Solar Powered Computer Lab and Classrooms
Prepared By Allen Fox
Overview
The following project was used to provide a reliable and clean energy source to power lights and a
couple computers at a Secondary School. This is a good project for schools in rural areas that are away
from any major power grids. It is especially a good option for schools that are situated in areas where
there is lots of sun since the system does rely on solar power. The project could also be done at
orphanages, business offices, dispensaries or any place that needs a source of light during the evenings
and use of a couple computers during the day.
Project Summery
The project was done in a rural part of the Kyela District in Tanzania. It started as a project to get a
reliable light source but due to having extra funds we were also able to purchase three laptop
computers. Laptop computers were chosen because they could be transported easily and they use very
little electricity making it easy to run on solar power. The expensive equipment of this project was
purchased in Dar es Salaam where there is a larger variety of things at a much cheaper price. This did
produce a small hassle of transport, but with the help of the schools headmaster it was less painful.
Once the equipment was brought to the school we hired a solar installer to install it. During the
instillation a teacher stayed with the installers so that if there were any small problems in the future he
would understand the workings of the system and be able to make the slight adjustments to fix it. After
installation the solar system pretty much runs itself. With the solar system installed my school is able to
have four classrooms fully light for at least five hours during the evening and have two laptops running
throughout the day time. The teachers also use the time when computers are not in use to charge
various things such as cellular phones.
Materials
1. Solar Panel 85 W
2. 35 amp Controller
3. Solar Battery
4. AC Lights
5. DC Lights
6. Cable 4 mm Gauge
7. Cable 2.5 mm Wire
8. 1000 watt Inverter
9. Laptop Computer
10. Various Hardware (nails, screws, switches, paint, wood, etc.)
Suggested Steps to follow
1. Form a meeting where those who are involved in the project can add input to what they need from
the project. This should also be a time to start setting up a simple budget to see how much money
can be raised for the project since 25% of the total project funds must be paid for by the
community.
2. Once the total amount that can be raised is known for both the community and PCPP Grant the
volunteer can start looking at what can be purchased. During this time the PCPP Grant write-up
should be started since the more detailed it is the better chance it has of getting through without a
problem. Also the one in charge of donors back stateside should be informed that they need to start
finding the people who will fund the project. My father was responsible for this and was very
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successful so attached at the bottom of this document is his tips. Attached after these tips is a rough
estimate of solar prices as well as an example of how to budget the project.
Once you have a general idea of what you want and can afford, start contacting various solar
dealers in your area as well as those in a major city to help get a more accurate idea on prices. If it
is only slightly more expensive to buy locally then that is the best option because remember you are
going to have to pay more for transport from the major city.
After you have limited your search and found the company you want to deal with, contact the one
you plan to install the system and ask for their advice on the matter. If it checks out with them and
nothing more is needed to be added to the budget start finishing up the PCPP Grant write-up.
Once the Grant is finished and is being processed in Washington start organizing a basic time-line
that you will follow once it has cleared. Depending on the funds requested from PCPP, the time to
receive the funds will vary, but it should take about a month if the donors are organized. This timeline should consist of when you will purchase and receive the equipment, means of transport,
installation and any other small things that need to be taken care of. This is also an important time
to make sure the community has started to rise or has already raised its portion of the project cost.
Once the funds have been received then you can follow your time-line that you constructed by
starting with the purchase of materials and transporting to site. Then finishing off with the
installation of the system. During this time recites should be saved and duplicated to save time in
the future. You can also purchase a recite booklet to help since some places will be difficult to
receive recites from. Another word of advice is that make sure when you buy any equipment that
there is some kind of warranty that protects you if there are defects when it is all set up at your site.
Once the system is set up and running properly it is now time for you to organize all the recites that
you collected along the way and started doing the final write-up which goes over how the project
turned out and where all the money went. I also included thank you notes from those that were
directly affected by the project to show their appreciation to the donors.
After all this has been completed it is now time to grab a drink and give yourself a pat on the back
because you have made it through this long and rewarding process.
Advantages of Solar Power
The advantages of using solar power as a source of energy are that you are not relying on oil which is a
very expensive commodity and is no longer a reliable one. During this time the accessibility and
fluctuating oil prices make it difficult to predict what may happen in the future. This is why solar
energy is considered reliable source of energy because the sun is not going anywhere and it is always
free. Also solar power is a clean energy source so it does not produce any harmful pollutants, such as
carbon dioxide, so as not to add to the already great problem of global warming.
Lessons Learned
The first lesson was to make sure and check more then one solar company for prices to be sure to get
the best system for your buck. Once you have found a company that has good prices and are helpful
then you can ask them to refer you to a reliable dealer in computers. By using a referred company as a
starting point then you can have them do the introductions and possibly get you a better deal on the
computers you are buying. As for transporting the equipment, for me this was the worst part of the
whole process because it was the only time all the expensive equipment was not in my possession. I
eased the stress a little by having my headmaster (a host country natural) present to help negotiate
transport prices and also share my burden. As for finding a reliable solar installer for instillation, you
can either go to a site that already has had solar installed and check to see how the work was done.
However if this is not an option then you can ask the company you are buying from if they know of any
installers in your area. The last suggestion I have is to maybe install a system first and check its ability
to run things before going out and buying computers. I bought three laptop computers only to find that
the system I installed can only run two at one time. Lastly be prepared to go over budget so be sure to
overestimate the costs of things like transport and labor so as not to get stuck with an unfinished
project. Also, be sure anything electrical you buy for the system can run on the system. We bought a
great laser printer which required more energy than we could generate, so it’s now useless for the
school!
References
1. Allen Fox, foxa329@gmail.com
2. Dale Fox, daleafox@gmail.com
3. M.A. Kashililika, Ngana Secondary School, P.O. Box 497, Kyela, Tanzania (0784381683)
4. David Kwegela, P.O. Box 539, Tukuyu, Tanzania (0784451197)
5. Aglex Company Limited, P. O. Box 9818, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (0222700069)
Donor Tips
1. Have a project that you can sell. Be able to show evidence of the project, pictures with a letter from
the Peace Corp volunteer describing the need in their own words.
2. Begin talking about the project and the need for donations to friends, interested acquaintances,
family and fellow workers beforehand and then when it is set up, follow through.
3. Write a heartfelt letter, describing the project with pictures and the Peace Corp Volunteers letter
giving them the donation information and an idea of what is a generous donation. In our case, we said
what we would be donating. By doing this we had two folks match our donation and our neighbor and
business associate both doubled it.
4. Keep aware of the donations on the Peace Corp Site and with what your donors told you. If they
don't match up make sure you call the Peace Corp Office to get updated information. This was very
difficult for us as we were not given direct donor information. It is critical to thank your donors
immediately and to let them know we would be giving them regular updates from the Peace Corp
volunteer as to how it was going.
5. When we had not gotten the necessary amount in a week and a half we went back to all the friends,
interested acquaintances, family and fellow workers who had not donated and asked them again, giving
them another "opportunity" to be involved in this project. We gave a deadline due to the timeframe
that the Peace Corp volunteer needed the money so the project could be completed and training done
before he left the country.
6. By being relentless we were able to fund this project with extra money going to other projects in
two weeks.
7. We found, in doing this project with our son that it would have been extremely helpful to have been
privy to the donor lists immediately so we could do appropriate follow-up.
Prepared by Dale and Patti Fox
Price List
Material
Unit
Unit Cost (Tshs)
1 panel
720,000
1 controller
330,000
Solar Battery
1 battery
200,000
Inverter (1000 watt)
1 inverter
1,100,000
Solar Panel 85 W
Controller (35 amp)
Material
Unit
Unit Cost (Tshs)
1 computer
770,000
1 mouse
8,000
DC Lights
1 light
20,000
AC Lights
1 light
6,000
Cable 2.5 mm Wire
115 m
184,000
Cable 4 mm Gauge
1m
3,000
Laptop Computer (HP 530)
Elife Computer Mouse
Labor

200,000
2 Days
1 Solar Panel of 85 W needs 2 Solar Batteries and Controller (25 amp) and will be able to run
approx 6 DC lights which can light 3 classrooms well at night.
Example Budget
FINAL PROJECT BUDGET
Partnership Contribution: USD 5000
Local Currency 6,060,000/=
Community Contribution: USD 1700
Local Currency 2,060,400/=
Total Project Cost: USD 6700
Local Currency 8,120,400/=
Currency Exchange Rate: 1,212 Tanzanian Shillings = 1 US Dollar
Partnership Contribution
Material
Solar Panel 85 W
Controller
Solar Battery
Laptop Computer
DC Lights
Cable 4 mm Gauge
Elife Mouse
AC Lights
Total Partnership
Contribution
Community Contribution
Material
Unit
1 panel
1
controller
1 battery
1
computer
1 light
1m
Quantity
Needed
3
1
Unit Cost
(Tshs)
720,000
330,000
Total Cost
(Tshs)
2,160,000
330,000
Total Cost
(USD)
5
3
200,000
770,000
1,000,000
2,310,000
825.08
1905.94
11
5
20,000
220,000
15,000
181.52
12.38
19.80
9.90
1 mouse
3
3,000
8,000
1 light
2
6,000
12,000
6,071,000
5009.08
Printer
1 printer
Quantity
Needed
1
Inverter
1 inverter
1
1,100,000
1,100,000
907.59
115 m
1
184,000
184,000
200,000
197,000
151.82
165.02
162.54
Cable 2.5 mm Wire
Labor
Transport
Unit
24,000
1,782.18
272.28
Unit Cost
(Tshs)
178,000
Total Cost
(Tshs)
178,000
Total Cost
(USD)
200,000
197,000
146.86
Miscellaneous
Total Community Contribution
194,700
194,700
2,053,700
160.64
1694.47
Total Project Costs
%Contribution
Partnership Contribution
Community Contribution
Total Project Cost
74.7
25.3
100
Total Cost
(Tshs)
6,071,000
2,053,700
8,124,700
Total Cost
(USD)
5009.08
1694.47
6703.55