I. Monitoring Visit by NC and UNDP Interne: (August 18,2012)
Findings and Observation:
At the office of the grantee in Baan (village) Nong Buakham, Tambol Wangluang, one of the seven targeted villages, the visiting team interacted with about 20 project leaders. Through half-an-hour power point presentation, the visiting team learnt about the steps the project planned to take in launching activities, as well as an essence of a document summarizing results of previous study and survey on the potential of renewable energy suitable in communities. The study and survey had been carried out by an academic institute with supported from the national electricity utility. The presentation, in essence, related causes and effects of global warming, and step-by-step, how a community would be able to cope with the situation. The DDD (Discuss, Design ,Deploy) model was highlighted. This interaction made the visiting team get an idea how well the project leaders plan to implement the project.

The visiting team was then led to witness two spots where renewable energy equipment of various types would be installed for use. The first was a community learning centre - premises containing pre-existing facilities supported by a grant project of the Japanese Embassy in Thailand. The facilities were composed of a solar pararubber drying plant, a pararubber processing equipment, a solar water pumping, a paddy mill, and a pig pen. An open ground among these facilities were being used as central market for pararubber sheets sales of the Tambol. The liquid waste from rubber sheet (40 tons/week) , dripping onto the ground untreated and sending offensive smell, would be collected and process into biogas for use in the facilities and nearby members. The second spot, a few kilometers from the first, was a premises of another open market but with much higher capacity of rubber sheet per week offered for trading (140 tons/week ). Biogas facility would be built to supply energy to the premises and nearby project members. One of the two proposed low speed wind water pumps for small scale farming was planned to be installed in a small banana plot next to this premises.

It was interesting to see how the project would fare in the following months. There seemed to be adequate amount of raw material for biogas energy (liquid waste from pararubber sheet and hog manure) and for biomass (rice husk from the paddy mill of the network). Solar radiation had been proven to be sufficient, while wind speed for water pumping was to be confirmed. Technical Capacity building activities would address this issue, as the project planned to take a study tour to a community successful with such a wind energy in the northeastern region of similar context.

II. First progress report (December 26, 2012):
Activities undertaken:
1. Conducting meetings for project confirmation with core network members
2. Conducting renewable energy inventory at household level and participatory processing of renewable energy
3.Distributing the energy inventory and the result of processing to targeted communities
4. Conducting public hearing and proposing the holistic plan
5. Conducting one study tour to learn more about renewable energy application
6.Building movable fixed-dome biogas pits making use animal manure
7. Building biogas pits making use of waste water from para-rubber processing
8. Fabricating high-efficiency biomass stoves
9.Installing solar water pumping systems
10.Installing low-speed wind tower for water pumping
11.Building charcoal production kilns
12. Producing dissemination materials

Results of activities:
1. Increased capacity and awareness of 150 members with 75 core leaders included, on renewable energy technology and energy situation at household level, witnessed by ability to actively participate in meetings, sharing thoughts /ideas, to put into practice , to compile inventory and to confirm co-financing to the projects
2. Completed construction of one biogas pit making use waste water from para-rubber process
3. Completed preparation of sites for installation and procurement of other renewable equipment (biomass, solar and wind )

Project Visibility and Communication by other organizations/individuals:
23 Oct 2012: Nongkhai Para-rubber Central Market, Department of Agriculture, Ratanawapi District, Nongkhai Provinceuploaded data & information and photos on its website, regarding procedures for building biogas pit using waste water to adjust acidity and get rid of stinking odours in para-rubber processing.

Emerging problems/issues and approaches for solution:
Building biogas pit using waste water from para-rubber was a new technology for communities. Mistakes and errors were made during building process resulting in a big modification. In addressing this problem, were required to pour over procedures and to have a clear insight before modifying the pit . The procedures had to be strictly followed.

Summarized lesson learnt:
After about half-a-year implementation, it was found that awareness and capacity on renewable energy of targeted population , as well as personnel of relevant government agencies, was fairly outstanding. At the same time, renewable energy in the area was fairly new making majority of communities uncertain about its efficiency once putting into real use, i.e. they learnt that renewable energy worked, but might not fully meet their expectation. Therefore, persistent building capacity and education, in conjunction with real demonstration, was very important.
Project Expense:
The project reported the expense of THB: 440,000 out of the first disbursement of THB: 441,050.07.