I. Project Site Visit (October 20-23, 2012):
Findings and Observation:
The first village visited was Baan (village) Artow, a home of a cultural group ? Akha? in highland area. The village was not connected by grid but had been supplied with solar lighting by the government. However, several solar systems were not very efficient due to their long service, probably 10-15 years. Therefore, the community was interested in a more stable systems, if not for all families, but for community centre like schools or religious institute.

The second village was Baan Huaymark, also a home of the Akha in highland area and had been supplied with solar lighting by the government. Once the community found that the solar lighting was inefficient due to its long services, they opted to replace the systems by installing 4 units of micro-hydro plants by their own investment. However, three units had experienced technical issues due to limited technical skill during installation thus were not capable of supplying electricity. Community members sough assistance from SGP to address the issues and to install a new system, if possible.
Flow rate of running water to drive the plants appeared to be sufficient.

The third village visited was Baan Songkhwae Phatthana, also a home of the Akha but in a lower land just about 20 km. from Chiangrai provincial town, and not grid connected. Due to its location in a valley, solar energy did not receive its popularity, but two micro-hydro plants, one installed a few years back by THA/SGP/OP4/Y3/RAF/09/09, and the other by the local government unit. These two plants were still running supplying power to some families but not was not able to cover all members. Therefore, this new SGP project proposed to install one more plant to ensure stable electricity supply for majority. And this new plant of 3-kW was found completed by about 70 %, with electric cable ready to connect. Project leaders confirmed that the installation would be completed within two months. Also, flow rate of running water to produce electricity was confirmed to be sufficient.

It was found that the project was in progress as planned, even though some complementary activities to ensure all-year round water availability, such as watershed rehabilitation was not substantially witnessed, and interaction with targeted population limited due to time constraint. Nevertheless, project leaders had demonstrated both technical and institutional capacity to manage the project.


II. Progress report (January 12, 2013):
Activities undertaken:
1. Conducting 2 study tours to learn more about alternative energy for 46 community members
2. Organizing one open forum on natural ways of life of watershed people
3. Installing one unit of 3-kW micro hydro plant to completion and in operation , with another unit under preparation
4. Organizing 3 events in 3 locations to make project more visible and understood.
Results of activities:
1.Increased technical capacity on electrical circuit of at least 26 members witnessed by ability to put into practice and transfer the knowledge to others
2. Establishment of 2 committees and 2 technicians to manage the micro-hydro plants
3.Increased awareness of 200 community members witnessed by active participation in the discourse about the degradation of ecosystems and loss of natural resource with 170 members exhibited enthusiasm to rehabilitate and protect the ecosystems
4. Initially perceived avoidance/reduction of the followings:
?About THB: 8,460/month avoided on grid electricity bill for one village of 70 households
?About 10 litres/month/household of diesel/gas oil reduced for lighting ? about 1,960 kg/month of CO2 reduction
?About 6 kg/day/family of fire-woods reduced ? about 613.2 kg/day of CO2 reduction
5. At least 300 members being updated on news of globalization through television
6. Two women?s group being able to increase work during night time
7. At least 120 student being able to increase learning during night time
8. Establishment of one learning centre for micro-hydro plant
9.About 650 persons from targeted population and wider public participating in the events learning about the course of project activities, sources of fund , degradation of forest, land and water, as well as climate change.
Project Visibility and Communication by other organizations/individuals:
14 Oct 55: Huay Som Tambol Administrative Organizations, Mae Suay District, Chiangrai Province ,with its 20 members visited the project to learn about installation of the micro hydro plant. The lesson learnt /experience gained would be used as a foundation to build a plant in its location.
Emerging problems/issues and approaches for solution:
During rainy season, water flow rate varied resulting in heavy sediments in front of weirs thus affected water storage and the wier structure. In order to protect the weir, an opening was made to allow overflow . A drain pipe with valves, was also laid under the weir to facilitate sediment flowing.
Summarized lesson learnt:
The completed and operational hydro-plant served as a model and learning centre on renewable energy from water for surrounding communities. Targeted population and those outside project location exhibited enthusiasm to learn and replicate, as the plant was able to save expense on daily energy. However, due to limited technical experience of construction, resources persons from outside were still required thus took more time and caused a slight delay in implementation plan. With the 2 technicians mentioned above, construction of the next units should be easier and completed on time.
Project Expense:
The project reported the expense of THB: 354,622 out of the first disbursement of THB: 412,310.73.

III. Project Site Visit (April 8-9, 2013):
Findings and Observation:
The first location visited was Baan Huaymark, in Mae Salong Nai Distsrict, a home for about 30 families in highland area, all a cultural group-Akha, who make livings through agricultural practice, i.e., paddy for consumption and coffee to generate income. It was found that 3 out of 4 micro-hydro plants were successfully installed, generating electricity to the families quite satisfactorily. The one remaining plant was about to be completed within a few days. Increased technical capacity of project leaders seemed sufficient. Several of them were able to share - how to operate and maintain the system.

With community investment and financial support from the local administrative organization (TAO), the community had procured 3 coffee seed peeling-off machines to be driven by water energy, which would reduce the use of the gasoline-run machine, currently in use, in the peeling-off process.

The second village visited was Baan Songkhwae Phatthana,in Muang District, a home for about 40 families in a valley, also a cultural group-Akha, who make livings through agricultural practice, mostly paddy and corn. It was found that the completed 4-kW micro-hydro plant was generating electricity to the families successfully. In addition, it was reported that the project was visited a few weeks earlier by a Channel 3 TV programme which was currently making news how various sectors prepared to address the country utility?s planned temporary blackout during the first half of April. The story of the project was aired in one morning of March 2013.

More outstandingly in Baan Songkhwae Phatthana, the project made an impact upon the relevant government agency. This involved the Ministry of Energy?s Department of Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency further support to build a bigger micro hydro plant in the village aiming to generate electricity to cover more neighboring villages and to cope with increasing electricity demand in the future. The foundation of this new plant was seen complete in construction. Perceiving enough electricity supply for the village, project leaders had slightly adjusted planned activities by including one more off-grid village, Baan Arker with about 20 families, situated about 15 km away. Baan Aker was to be installed with another 2-kW micro hydro plant originally planned to be installed at Baan Songkhwae Phatthana.

The only remaining activity of the project was re-vegetating the 48-ha watershed to ensure water flow and increase carbon sink in project location. Project leaders informed the visiting team that this activity was to take place in the coming rainy season.

IV. Completion report (25 June 2014):
Date of Participatory Evaluation(7 December 2013 ):

Number of Beneficiaries/ Participating personnel:
Women: 277
Men: 243
Children: 200

Number of persons trained/ attending seminars, joining study tours:
Women: 78
Men: 92
Children: 130

Expense:
Amount received from SGP (2 disbursements): THB: 729,329.33
Total amount spent out of SGP budget: THB: 808,562 Balance: THB : (-79,232.67 )
Amount authorized for the final payment: US$: 2,586.64
Amount Received from others: THB: 460,600 (in cash)
THB: 485,000 (in kind)

Activities undertaken:
1.Launching technical capacity building of targeted population through study tours and open forum (Micro-Hydro Power Plant and other renewable energy technology)
2. Building micro-hydro plants
3. Launching dissemination of project results
4. Launching participatory evaluation

Results and indicators:
1. Increase technical capacity (renewable energy) of 60 members witnessed by ability to put into practice and use
2. The electricity from 7 micro-hydro plants (total capacity = 20 kW) resulting in the followings:
? Avoidance of grid electricity thus CO2 emission by 11. 4 tons/months (200 families)
? Reduction of fuel wood thus CO2 emission by 2 tons/day (200 families)
? Reduction of kerosene/diesel for lighting thus CO2 by 280 kg/day (200 families)
2. Approximately 1,000 community members being educated and updated about globalization and conservation
3. At least 3 women?s group being able to extend their working hours into the nights thus possible income increase
4. A watershed of about 1,000 ha being re-vegetated with 3,000 trees of native species

Project Communication:
1. On 20 Jan 2013: 20 members from Baan Huay Sala Village, Fang District, Chiangmai Province, vitisted the project to learn from project experience and replicate in their location.
2. On 23 Feb 2013:TOP T.V. NEWS (e-mail: top.tv@hotmail.com) visited the project to interview project leaders on operations of the Micro-hydro plants then aired on Channel 3.
3. On 27 May 2013: 2 staff members from Mekong for Highland Development Organization, Chiangmai Province visited the project to learn from project experience and replicate in their location.
4. On 10 Jun 2013: 35 members of Community Energy Master Plan from 6 northern provinces visited the project to learn from project experience and replicate in their targeted locations.
5. On 9 Jan 2014: Project leaders from THA/SGP/OP5/Y2/STAR/CC/12/03 visited the project to learn from project experience and replicate in their location.
6. On 26 Jan 2014:Staff members from Chiangrai Provincial Energy Office visited the project to learn from project experience and replicate in their targeted locations
.
Experience , Lessons Learnt , Problems and Issues:
1. Fluctuation of water flow in penstock resulted in fluctuation of generated electricity. This was addressed by introducing for adaptation the control panel and transformer before connecting the electricity to the families.
2. Bearings of generator of 3 kW did not last very long under high water flow rate thus required more often maintenance. As the machine is not made in Thailand, maintenance took a longer time. The project solved this problem by choosing to use 2-kW generator instead, as they did not require much high flow rate - thus lasting longer. However, targeted communities were able to learn and maintain the system satisfactorily.

Plans and Activities for Sustainability:
The project planned to continue to be a learning place for micro-hydro and ecosystem conservation.