I. Progress report (June 19 , 2013):
Activities undertaken:
1. Organizing monthly meeting, launching training on climate change issues and production of biogas and biomass stoves, and conducting study tours
2. Building biogas facilities and fabricating biomass stoves
3. Producing dissemination materials

Results of activities:
1. Evinced increased technical capacity of project members (35 persons) indicated by active discussion and sharing relevant issues, and ability to put into practice
2. Two biogas facilities of 2-m. diameter by 8-m. long completed, each supplying gas for cooking for 6 hrs/day, and for running 6-hp internal combustion engine to generate 3kW electric power for 8 hrs
3. Completion of 30 biomass stove, each of 6-in diameter combustion chamber, replacing old type of stove
3. A set of tracts (over 100 sets) on global environment issues produced for capacity building activities and distributing to network members and other audiences who visited project location

Project Visibility and Communication by other organizations/individuals:
8 Feb 13: Phitsanuloke Provincial Energy Office and 60 community members visited the project to share experience on energy situation and community approaches for solution
20 Feb 13: Wind Turbine manufacturing Group from Loei Province visited the project to share experience on various types of alternative energy
25 Mar 13 NET Foundation from Surin Province visited the project to share experience on various types of alternative energy
15 May 13: A group from Petroleum Authority of Thailand visited the project to share experience on various types of alternative energy, especially prototype and community management and promotion
Emerging problems/issues and approaches for solution:
There were slight technical problems , i.e.
1. In connecting pipe to the biogas pit, the project had used flexible pipe but found that this was not suitable, as the pipe was too flexible to work on.
2. As to the operation of the internal combustion engine, it was found during the first trials that the runs were not smooth.
Solution:
1. Community found that a 6-in. PVC pipe was most suitable.
2. Before supplying gas to the engine , a set of strainer using metal scraps and charcoal should be used to absorb moisture from the gas. A local academic institute was giving hands to monitor for further improvement.

Summarized lesson learnt:
1. Before deciding to adopt any type of renewable energy, community members should keep in minds what their real needs and the context of its location and population were ,then try to learn from various sources, as much as possible. Community members should not trust any advertisement without reserve. For, once failed, the type of renewable energy selected for use might have a bad names for an unnecessary long time.
2. In promoting the adoption of renewable energy, capacity building , both technical and institutional , was of utmost important. Capacity building must always precede such activities as giving-free-to-try.

Project Expense:
The project reported the expense of THB: 179,000 out of the first disbursement of THB: 150,704.98.

II. Monitoring visit (July 4-5 , 2013):
Findings & observation:
The visiting team visited Baan (village) Khao Laem, Tambol Pardeng, one of the 10 targeted villages. The village is one of the four without grid connection, included in the Kanengkrajarn National Park ,and permitted to live conditionally under a Royal Initiative Project. At a premises of one project member, the visiting team was briefed by 10 project leaders about history of the village, community livelihood, current plan & activities to follow the Royal Self-sufficiency Philosophy of His Majesty the King, and finally carried out activities of GEF SGP and evinced results. The session was conducted successfully, engaging all participants sufficiently.

In the same premises, the team witnessed a biogas facility of about 6-8 cu.M supplying ample amount of biogas for cooking in the kitchen and for running an internal combustion engine which in turn running a generator of 2.3 kW producing electricity to two families since April 2013. Apart from this initial accomplishment, the project displayed an initial accomplishment of a small gasification facility making use of biomass, and a biomass stove, which was one of proposed activities.

Similar activities were witnessed in a premises of one project member in Baan Pardeng Nua, another village also included in the national park. A biogas facility of the same capacity and its accessories were witnessed functioning successfully. However, this family had no gasification system, but the member made use of the digestion by-product as fertilizer satisfactorily.

The final session was a highlight of this visit. This was a short dialogue organized by the Radio Thailand Petburi Province.The dialogue was attended by project leaders/community members, chief officer of the national park, Petburi Provincial Energy Office and the visiting team. The dialogue provided an opportunity to the attendants to share thoughts and ideas which would contribute to making project more successful and replicable and setting up good example for co-management of protected area. It appeared that every stakeholders were clear about the next steps to carry on. An MOU between the communities and concerned authority would soon be drafted and used as the regulations to ensure optimal result of the co-management of the national park. This was considered as a success, since several years in the past, there had been misunderstanding among parties and unclear issues on violation of national park law emerging in project location.

The visiting team agreed that the project had fared successfully. Each leader seemed eager to explain both technical & institutional aspects of the project and plans to maximize the use of renewable energy equipment that the project had produced. One major remaining activity was construction of two more biogas facilities and expansion of its use to cover more families in the 10 targeted villages.

III. Completion report (September 8, 2014):
Date of Participatory Evaluation(July 20, 2014 ):

Number of Beneficiaries/ Participating personnel:
Women: 40
Men: 20
Children: 5

Number of persons trained/ attending seminars, joining study tours:
Women: 30
Men: 15
Children: 2

Expense:
Amount received from SGP (2 disbursements): THB: 273,078.82
Total amount spent out of SGP budget: THB: 303,078.82
Balance: THB : (-30,000 )
Amount authorized for the final payment: US$: 983.71
Amount Received from others: THB: 102,000 (in cash)
THB: 156,000 (in kind)

Activities undertaken:
1.Launching capacity building through training & meetings RE: Climate Change and renewable energy
2. Launching demonstration of activities: biogas facility and biomass stoves
3. Launching dissemination of project results
4. Launching participatory evaluation

Results and indicators:
1. Increased capacity and awareness of target population witnessed by active participation in project activities, with 10 core members gaining insight on climate change phenomenon capable of articulating the issues and putting into practical use
2. Installation of 4 biogas facilities capable of avoiding LPG by 11,520 kg per year thus 26 tons/year approximately
3. Fabrication of 30 biomass stoves capable of avoiding LPG by 16 tons/year approximately
4. Over 100 sets of pamphlet being distributed to make project more visible and understood

Project Communication:
From January ? July 2014, staff members from 16 organizations, both public and private , visited to share experience with and document/record story of the project regarding adoption of renewable energy , especially on biogas, planning community energy, and community innovation.

Experience , Lessons Learnt , Problems and Issues:
1. It should be reminded among? renewable energy managers? about over-advertisement about renewable energy causing misunderstanding among users.
2. Concerning promoting the adoption of renewable energy, making the technology understood should have priority over giving incentives.
Regarding problems and issues:

1.The project referred to a slight technical problem on construction of biogas pit ,i.e. gas pipe connected to the pit had to be changed from bended circular type to a PVC pipe.
2. At the beginning, the engines run by biogas did not fare smoothly

Approaches for solution/recommendation:
1. The best material for connecting pipe was the 6-inch PVC
2. Before supplying to the engine, the gas was filtered by charcoal and iron scraps-making the engine run more smoothly

Plans and Activities for Sustainability:
After success in adoption of biogas and biomass energy, the project was launching an experiment on solar water pumping. While the first two types of renewable energy were intended to use in daily lighting and cooking, the solar water pumping would be for agricultural practice.