Transcript Slide 1

Renewable Energy for
conviviality: some
experiences from Thailand
Chris Greacen
Palang Thai
Eco-Village Training
20 December 2007
Mu Ban Dek, Kanchanburi
Palang Thai พลังไท
พลัง (palang): n 1. Power. 2. Empowerment.
ไท (thai): adj. 1. Independence. 2. Self-reliance
– We teach hands-on energy technology
– We draft policies
– We critique wasteful & dangerous megaprojects
Conviviality
Con: “with”
Vivre: “life”
Conviviality
Con: “with”
Vivre: “life”
As individuals, as communities, as a species… how
can we live in harmony with nature/divine?
Conviviality
Con: “with”
Vivre: “life”
As individuals, as communities, as a species…
how can we live in harmony with nature/divine?
"Nature has enough for our need, but not
enough for our greed." -- Ghandi
Conviviality
Con: “with”
Vivre: “life”
As individuals, as communities, as a species…
how can we live in harmony with nature/divine?
"Nature has enough for our need, but not enough
for our greed.“
Renewable energy is not enough… we need to
address consumption
What is Renewable Energy?
• Renewable: harnesses energy flows in
nature in ways that do not deplete those
flows.
• Fossil: use it, and it is gone…
Global Warming
Albedo Effect
กรีนแลนด์ บริเวณขัว้ โลกเหนื อ
Ice melting areas
Source of picture: bbc.co.uk
Natural gas
• Used to make 71% of
Thailand’s electricity
(among highest in world)
• Cleaner than other fossil
fuels (especially SOx) but
still big CO2 emissions
• Limited domestic supply.
• Human rights issues in
pipeline from Burma
(Yadana)
LNG
terminal
Natural gas
• Severe price volatility – linked to crude oil price.
• Now around $0.05 to $0.07 / kWh
Coal
• Used to make 14% of Thailand’s
electricity
• History of respiratory illnesses
from coal smoke – Mae Mot,
Lampang
• Acid rain
• Worst fuel for global warming
• Limited domestic supply
• Cheaper (now) than natural gas
($0.04 to $0.06/kWh)
• Strong environmental opposition
Big hydro
• Used to make 6% of Thailand’s
electricity
• Consensus: no more big dams will
be built in Thailand
– Limited sites left in Thailand
– Strong environmental opposition
• Environmental issues
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Inundation
Fish killed
Global warming
Changes in temperature / sediment
loading / flow regime
• Can be cheap
– If reasonably close to load centers
Nuclear
• In 2007 PDP starting year
2020
• Cost uncertain
– $0.02 to $0.12/kWh
• Environment & security
issues
– Generates materials that can
be used to make weapons
– Thailand has spotty nuclear
safety record already
– Waste dangerous for
thousands of years.
Typical electricity source
in remote areas: diesel
Can we imagine something
different?
Renewables worldwide
• About 20% of all power sector investment is now in renewables
Solar
13.7 km
TESCO Lotus, Rama I,
460 kWp, Cost: 75,165,000 baht
13.7 km
0.037% of
Thailand area 
100% peak load
(22,586 MW)
World-wide
2006: 6,000 MWp cumulative
2007: >9,000 MWp cumulative
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The fastest growing energy technology in the world is grid-connected solar
photovoltaic (PV), growing by 60% per year from 2000–2004.
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Solar
3 kW = 660,000 baht
Thai population: 65,069,000
Person per household: 5
Households: 13,014,000
System size: 3 kW
If 58% of households  100% of peak load
VSPP subsidy: 8 baht / kWh
Thai solar home systems
203,000 solar home systems
Sustainability challenge
Ruggedized solar electric systems built by
Karen medics in 3-5 day hands-on trainings
• 8 trainings (2003-2007) www.bget.org
• >100 medics trained
• 37 clinics
Solar for computer training centers
in seven Karen refugee camps
•1 kW PV hybrid with diesel generator
•Each powers 12 computers
Wind
Thai wind
potential:
1600 MW (?)
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Hundreds of watts to 5 MW per turbine
Now over 18,000 MW in Germany
Denmark gets >17% electricity from wind
At windy site, US 5 cents/kWh (1.65 baht/kWh)
In Thailand: 6 baht/kWh (?)
VSPP subsidy: 2.5 baht/kWh (3.5?)
1 MW = 35,000,000 baht
28,530 MW =
Thailand’s
peak load in
2007
• Second fastest growing power source world wide. Grew by 28% per
year, led by Germany, with over 18 GW installed as of 2005.
Wind energy – human scale
http://natee2007.thaiza.com
8,200 baht
17.7
baht/kWh
Thai wind
pioneers build
wind power
themselves.
Wind for water pumping – salt
farms
5m
1m
4.5 m
6m
0.5 m
2m
0.3 m
Rice husk fired power plant
 9.8 MW
 Roi Et province
 VSPP: Subsidy 0.3 baht/kWh
Korat Waste to Energy - biogas
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Uses waste water from cassava to make methane
Produces gas for all factory heat (30 MW thermal) + 3 MW of electricity
3 x 1 MW gas generators
VSPP: Subsidy 0.3 baht/kWh
Reduces air and water pollution
Biogas from
Pig Farms
Produces fertilizer
Produces electricity
8 x 70 kW generator
Ratchaburi
Subsidy: 0.3 baht/kwh
Rice husk gasifier
Rice mill in Nakorn Sawan
400 kW
Gasifier
electricity from wood
Biodiesel
Efficient Charcoal
Micro-hydro technology
Source: Inversin, A. R. (1986). Micro-Hydropower Sourcebook.
Micro-hydro technology
Pelton
Turgo
Crossflow
Kaplan
Centrifugal
pump
Thai Potential:
1000s of projects - 700 MW (?)
Mae Kam Pong, Chiang Mai
DEDE + community
40 kW
4 million baht cost
Sell electricity to PEA – 400,000 baht/year
VSPP subsidy: 0.8 baht/kWh
Mae Kam Pong, Chiang Mai
2 @ 20 kW
Weir: 2 meters high, 15 meter wide
Head: 55 meters
Households: 190
Cost: 3.99 million baht
Constructed in year: 2526 (1983)
Thai Potential:
10,000s of projects – 10s MW (?)
Huai Krating, Tak
Power: 3 kW
Head: 35 meter
Flow: 20 liters/second
Cost: <200,000 baht
(turbine - 24,500 baht)
Constructed: 2548 (2005)
Kre Khi village, Tak Province
1 kW for school, clinic, church
Cost: <150,000
(turbine 10,000)
Head: 10 meters
Flow: 15 lit/sec
Mae Klang Luang, Chaing Mai
200 watts
5,000 baht (turbine: 4,000 baht)
Installed: 2550 (2007)
Head: 1.7 meters
Hydraulic ram pump
www.agr.gc.ca
Hydraulic ram pump
Solar cooking
Biogas for
cooking
www.bget.org
Solar water heating
Thank you
For more information, please contact
[email protected]
This presentation available at:
www.palangthai.org/docs
1) Remove bias in Thailand’s load
forecasting
Demand growth has been linear
over the past 20 years…
Peak demand (MW)
30000
y = 844.21x - 2E+06
R2 = 0.989
20000
10000
0
1985
1987
1989
1991
1993
1995
Historic peak demand
1997
1999
2001
2003
Linear (Historic peak demand)
2005
2007
… but “official forecasts” assume
exponential growth
50000
24 power plants
45000
35000
30000
25000
20000
15000
10000
5000
2007 Forecast
Historic peak demand trend
2021
2019
2017
2015
2013
2011
2009
2007
2005
2003
2001
1999
1997
1995
1993
1991
1989
1987
0
1985
Peak demand (MW)
40000
… so they always overestimate actual demand,
building power plants that aren’t needed…
50000
45000
40000
Jun-93
Dec-94
Oct-95
Oct 96 (Base)
Sep 98 (MER)
Feb-01
Aug-06
Jan 04 (MEG)
Apr 06 Base
ACTUAL
30000
25000
20000
15000
10000
5000
2021
2019
2017
2015
2013
2011
2009
2007
2005
2003
2001
1999
1997
1995
1993
1991
1989
1987
0
1985
MW Peak Demand
35000
Power Development Plan
(Planned installed capacity = peak demand + 15% reserve)
2) Consider clean, decentralized
options on level playing field
Fuel mix in power generation
GWh
Import
Nuke
RE
Gas
Coal
Lignite
Hydro
Cost of Energy (US cents/kWH)
Saving electricity is cheaper than
generating it
10.0
8.2
Demand Side Management (saving electricity)
8.0
6.0
4.9
5.0
5.1
5.2
Lowsulphur
coal w/o
FGD
Lowsulphur fuel
oil w/o
FGD
LNG
5.5
4.0
4.0
2.6
2.1
2.0
1.5
DSM
Hydro from
Gas
Lignite with
Laos
combined
FGD
cycle
Actual 10-year
DSM average
cost!!!
Lowsulphur
coal with
FGD
Nuclear
Type of Power Plant
Source: The World Bank (1993)