas where charcoal consumption is high.

Waqar Haider and Jing Li discussing commercialization of charcoal briquettes with Dennis Tessier of ARTI-TZ

The World Bank monitoring visit was timely as ARTI-TZ is completing monitoring and evaluation after completing training in Bagamoyo District.  The observations and recommendations will be incorporated within the projects first M&E report.

Women participants prepare char powder for briquetting

ARTI-TZ completed sustainable charcoal briquettes training in Bagamoyo District this past July making the District the first of four in Coast Region to receive intensive training on charcoal kiln fabrication, charring of dry biomass, briquetting and promotion of charcoal briquettes.

The training is made possible with the support of the World Bank’s Biomass Energy Initiative for Africa (BEIA) and with the partnership with the Tanzanian Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism (MNRT), Forestry and Bee Keeping Department and District Authorities.

Kiln fabrication in Magomeni Village, Bagamoyo District

The MNRT assisted ARTI-TZ with introductory letters of support to District Councils, who in turn provided direct support through the District Forest Officer, Joseph J. Msaki.  The DFO assisted with providing an overview of deforestation in the District as well as priority areas for training to take place.  In addition to the technical support the DFO proved to be a valuable resource in meeting Village Councils, travelling with the ARTI-TZ team to visit short listed villages from which a total of 12 villages were selected.

The first briquettes of a training are made

In all, a total of 360 participants in 12 Villages were trained.  Each village trained had 30 participants  comprised of  men and women farmers, charcoal producers, business people, teachers and Village Council members. The 12 villages trained are Lugoba, Pingo, Kikaro, Mbwewe, Msata, Dunda, Magomeni, Kiromo, Vigwaza, Kerege and Makurunge.

Bagamoyo, being the first of four Districts, allowed the ARTI-TZ trainers to hone their skills and modify their approach to training.  For example, the larger kiln was replaced with a smaller more efficient kiln.  This not only increased the speed of charcoal production, but better utilized the dry biomass and allowed for 5 kilns to be produced rather than three.

As part of our efforts to commercialize charcoal briquettes we are putting emphasis on monitoring and evaluation activities.  Carla Acosta, an intern from York University in Toronto, Canada participated in two trainings, and following the trainings worked with Lulu Mwammenywa from ARTI-TZ, to conduct M&E of the villages trained.  Several lessons were learned from the M&E including the need to streamline the training to provide more time for training on business skills, commercialization, ways in which trainers could have greater gender inclusion, and the need for more hand tools to speed up the fabrication process.

Participants packing dried charcoal briquettes

In order to ensure the villages continue to commercialize their technology, two interns from ARDHI University – School of Environmental Science and Technology, Edgar Lisso and Mwinyi Abdulkadir, have joined the ARTI-TZ team to assist villages in the initial stages of adopting the new technology and to develop “District Champions” who can work to coordinate villages producing charcoal powder and briquettes making them more efficient and viable for larger investment.

The entire team would like to thank all the stakeholders who have made the training in Bagamoyo possible.  We hope to build on this success as we conduct training in Kibaha, Kisararwe and Mkuranga Districts.

If you are interesting in charcoal briquette training or setting up a briquetting plant in Dar es Salaam using char powder produced by the villages we have trained, please contact dennis@arti-africa.org.

Teachers and Students at Pinga Primary School posing with their new solar lights

On July 13^th, 2011 a group of students helped offload boxes full of solar lights enter one of the class rooms of Pinga Primary School in Kerege, Bagaymoyo District, Tanzania.  The teachers and students gladly received the 100 Barefoot Power Pack Junior donated by Dissigno Tanzania, which is the affiliate of Dissigno USA, based in San Francisco, California . The lights are portable and therefore can be carried home by the students and used as a safe reliable source of light that they can use to do their homework or other activities.  In addition to the having safe light the solar lanterns will help the school to generate an income which will be a needed to improve its facilities.

A committee member organizes the lights, solar panels and batteries

In the office there is a list for the number of desks, tables, books, and so on that the school needs and how much money they need in order to buy it.  To reach their target, the lights will be rented out to the students for 100 tsh per day (Approximately 6 cents US per day) and 200 tsh per day on the weekend.  The lights will be stored and charged on school grounds where they can be easily managed.

Carla Acosta, a Canadian intern with ARTI, poses with a teacher and their bouquets of solar lamps

In order to coordinate the charging centre and manage the money a committee was formed of both students and teachers. The students that were selected by the teachers to be part of the committee are Hafidhi Ambali (VII), Pili Zuberi (VI), Neema Mtugani (VII), Joyce Johni (VII), and Ali Ngozi (V). The teachers are David Mbogela, Singano Rajabu, and the principal Halima Salumu.

ARTI-TZ Executive Director, Nachiket Potnis, explains technical details in Kiswhili to committee members

Setting up the solar lights was a collaboration of three American volunteers Eric, Oliva, and Hana representing Dissigno Tanzania, Carla Acosta from Canada, along with all the members of the committee. During the preparation the students and teachers were taught by Nachiket Potnis, Executive Director of ARTI-TZ , how to use and maintain the solar lights.

Abdalla Seushi, ARTI-TZ Project Officer, explains renewable energy technologies to the public

During the week long exhibition, the Ministry of Public Services select an unanimous group to visit all the booths and select the best one according to the best overall display and explanation for their products.  This year the Rural Energy Agency (REA) selected ARTI-TZ, ORYX Gas, African Women in Mining Network Tanzania, ENVOTEC, Power Electronics and Controls LTD, and ENSOL (T) Limited to participate for this event because they share REAs mission is to help bring energy into rural areas of Tanzania.

Neema Lema explaining how the compact biogas system works

ARTI Team members, included Neema Lema , Abdalah M. Seushi, Carla Acosta and Godson Mghamba were constantly busy talking to visitors that were intrigued by ARTI-TZ products.   According to Neema Lema, one of ARTI’s newest team members, people were mostly curious about the biogas, commenting “most people know about biogas systems that use cow dung and are very surprised and intrigued to see the Compact Biogas Systems that uses food waste.”   The charcoal briquettes made from dry biomass were also of big interest to many visitors according to Neema Lema.  Neema says,  “so many people think that the charcoal is like a miracle because they thought charcoal could only come from trees”.  While ARTI demonstrated solar, charcoal briquettes and biogas, other organizations demonstrated small electric wind turbines, commercial and domestic stoves,  a micro-hydro power plants, and technology that stored energy.

ARTI's Godson Mghamba holds the Public Service Week trophy high after winning best pavilion 2011

The biggest reward of Public Service Week came on the last day of the exhibition REA was announced the winner for the 2011 Public Service Week. REA received a trophy and at the same time ARTI-TZ received special recognition.

Story by: Carla Acosta, York University (Toronto, Canada) Intern working with ARTI-Africa

Leo Blyth from Lighting Africa visits ARTI-TZ promotions in Bagamoyo District

On May 4^th 2011, Leo Blyth and Simon Karunditu from the World Bank and Jones Olotu and Julian Kiiza from Rural Energy Agency (REA) visited  ARTI-TZ  offices in Mbezi beach with the purpose of checking on the progress of the Lighting Rural Tanzania Project and to  offer project support.  The World Bank/REA team visited the solar repair center, solar demonstration area and had an opportunity to see the various promotional materials used by ARTI-TZ  to promote solar lights through LRTC.

ARTI-TZ staff demonstrate solar lights to Simon Karunditu of the World Bank

Later on the same day, the team was accompanied by  Nachiket Potnis, Executive Director of ARTI TZ, to meet Jacqueline Michael (LRTC Project Officer) and Abdalla Seushi (LRTC Field Officer)  in Kiromo Village, Bagamoyo District  where solar promotions for the lighting Rural Tanzania Project were taking place. The visitors watched  Jacqueline, Abdalla and Potnis conducting the solar promotions with the assistance of  Abel shop technicians, one of ARTI-TZs partner dealers under LRTC.

Abdalla Seushi, LRTC Field Officer, promotes lights from a mobile promotional vehicle in Bagamoyo District

The World Bank/REA team were impressed with the way the promotions were conducted, combining demonstrations of Barefoot Power 5W powapack and Firefly 12 mobile, with music and dancing from B town Entertainment Group.  The music and dancing spiced up the promotions and attracted large numbers of people.

Jacqueline and Abdalla also put up posters on shop walls and installing solar lights in shops and houses of kiromo households who had bought solar lights on spot.

Nachiket Potnis, ARTI-TZ Executive Director, poses with a customer who just bought a 5w solar system

The World Bank and REA team also visited Abel shop  which is located in Bagamoyo Town and is also a partner dealer under LRTC.   Mr Abel, the shop owner, was interviewed on the progress of the solar project and the response of his customers towards the solar lights. Mr. Abel spoke on how working ARTI-TZ under the LRTC project has allowed him to extend credit to school teachers and to households in Bagamoyo through the Local Government Authorities.

ARTI-TZ staff and Abel Shop technicians pose with the dancers from B-Town Entertainers during the solar promotions

Carla Acosta, an intern from York University in Canada, stands besides a Mpingo tree.

Mpingo Farm Stay is an exclusive nature farm that provides lovers a place to seek harmony, tranquility and solitude. On May 23^rd 2011, team members from ARTI-TZ visited the Mpingo Farm Stay which is located 38 km from Dar es Salaam in Bagamoyo District. The purpose of this visit was to complete the installation of Barefoot Power solar kits in the guest lodges, kitchen, patio and workers quarters.

Kenned Mremi, from ARTI-TZ, installs the 5W solar panel on the thatched roof of the patio

The installation was conducted by Abdalla Seushi, Kennedy Mremi and James Mariwa from ARTI-TZ.  Carla Acosta, an intern from Canada, and  Jacqueline Michael, also from ARTI-TZ,  accompanied to assist in the installation and see the wonderful efforts to conserve the natural environment.  Staff members from Mpingo Farm Stay gave a tour to the ARTI-TZ team and helped with hanging the lights in the banda’s.

One of the many LED lights installed at Mpingo Farm Stay

The Barefoot Power lights have helped a great deal at the Farm as electricity is scarce and most people rely on kerosene and candles as the main source of lighting.  According to one of the Mpingo Farm Stay staff the solar power has been the most efficient and economical form of power  and allows them to remain within their mandate to be environmentally friendly.

The Mpingo Farm Stay story demonstrates how people living and do business in areas without power can adopt solar energy  and avoid undergoing the costly process of installing grid electricity or using generators.   Lodges, campsites and other institutions, such as schools, can use the example of the Mpingo farm to see the opportunity to reap the benefits of solar.

For more information about Mpingo Farm Stay please email:  info@mpingofarmstay.com or call +255 752 383 138 or +255 659 383 138.

For more information about Barefoot Solar, please visit our products page and click on solar.