(Mostly) micro-hydro

(mostly) in Thailand
Chris Greacen

SEI micro-hydro
Guemes Island
23 Oct 2008
 Outline
• Ph.D. topic -- government/village micro-
hydropower in Thailand
• Very Small Power Producer (VSPP)
• Pico-hydros in Thailand
Villagers: ‘our power plant’
Local manufacture
 Average cost: micro-hydro vs. grid for 25
years of electricity to a remote household

$1,600
$1,400
$1,200
$1,000
$800 High
$600 Low

$400
$200
$0
Microhydro Grid
Source: Microhydro data from construction costs of existing microhydro projects from Panya Consultants Co. (1993). Kroonggaan Padtana Fai Faa Palang Naam
Radap Muu Baan (Village Scale Microhydro Development Projects). Bangkok, Thailand, Department of Energy Development and Promotion

Grid costs from Price Waterhouse CoopersPrice Waterhouse Coopers (2000). Review of Electric Power Tariffs National Energy Policy Office of Thailand -- Final
Report -- Annexes H-R. Bangkok, Thailand.
 Number of villages served
micro-hydro vs. the grid (as
claimed)
80000
68464
70000
60000
50000
40000
30000
20000
10000
59
0
Micro-hydro (DEDP) Grid (PEA)
Source: PEA Annual Report 2000; DEDP “mini and microhydopower”
 Thailand
topography and
micro-hydro site
locations
 How well do micro-hydro installations
work in the field in Thailand?
40

35
No PEA, 3
30

25

20
No PEA, 16
15 PEA arrived, 31

10

5 PEA arrived, 9

0
Microhydro in operation Abandoned

Of 59 systems installed, less than half still in operation

 Volts ac

100
150
200
250
300

0
50
6/25/01 0:00

6/30/01 0:00

7/5/01 0:00

7/10/01 0:00

7/15/01 0:00

7/20/01 0:00

7/25/01 0:00

7/30/01 0:00

8/4/01 0:00

8/9/01 0:00

8/14/01 0:00

8/19/01 0:00

8/24/01 0:00
September 2001

8/29/01 0:00

9/3/01 0:00

9/8/01 0:00

9/13/01 0:00

9/18/01 0:00
microhydro from 25 June to 23
Voltage at Mae Kam Pong village

9/23/01 0:00
 Mae Kam Pong Microhydro Unit #2 Voltage and
Current (15 minute intervals) 6 Sept to 8 Sept 2001
30 300

25 250

20 200
Amps

Volts
15 150

10 100

5 50

0 0
8/6/01 18:05

8/7/01 12:05

8/7/01 18:05
8/6/01 12:05

8/8/01 12:05

8/8/01 18:05
8/6/01 0:05

8/6/01 6:05

8/7/01 0:05

8/7/01 6:05

8/8/01 0:05

8/8/01 6:05
Current 1 Current 2 Current 3 Voltage
 7000

6000

5000

4000
Watts

3000

2000

1000 2000
1997
1994
0 Year
1991
5:00
6:00
7:00
8:00

1988
9:00
10:00
11:00
12:00
13:00
14:00
15:00
16:00
17:00

1985
18:00
19:00
20:00
21:00
22:00
23:00
Time of day

Hourly load curve, by year from 1985 to 2000. Graph based on an appliance
usage survey of 35 families in Mae Kam Pong village, April and June 2001.
 10000

9000

8000

7000

other
6000
water boiler
rice cooker
Watts

5000 iron
fridge
TV
4000
lights

3000

2000

1000

0
1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001

Contribution to evening maximum peak demand by appliance, for the years 1985 – 2001.
 Small is beautiful pitiful:
Community Micro-hydroelectricity and the
Politics of Rural Electrification in Thailand

Chris Sangarasri Greacen

ERG – UC Berkeley
Ph.D. colloquium presentation – 4 Dec, 2002
Thanks to…
Ph.D. Dissertation Committee: Dan Kammen, Dick Norgaard, Jeff Romm
Switzer Network Mentors: Jim Williams and Margaret Torn
EPA-STAR Fellowship, Switzer Environmental Fellowship
 Summary from the village level:
“it still doesn’t add up”
30 300

$1,600
25 250

$1,400
$1,200
20 200

+ $1,000

Amps

Volts
15 150

$800 High 10 100

$600 Low
5 50

$400
0 0

$200

8/6/01 0:05

8/6/01 6:05

8/6/01 12:05

8/6/01 18:05

8/7/01 0:05

8/7/01 6:05

8/7/01 12:05

8/7/01 18:05

8/8/01 0:05

8/8/01 6:05

8/8/01 18:05
8/8/01 12:05
Local integrated $0
Microhydro Grid
Current 1 Current 2 Current 3 Voltage

development Cost effective rural Resolvable technical

benefits electricity and managerial
challenges
30 28
80000
68464
70000 25
21
60000
20

?
50000

=
15

+
40000
30000 10 7
20000
5
10000
58
0 0
Micro-hydro (DEDP) Grid (PEA) Microhdyro in Grid arriving Using Grid
operation
Rarely Existing installations
implemented replaced by grid
 1966: USAID plan dismisses
decentralized micro-hydroelectricity
“The view has been advanced by some that the
construction and operation of hydroelectric plants... is
necessary in order to demonstrate the interest of the
Government in the welfare of the people, particularly in the
so-called "sensitive areas" where the very low income
status of the population makes them susceptible to the
propaganda of Asian Communism. Others believe that …
the funds available can be put to better use by building
transmission and rural distribution facilities to bring power
from large, centrally located generation stations which are
…less exposed to damage or destruction by subversive or
enemy action. The team endorses the later option.”

USAID (1966). Thailand Electric Power Supply, US Agency for International

Development, United States Operations Mission.
 Very Small Power Producer
(VSPP) Regulations in Thailand
• VSPP forces grid monopoly to accommodate
small, distributed generation
• Streamlined interconnection
• Production is valued at the retail rate (net
metering)… 80% of retail rate for net excess.
• In Thailand
– Cabinet approval 14 May 2002
– 1 MW net export per project
– All renewables
• 2006 expanded
– 1 MW  10 MW net export.
– Feed-in tariffs
Mae Kam Pong, Chiang Mai
DEDE + community
40 kW
About $130,000 cost
Sell electricity to PEA – $13,000/year
 Biomass
Biogas

Rice husk fired power plant

Potential:
7000 MW • 9.8 MW
Source: Thai • Roi Et province
Ministry of
Energy 2003 • Average VSPP tariff for biomass:
2.9 baht/kWh (incl. subsidy 0.3
baht/kWh)
Korat Waste to Energy - biogas
• 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
• Subsidy 0.3 baht/kWh
 Reduces air and water pollution
Produces fertilizer
Biogas from Produces electricity
Pig Farms 8 x 70 kW generator
Ratchaburi
Subsidy: 0.3 baht/kwh
 Bangkok Solar 1 MW PV
• Project size: 1 MW
• Uses self-manufactured a-Si
 1000
VSPP
900 summary
800
700
June 2008
600
MW 500
400 solar
bagasse
300 rice husk
other biomass (saw dust, palm)
200 municipal waste
biogas
100 wind
hydro
0
biodiesel
applied

permission

selling
 Pico-hydro projects in Thailand
Village & Year Turbine Generator Regulation Capacity
Kre Khi village 2003 Chinese turgo Permanent None 500 W
magnet
E Wi Jo village 2004 Crossflow Synchronous None 1 kW

Mae Sa Pau village 2005 Chinese turgo Permanent None (Nepali 1 kW

magnet ELC)
Huai Krating 2006 Pump as turbine Induction Nepali ELC 3 kW

Mor Hti Tha 2007 Chinese turgo Permanent None 1.5 kW

magnet
Mae Klang Luang 2007 Vietnamese propeller Permanent Vietnam ELC 200 W
magnet

Mae Wei 2008 Pump as turbine Induction Thai ELC 3 kW

Mae Klang Luang 2008 Chinese turgo Permanent None 1.5 kW

magnet
Surin 2008 Chinese turgo Permanent Thai ELC 1.5 kW
magnet
Surin 2008 Vietnamese propeller Permanent Thai ELC 200 W
magnet

Betong 2008 Pelton Induction Thai ELC 1 kW

 Kre Khi village
, Tak province
About 1 kW
Chinese Perm
anent Magnet
8 meters head turgo
E Wi Jo 2004
 2 kVA synchronous generator
Crossflow (undershot! lousy ‘nozzle’)
E Wi Jo village microhydro
Estimated power: 0.750 kW
Head: 20 meters
Flow: 20 liters/second
Total installed cost: baht 100,000
Huai Krating Microhydro
2005

3 kW pump as turbine
35 meters head
Pump and motor cost: $750
Controller cost: $500 or so
 Huai Krating:
‘pump as turbine’ off-grid induction “C-2C”

3kW
Ballast Load ELC

Motor Run
Capacitors
in Box

Ballast
Current

15A 10A

Total To
6A 380V 235V Current Village

2C C
50μF 25μF

3000W

4 kVA 380V
Mor Ti Tah Microhydro
2007

Chinese Turgo
35 meters head
No regulation
Turbine cost: $200
 Mae Klang Luang,
Chiang Mai
2007
• Vietnamese propeller
• 200 watts
• Cost: $90 (including controller)
• (show video)
Laos – low head hydro orgy
Mae Klang Luang 2008
• >500 W
• 3 inch PVC pipe
• Turbine cost: $160

• (show video)
Betong, Yala. Pelton

• Nepali
pelton &
nozzle
• Locally
fabricated
box
• Locally
procured 3
phase
induction
motor
Mae Wei – ‘pump as turbine’ off-grid induction
 Mbangamao mill, Tanzania
• pump as turbine – mechanical mill
Thai government solar
home program

203,000 solar home systems

Sustainability challenge
>20% failure rate within first year in Tak
Solar for computer training centers
in refugee camps

•1 kW PV hybrid with diesel generator

•Each powers 12 computers
•7 systems